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  • Writer's pictureShirly Weinstein
    • Oct 9, 2020
    • 9 min read

How To Prepare For Your Upcoming Stay With Us

Updated: May 4, 2023

You stay at one of our Zula Beach Vacation Homes is almost here!


We are the Weinstein Family, and we own and manage our 5 vacation homes in Destin, Florida, and 2 vacation homes in South Padre Island, Texas and super excited to have you as our guests!


We've been vacation rentals hosts since 2013 and over the years we got many questions from guests. So we’ve wrote this blog post to help answer the questions we get asked often and help you prepare for your upcoming vacation.


We hope you find this information helpful!


*This post may contain affiliate links



OK, vacation is booked! What's next?


1. Confirmation message - Make sure you received a confirmation message for your reservation. If you booked on a booking platform such AirBNB or VRBO you should receive the confirmation on that platform. If you booked with us directly on our website (and got the best deal!) you should receive the confirmation to your email. The confirmation message will include important information like house address, check in and check out time and more.


2. Guest form - Please take a moment to click on the link to the pre-arrival form from the confirmation message and fill it out.


3. Add ons - Let us know if you’ll need any of these added (paid separately after you book):

  • Pet fee - $150 for up to 2 dogs *additional pets optional with additional fee.

  • Pool/Spa heating - We offer the option to heat pool/spa for an additional fee. We cannot offer partial stay heating; any fee will cover the entire stay. It is optional of course and only applies for the houses with pool/spa. It’s best to let us know ahead of time so we can have the heating on prior to your arrival.

    • Optional pool heating prices:

      • $50/night for pool or pool & hot tub heating

      • $35/night for hot tub heating only.

  • Damage deposit - For groups where the majority of adults are under 25yr (not including children accompanied by their parents) a refundable damage deposit is required and/or bookings for events/less than 2 nights. The damage deposit amount (if applicable) is $750 is for Zula Beach, Zula Dreams, Zula Life, Zula Breeze, and Zula Siesta and $1000 for Zula Del Mar.

4. Purchase trip insurance - our cancelation policy applies for any unforeseen circumstances including illness, death, weather and other travel related issues. We recommend all our guests to purchase travel insurance for their peace of mind. Here are links to trip insurance companies our past guests have used (we do not endorse any insurance product):


5. Book excursions & rentals- Check out our blog post with all our personal recommendation for things to do, where to eat and shop in Destin, FL or in South Padre Island, TX


Including Destin favorites like: dolphin cruises, fishing trips, boat rentals, parasailing and much more! You can also rent a golf cart or bicycles (some local vendors will even deliver to the house) or schedule a photography session. We generally don’t think a golf cart is required. Our houses are very close to the beach (1-5min easy walk) and parking near the beach is extremely hard to find during the season.



5. Get in the mood for your upcoming vacation:


What To Pack


This section is going to be more descriptive. It’s a little long but will help you decide what things are worth bringing, and what you can leave at home:


Bedrooms:


Linens & pillows - We provide all the bed sheets, blankets and pillows. We use a local professional laundry service to make sure all is fresh and clean for your stay.


Fans - Some bedrooms have ceiling fans but for safety reasons, all bedrooms with bunk beds do not have a fan. If you have a favorite sound machine or used to sleep with a fan on, it might be a good idea to bring a small portable one from home.


Crib - We provide one pack & play per house. If there is more than 1 infant in your group, you will need to bring an additional crib as we cannot provide additional ones. There are also local companies such as Baby Quip who rent cribs & other baby gear if needed. We do not provide crib sheets or blankets so please bring your own.


Additional items you might want to bring with you for your Zula Beach vacation rental stay: favorite stuffed animals for the kids, night light, bed rails, baby gate, favorite pillow or blanket, sound machine.



Bathrooms:


Towels - We provide bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths. For houses that have a pool/hot tub we also provide pool towels . Please bring your beach towels to take to the beach. We do ask our guests to not use our towels to remove makeup. Please bring your own makeup remover wipes or clothes from home.


Toilet paper - we provide 3 rolls of toilet papers per bathroom. If you run out during your stay, you will need to restock it yourself.


Shampoo & hand soap - We provide a dispenser of shampoo in each shower and a dispenser of hand soap near each sink. If you prefer to bring your favorite hand soap and shampoo you are of course welcome to. We do not provide conditioner, body wash, lotion or hand sanitizers.


Hair dryer - located in each bathroom. It’s a travel size so if you need something more powerful, please bring your own. We do not provide any hair styling products.


Additional things you might consider bringing: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, aloe, additional toilet paper, air refresher, toothbrushes & toothpaste, makeup remover, lip balm, wipes, hair brush, hair styling, medications, diapers and swim diapers.



Kitchen:


Appliances - Kitchen is equipped with a full size fridge & freezer, oven, range, microwave and dishwasher for your use.


Small appliances - each house has a toaster, blender and a dual coffee machine for both K-Cup pods and ground coffee. Just bring your favorite coffee, filters, sweeteners and creamers.


Pots & pans - We provide all the pots and pans and you are welcome to use them as much as you want.


Dinnerware - we provide plates, bowls, cups, mugs, silverware and cooking utensils according to the number of people the house sleeps. You can wash the dishes and reuse as you need. No cleaning service is provided during your stay so expect to do your dishes between meals. You may also consider bringing paper plates and plastic utensils if you don't feel like doing much dishes during your vacation.


