Five Star Gulf Rentals has many properties in its selection along the Gulf Coast. But regardless of what kind of property you choose, most of the properties have similar features. If you’ve been looking for a rental in Destin or South Walton, you’re probably aware that many rental companies are touting their services and offering vacation package deals. But how many companies can give you a beachfront property, as well as recommendations and accommodations for a full vacation experience in Destin? Five Star Gulf Rentals has various beach properties and, for those deciding to rent with them, accommodations, such as bringing groceries to a rental property before you arrive or guest chefs from local restaurants to come into your rental and cook you dinner for one night.

In terms of the actual properties, most rental homes through Five Star have similar characteristics. Each property is designed to accommodate a group ranging from eight to twelve people, and bedrooms and living areas are split between two to three floors of every home. Some of these bedrooms and living areas even have balconies to give you a view of the ocean. Inside, each rental property is complete with in-home entertainment options like televisions and DVD players.

But renting a property in Destin is only partially about the home. The other half of the experience comes from the area, which is known for beaches with white sands and green water. Many Five Star properties, including both rental homes and condos, are within walking distance of the beach in Destin or South Walton. In addition, many of these properties come with a pool for a more secluded and private outdoor experience with your family or other renters. Destin has several entertainment options, as well, and nearly all of these beach properties are located near shopping and dining options, such as downtown Destin or the Silver Sands Outlet Mall.

Where does Destin stand in the Florida tourism market? Recently, after the tourism season is over, Destin came in second in terms of driving destinations for vacation trips. Although the article doesn’t mention how it determined how many people were driving to Destin or first-place city Orlando, one trend Destin’s rentals and resorts saw this past summer, as well as from the start of 2009, has been more out-of-state license plates in the area. Although actual resort attractions saw less traffic, especially from locals, rental management companies actually had to increase their offerings to meet the demand.

Locally, most of the traffic to Destin has been drivers from Alabama, Louisiana, and the Florida panhandle, and this hasn’t changed. But, as many can’t afford airfares, driving is a far more economical option. As we saw during the summer, some from even as far as Tallahassee, Florida drove to Destin for a different vacation experience. Destin, in addition, has grown in popularity due to word-of-mouth as an affordable vacation destination. Although travelers from the Northeast and Midwest aren’t the first to think of Destin as a vacation destination, the driving coverage area for Destin appears to have expanded to attract more day trippers.

Accommodations are another factor in attracting people to an area. Many rental companies, such as Five Star Gulf Rentals offer weekend rentals, instead of a whole week at a time, for some properties in desirable locations. Aside from actual properties, many resorts and rental companies also started offering vacation packages in 2009 to get more tourists to come to the area. Although a weekend room and passes to entertainment and dining options might not be airplane-worthy, it’s certainly good enough of a deal to attract those from the immediate area to Destin for a quick and affordable diversion.

Many beach resort towns have desirable areas, and Destin is no different. The Emerald Coast includes larger cities like Panama Beach and Pensacola and smaller communities like Destin and South Walton. While the Emerald Coast, because of its beaches and other attractions like fishing and golfing, is on the rise for vacation destinations on a national level, smaller areas like Destin and South Walton have their own market. Five Star Gulf Rentals is one of the rental agencies along the Emerald Coast and, to fit a number of tastes and budgets, the rental properties offered range from the center of Destin city to South Walton to various beachfront properties.

Both rental houses and condos are some of Five Star’s offerings. Both of these range in location, however, with homes located in Destin and the towns along 30A. The actual locations differ with the type of property, in addition. Some homes or condos are located right on the beach, while others are inland, or even in the center of Destin. Right on the beach is considered the most desirable location in any resort town, and various properties by Five Star are directly on the beach. Others are a brief walk to the beach. Some are located near shopping, dining, and entertainment options, such as Destin Commons and the Silver Sands Outlet Mall. In general, Destin, Miramar Beach, and Destiny-by-the-Sea are considered the most desirable locations, and having a beachfront rental in one of these areas is the upper echelon for rentals.

Aside from locations, rental properties by Five Star come with additional amenities, like swimming pools, party areas, and private walkways to the beach. To make your rental experience in Destin more pleasant, Five Star even makes recommendations and arrangements for you in terms of local dining, leisure, and entertainment.

Five Star Gulf Rentals has various rental properties in Destin and South Walton. Royal Siesta is one of the properties managed by Five Star that is located in South Walton or, more specifically, Miramar Beach. Miramar Beach is one of the top areas of the Emerald Coast, and getting a rental in the area, much less on the beach, is desired. Through Five Star, you could spend a few days to a week in a Miramar Beach property with Royal Siesta, a beachfront townhouse designed for a group of twelve people to spend a few nights in a desirable Emerald Coast location.

