Five Star has an appropriate name since it is a beachfront vacation rental home that is five stories tall and provides five star accommodations to the lucky guests who stay here. It is located in laid back Inlet Beach in South Walton, a private residential enclave where the saying "make yourself at home" will take on a whole new meaning. You will feel like a local native almost immediately in this lovely coastal community that has quiet streets and sea oat studded sand dunes that reflect a natural ambiance of serenity. The convenient locale is right next door to the charming, Dutch colonial styled village of Rosemary Beach towards the west where shops, restaurants and seasonal festivities abound along Scenic 30A. Inlet Beach borders Camp Helen State Park towards the east offering an amazing abundance of natural wildlife and some great fishing. The 180 acre "camp" was originally a private summer spot many decades ago for employees of a large textile company in Alabama before being deeded to the state as a park. It sits on a rounded peninsula that is surrounded on three sides by water including the gulf, Philips Inlet and Lake Powell which is one of the largest Coastal Dune Lakes in the world. Coastal dune lakes are quite exotic since other than South Walton, they are found in only three other places in the world including Madagascar, Australia and New Zealand. This accounts for the great angling along these lakes because they support a huge amount of flora, fauna and fish because of their unusual water composition.

If you're in the mood for some power shopping or a movie on an occasional rainy afternoon, (rarely does it rain all day in Florida!), you may want to check out Pier Park in nearby Panama City Beach.  This shopping destination has almost one million square feet of retail adventure and is just fifteen minutes away from Inlet Beach towards the east. It includes 125 stores, an outdoor pedestrian boulevard and a state of the art, stadium seated Imax Theater. A whole host of lively bars, restaurants and free live music entertainment can be found there. It extends from Highway 98 all the way to Front Beach Road where it ends at a long pier that juts out into the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico.

Five Star Vacation Home

Five Star at Inlet Beach is perched beachfront atop a sand dune with commanding views of the jeweled, emerald toned waters. This five story, 3,200 square foot home has balconies on every level providing almost ship like views across the sugar white beach and extending out all the way to the dreamy southern horizon. Every single one of the four bedrooms has access to the beachfront balconies where you may enjoy the romantic, salty sea air and listen to the sound of the surf. In fact appropriately enough, the official house motto is "Sandy toes and salty kisses." During the summer months you may experience a full moon rising up over this watery vista which shimmers in a silvery glow. The months between fall and early spring provide ethereal, heavenly, multicolored sunsets across the sky as the sun slowly sinks down into the western gulf.

Five Star Beach Access

The first floor includes the main entry as well as a convenient outdoor shower where you can wash the sand off your toes. A stairway with a decorative arbor leads down from top of the dune to your own private, sparkling beach below. Sometimes you can see dolphin frolicking in the distance so be sure to bring your binoculars so that you can watch them play up close.

Five Star Living Area

Upstairs on the second level is an open living area with gleaming, cappuccino colored tile. A wall of windows beckons you out onto the beautiful balcony that extends across the entire beach-side of the house. The living room portion of this space has a comfortable couch that doubles as a queen sized Sleeper Sofa if need be along with some elegant side chairs. A flat screen TV is mounted to a center wall where you may have simultaneous views of the gulf and that "must see" college game. The dining room on the other side seats up to eight around an oval table next to the sliding glass doors accessible to the balcony and sits under a vintage, torch globe chandelier. The gourmet open kitchen is completely up to date with stainless steel appliances, a large side by side refrigerator and a deep sink that has a window above it where you may catch more outdoor views. A gleaming, mirror like black granite counter top has three bar seats so guests may enjoy convivial conversation while you lay out the hordouves.  There is also a Powder Room on this floor for added convenience.

Five Star Bedroom

A stairway with rich syrup colored hardwood steps lead up to the third level. Here you will find a beautifully appointed guest bedroom done in pastel, nautical colors as well as another bedroom with twin bunk beds. The luxurious, full hall bath serves both of these rooms and the same gleaming hardwood floors flow from room to room.

Five Star Master Suite

The entire fourth level encompasses one of the two Master Bedroom Suites each of which has a private bath with gorgeous granite counter tops and "walk in" showers with marble walls as well as windows that face the gulf waters below. One of them has a bath with a Roman style white porcelain deep tub which would be perfect for pampering yourself with a nice bubble bath. Perhaps a bottle of that other "bubbly" might be appropriate as well for a special romantic occasion.

Five Star View

The second Master Bedroom Suite encompasses the entire fifth floor of this spacious home. Each suite has glass doors that allow you to see the wonderful watery vistas even while still in bed as well as wide flat screen TVs conveniently located for that late night movie. Each room is individually decorated with upscale, sophisticated and very tasteful furnishings. Due to the glass doors and windows that look out onto the balconies, you will notice immediately that you have vivid views of the glistening gulf from every bedroom. You won't want to stay in them very long however, because the wide open balconies welcome you to enjoy the sparkling day or dreamy evenings from comfortable, cushioned wicker chairs that look out upon this spectacular scene. Enjoy reviewing the multiple photos of this sumptuous beach side home and you will know why it is called a Five Star!