Grill - We provide a gas grill as well as propane and grill utensil set. Bring your favorite meat and veggies to grill out.


Basic kitchen products: We provide 1 roll of paper towel, a few trash bags, a small bottle of dish soap and 1 kitchen sponge. If you run out of any of these during your stay, you will need to restock it yourself as well as bring any other cleaning supplies you would like to use.


Additional things you might want to bring: kitchen gadgets you are used to like crock pot, instant pot, Ziplock bags, aluminum foil and plastic wraps, paper towels, trash bags, case of water bottles or reusable water bottles, paper plates, plastic utensils, condiments like ketchup, mayo, mustard, hot sauce and your favorite spices. Grocery stores such as Walmart, Publix, Win-Dixie, Wholefoods, Fresh Market and Target are all a short drive away from our Destin vacation homes and some are open 24 hours. South Padre Island have less grocery store options, but a big Walmart & H-E-B are a short drive away in Port Isabel and the island small grocery store - Blue Marlin.



Laundry:


Washer & Dryer - All houses have a washer & dryer and you are welcome to use it for your needs. We provide laundry detergent but if you have sensitive skin or would like to use a specific laundry detergent brand, you are welcome to bring your own. We will not provide additional towels during your stay beyond the amount provided. You can use the laundry to wash and reuse the towels provided.


Iron - we provide an iron and iron board in each house.



Beach & Pool stuff:


Beach chairs - we provide about 8 beach chairs. If you are traveling with a big group, you might consider bringing or buying additional chairs or rent from a local beach service vendor.


Beach cart - We provide a beach cart (wagon) so it’s easier for you to carry your things to and from the beach.


Beach & Pool toys - We do not supply toys or inflatables. However, some guests leave behind. We cannot guarantee the availability or condition of it so if you are traveling with children, please plan to bring or buy toys if you want them.


Additional beach items: You may also consider bringing a beach bag, cooler, beach blanket, additional beach chairs and umbrella, beach tent, beach toys, pool toys, sunscreen, aloe, bikes and helmets and bug repellent. You can rent a beach chair & umbrella from a local vendor, or purchase locally if you are limited on space in your car or are flying in. We do not provide air pumps, paddle boards or kayaks. You can rent those locally as well.



Electronics & Entertainment


High speed WIFI - All our houses have high speed internet at the top tier possible by the provider in the area (Cox in Destin and Spectrum in SPI). We keep the equipment up to date with latest technology routers that support a large number of simultaneous users to make sure even large groups can stay connected for all their work, school or streaming needs.


Smart TVs - all TVs in all our houses are Roku smart TVs so you can connect to all your favorite streaming services. We DO NOT have cable TV service at the houses and DO NOT provide and streaming services. You can log in to your services and/or do a trial on any services if you like to try them during your stay.


Board & card games - we have some board and card games, but feel free to bring your favorites as well.


Additional entertainment items you might wanna bring: books & magazines, your favorite board and card games, phone, camera, tablets and their chargers. Some of our houses offer outdoor entertainment such as pool, ping pong table, hammock, arcade, and outdoor TV.



During your stay


  • Quiet hours are 10pm to 7am. Houses are located in a residential neighborhood and quiet hours are strictly enforced!

  • No parties or events are allowed on the property (inside or outside!)

  • No guests over the house limit at any time. We could lose our license over this if code enforcement is called in.

  • No smoking or vaping is allowed inside the house or near open doors or windows. Please pick up cigarette butts and don’t put out cigarettes on the floors, porch or decks.

  • No street parking. All cars should be parked on our driveway or front lawn. Please do not block sidewalks or driveways as you may be towed and/or fined.

  • Absolutely NO GLASS in the yard or pool. It’s extremely dangerous for you, our pool equipment and future guests, some visit with little kids.

  • Please keep the front & back of the house clean and tidy. All trash should be in the garbage bins or recycling bin.

  • Trash is picked up twice a week. Please see fridge sign and/or folder for specific days for the house you booked. Please make sure all trash is in bins on curbside the night before and back in after pick up. If the garbage bins are out on the wrong day, the city will issue a citation.

  • Towels are provided for bath and pool only. Please do not use it to clean any spills, clean heavy makeup, or take to the beach.

  • Please only flush toilet paper. Do not flush wipes even if they are the “flushable kind” as well as sanitary products and other things. We spend over $1000 each year on emergency plumbing services due to wipes and other products.

  • If you accidentally break anything please let us know immediately. It helps us to make sure we are ready to fix or replace it for our next guests. Our houses are almost always fully booked and we have a very small window to fix, repair and replace if needed.

  • Please use basic common sense and respect for our houses and neighbors.

  • For your security and ours, we have a Ring camera on the front doors and pool equipments. It will record video and sound with any movement outside the front door.


Check Out


Check out time is 10am. We do ask that you leave on time, as we need sufficient time to clean and prep the house for the next guests **additional fee will apply for late checkouts.


Checkout instructions are on the fridge sign & in house book, but we generally just ask that you put all dishes away, and run the dishwasher with any last minute dishes, and take the trash out.



Plan Your Next Trip


Book directly on our website and save on fees! AirBNB, VRBO and Bookings.com charges a ton booking fees. If you book with us directly, you can eliminate those charges and get the best price guaranteed: ZulaBeach.com


You can also join our mailing list on our website to get emails (we only send a couple a months) with last minute deals and coupon codes.



Still Have Questions?


If you still have questions, feel free to reach out anytime!

We are available via:




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