For specifics, Royal Siesta is a 2300 square feet rental property that is within walking distance of the beach. A view of the beach, including the green water of the Emerald Coast, is also available on the first and third floors of the rental house. The rental property has various sleeping ranges inside, and some of the rooms include a private suite with a lookout giving a view of the ocean and also a room with a private balcony on the third floor, also with an ocean view. Other rooms in the rental property have televisions with DVD players and wi-fi. Aside from being a brief drive from Destin and located on the beach, the house is near various shopping, entertainment, and dining destinations, including the Destin Commons and the Silver Sands Outlet Mall.

Outside, Royal Siesta has a shared pool with other properties in the area and a party area. Hold a party with your family during your vacation or with other renters in the area. In addition, as it’s officially fall, Royal Siesta is open for renting in three days to weekly periods. For a three-day rental, the property can be rented for three days during the weekend (Friday through Sunday) or for three weekdays.

Part of this blog is assigned to describing various services for renters in the Gulf Coast area, and this includes general vacation packages to lure people into the area for a few days to a week. But what about Five Star Gulf Rentals’ own services? Various rental companies in Destin, Five Star included, expanded their guest offerings during this past spring and summer, as the rising wave and demand of renters for rental properties has been increasing steadily since the start of 2009. Some companies may offer vacation combination packages, with reduced-price passes, but what about planning your vacation for you?

If you’re planning to use Five Star Gulf Rentals for a summer beachfront property in Destin or South Walton, the vacation package deals the company carries essentially assists with planning your vacation to the Emerald Coast. Destin and other Emerald Coast communities saw an increase of new visitors this summer, including many from outside the New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama area, and if you’re unfamiliar with the area, Five Star can offer recommendations when planning your trip. At this point, why use guide books when locals from the area can give you recommendations?

Some of the more specific services offered in Five Star’s rental arrangements are outlined in the page for Destin rental concierge services. On a basic level, though, this includes arranging and making recommendations for various activities and entertainment around the area, including appointments at spas, golf lessons, and chartered fishing trips. Arranging for dining is another service offered, and this can include basic services like having groceries already in the refrigerator in your rental when you arrive to having a private chef come to your rental to prepare dinner for your family or guests. If you want to explore the culinary offerings of Destin, we can recommend and make arrangements at area restaurants.

One of the issues with renting a property in any beach, Destin and the rest of the Emerald Coast in this case, is getting from the house to the beach. Not every rental property is directly on the beach and, if the rental house isn’t within walking distance of the beach, many drive there. In Destin recently, one issue this past summer – as well as during this past decade in general – has been on the overcrowding of beaches in the summer due to the large amount of renters. Another issue has been vacationers trespassing on private beaches for people who own beach houses all year long. Although some trespassers may not know if the beach is public or private, the mayor of Destin has put into planning a solution for overcrowded Destin beaches.

The solution, according to the article linked above, is to have a trolley line to give renters in Destin accessibility to Henderson Beach state park, a free beach that isn’t experiencing as much traffic as Crystal Beach. Crystal Beach, during recent summers, has experienced overcrowding, as well as vacationers trespassing on beachfront properties, but, being the more convenient beach, locals and renters flock to it. Henderson, which is somewhat out of the way, has experienced less traffic but the trolley line is designed to drive more traffic there.

The other benefit of going to Henderson Beach state park as a renter is that the beach is free. Currently, the price to access Henderson is merely six dollars for parking, but by trolley, going to the beach is free. As Destin is known for its beaches, going to a fully-free beach is one way to make a vacation package even better. The white sands and green water of the Emerald Coast can be found on all beaches in Destin and South Walton, and this trolley idea will be convenient for renters not with a beachfront property and will distribute beach traffic for evenly.

Colder weather often means lower rates, and if you’re considering renting a properly through Five Star Gulf Rentals, the rates in the fall are lower than during the warmer months. Five Star has seen an increase in rental properties over the year, but this reflects the increase in rental demand on the Emerald Coast. From about three properties, our offerings have increased, and now we have options ranging from larger beach houses to condos. For large groups of ten to fourteen people to a small family, all types of rental properties are available on the Gulf Coast. Also, as the atmosphere in various Gulf Coast towns varies, the rentals open in the fall months include properties in Destin and the various communities of South Walton along route 30A.

Why is it an ideal time to come to the Emerald Coast? While most of the east coast and Midwest in the United States are experiencing colder temperatures with the start of September, the Gulf coast is still warm. Destin’s famous beachscape of white sands juxtaposed with bluish green water is still intact and, with lower prices, the fall makes an ideal time to rent a property for three days to a week to experience this natural wonder. The beach isn’t Destin’s only attraction, and all of the other aspects of the Emerald Coast, from hiking and yoloing to shopping and concerts, are still in effect during fall.

What can you expect to pay for a property rental during the fall? The rates for Five Star Destin rentals are listed under the link, but, overall, the rates are lower than that during the summer. Although the drop isn’t significantly lower, many properties that were only open during for weekly rentals during the summer are now available for weekend rentals. When you can’t take a weeklong vacation during the fall, a weekend excursion to Destin and other Emerald Coast towns now has more options.

Back in the spring and early summer, when this blog just got started, articles by local Destin and other Emerald Coast publications were touting the fact that, despite the economy, the area was seeing more tourists. The result of attracting more outsiders to the Emerald Coast was seen as the result of two factors: less money to travel resulting in “stay-cations” and resorts and rental communities offering discounts for renting but also entertainment and dining options. A recent article published in Northwest Florida Daily News, however, states that the area saw a drop in revenue but increase in the amount of tourists in the area.

The drop isn’t a significant concern, however. In the long term, more at this economic point traveled to Destin than before as the result of modifying vacation destinations – Destin, Florida as opposed to the Riviera. Vacation time was modified, in addition, as various rental property associations saw more customers wanting to rent for shorter periods of time. Instead of one or two weeks, this meant that tourists were staying around just for a weekend. But, although rental visits increased steadily since January (and some had to expand their offerings to accommodate the demands), what about the entertainment options?

The entertainment and dining options ranging from restaurants and bars to concerts and golfing seemed to experience fewer visits, according to the article. Although various resorts and rental associations offered tourist packages that combined lower rental rates with passes to entertainment and dining locations, visiting entertainment destinations like amusement and water parks seemed to be down. Destin’s primary attraction is the white sands and turquoise-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and those coming to stay for a few days may only stay on the beach and explore other free options like hiking through the area or biking down 30A.

One thing that this past economy has shown is that many entertainment, dining, and luxury fields have had to adjust their rates and, in some cases, offer packaged deals to attract customers. Whether it’s a two-for-$20 meal at a restaurant or special lower vacation rates, with activity packages included, many businesses have had to adjust themselves in order to get repeat business. Destin, as one of the premiere vacation destinations in the South, is not different, and various hotels, rentals, and resorts have been offering packages to attract customers. And, in many cases, it appears to be working as, coupled with stay-cations, many are coming to Destin because of the lower rates and activity packages available.

One option, even for regular elderly vacationers or snowbirds, has been the Sandestin Snowbird Program. For the winter, many elderly “migrate” to Florida – hence the term “snowbirds” – and spend about four to six months in the city. To attract more, or the same, customers, the Sandestin resort has created a lower fare package for elderly customers that includes lower rental rates and fares for various recreational activities, including golf. For the latter, this discount plan gives vacationers the opportunity to be a member of the Sandestin Golf Club.

How has this plan been working? Apparently, the Sandestin Resort has seen a ten percent increase in snowbird guests since the package was offered. Similarly, other resorts and rental services in Destin and along the Emerald Coast have been offering similar packages to attract guests. And, as seen in previous posts, these efforts are working for rental properties, as many from out of the area are coming to Destin and South Walton to rent a beach house or condo for three days to a week.

What other reasons do you need to go to Destin? As it’s one of the top vacation spots in the South, many come to the city for its beaches. But most shore towns don’t survive on the beach alone – think of the Jersey shore and the Boardwalk – and Destin has its share of activities to attract vacationers to rent a house or condo for up to a week at a time. While, yes, the beach is the true reason many come to Destin to vacation for a week, other activities involve the other natural resources and the arts in and around Destin. Destin.com recently compiled a list of various activities to do in Destin in honor of the city’s quarter-century birthday. The article gives a more detailed run-down of things to do in Destin and surrounding Emerald Coast towns, but here are some highlights:

*The beach. Aside from standard activities on the beach, Destin’s beaches are known for being places to watch marine life and go fishing.
* The arts. Although Destin is still an up-and-coming city, the area still has a strong arts presence, including both visual and performing arts. Art and performing festivals do come to Destin and, as they vary with seasons, check online to see what is available.
*State parks. Various state parks are around Destin and the 30A area. Activities like hiking and yoloing (stand-up paddle boarding) are often done in these various parks, some of which include secluded beaches and dune lakes.
*Golf clubs. Regardless of whether you stay at a resort or at a rental property, the area in and around Destin has many golf clubs.
*The Destin History and Fishing Museum. Destin may be a younger city, but the area has a history as a fishing town.
*Exploring route 30A. Whether you choose to drive or bike it, 30A has various smaller shore towns with their own attractions.
*Shopping. From the latest retail to antiques, Destin has various shopping centers and malls, including the Silver Sand Outlet Mall, that attract many vacationers and locals.