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Reviews of Island Houseboat

Island Houseboat
1201 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Reviews

8.4

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 154 out of 243 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 32 out of 243 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 15 out of 243 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 16 out of 243 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 26 out of 243 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

7.0/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Richard, Maple Grove

Traveled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Uninhabitable. Do not book this houseboat. Found heavy mold in a kitchen cabinet. We didn’t stay and booked a hotel instead. Was very musty smelling and furniture/shades badly need replacing. Bathroom is IN the bedroom with no door or curtain. Nice idea to try but was not executed right.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Perfect Valentines Date
I surprised my girlfriend for this unique houseboat and she just loved it. Was so romantic and perfect for the two of us. She does not stop talking about it while driving home. She cant wait to be back in the area and book this again.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
CANCEL POLICY
older and very compact as one might expect, but in windy conditions hard to maintain your balance. stairs to upper deck was dangerous in the windy (normal) conditions. pics looked much better than "the real deal"
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

2/10 Terrible

Suk

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Property was old and dingy. We had good communication with the property owners/management until we had a problem. When we arrived to the boathouse around 5:00 pm there was no running water. We called to let the owner/management know and they said there was pipe bust, it was being worked on, and they would call me to let me know when it was fixed. I did NOT receive a phone call, I had to call them back and was told it was fixed. It was not fixed. At this time it was late and we just needed a place to stay. I requested a refund, the owner/manager hung up and was unable to be reached the rest of the night. I then received a text stating they would not issue a refund until their cleaning lady verified the place did not need to be cleaned. Not a single apology about our inconvenience, just making sure they were taken care of. The ONLY positive thing that came out of this was we did receive a refund.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Robin

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a great time and enjoyed staying on the houseboat!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Wonderful and unique house. Great for short term accommodation. Quiet and safe and comfortable .Definitely will book this again
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
What a great cute stay . We. enjoyed the uniqueness of this place. We shall come back again in summer .
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Allie

Traveled with partner, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This boathouse was such a unique and cool stay; it was our first time ever vacationing in one. It was within close access to the beach, shops, and restaurants. We especially loved the all around bay views on the top deck. The views are beautiful and peaceful. The inside of the boathouse was homey and comfortable. The only thing I would say is when the toilet is flushed, it does have a bit of a funky smell to it. But other than that, the experience was very enjoyable. The owner was very friendly and helpful whenever I had questions. If a make another Fort Walton trip, I'd definitely stay at this boathouse again :)

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
What a wonderful stay! Wish could have been longer for us . Definitely will book again. I highly recommend
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
It was great one night stay . Everything as expected. Best spot in town
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Anwar

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Love the idea of this floating boat. Everything was so wonderful . Clean and comfortable . Amazing view
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

2/10 Terrible

RHONDA

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
The top deck of the boat was GREAT. Inside was terrible. No A/C in the bedroom, no water in the bathroom, no lights in the bathroom, holding tank smell was terrible. Dought it is ever treated. NEVER again. No temp control of shower water. Either scalding hot or cold when the 5 minutes of hot ran out.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Anwar

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Theresa

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Nice stay
Enjoyed the novelty of staying on a houseboat. As stated in other reviews, it isn't new/updated.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Great shorty accommodation. Comfortable and quiet and safe .
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

6/10 Okay

Dawn

Traveled with partner
Loved the idea of a houseboat. Just a few things needed fixing. Bathroom had no light and apparently needed chemicals in toilet. Smelled bad. No extra toilet tissue. Several lights didn’t work. Had to turn off a/c to use microwave.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

2/10 Terrible

scott

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alenn

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Very pleasing
Check in process was effortless. Stay was comfortable. Needs a minor facelift. Some modern or updated furniture. Needs minor handyman services, all in all very satisfied
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Kristen

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Janet

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Adam

Traveled with group, Traveled with partner, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Better than expected, great location! Close to everything but secluded. Could not of been happier. My wife loved it!
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Rene

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved the seating at top. We were up there more than anywhere else. Perfect!
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Best accommodations, best location, safe and secured . Comfortable bed, wish the hot shower a little longer but we were ok with it. Restaurants next door with great food. But above all, best sunset view !
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Perfect
Enjoyed everything. Literally we don’t need to leave the boat, everything’s here. And the view is amazing. Attaching picture . Thank you for letting us extend for few more nights. We will be back, God willing .
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

8/10 Good

Steven

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was nice staying in a houseboat versus a hotel room while visiting Ft Walton. The amenities and condition were as advertised. It gave us more of an overall feel and atmosphere of being on the beach. There was a pretty loud band in the restaurant nearby who played well into the night.
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Worked well for me. I enjoyed my stay. Would stay again if in the FWB area.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

4/10 Poor

Janet

Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Health Hazzard Houseboat
This property is in need of cleaning and many repairs. Could I say "Filtgy Dive" I have stayed on House Boats in the past and even owned a cabin cruiser. This place is a health hazzard. My husband had a heart attack a few months ago and wanted to stay on a houseboat. This was the worst experience he could of had. I hope he does not have health isdues after this. Let me list all the issues! Filthy Dirty, no hot water, in the main cabin area there were broken blinds, celing lights did not have bulbs or were broken, clutter and junk everywhere, dishes not put up just setting on the sink. Dirty rugs and furniture. The bedroom carpet was black from dirt. The bedding pillows were horrible not bed pillows. Clutter of dust ridden fans and electric heaters. Left over soap and shampoo. The bedroom reeked of sewer! So soo bad we had to open all the windows and turn on dust ridden fans just to try and sleep. The black water holding tank needs replacing or deep cleaning! The hot water when it came out was cold and smelled of sewer. Upstairs on the deck were four chairs two of which were broken and just trash. The deck and chairs not broken were dirty and needed cleaning. I would never recommend this place to anyone. It was horrible disgusting place. Health Hazzard!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

2/10 Terrible

traci

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The pictures you see while booking are not what you get. This place was disgusting. Smelled, broken furniture, things didn't work. Very disappointed Was so excited for this experience bubble popped as soon as we walked in
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

6/10 Okay

Rose

Traveled with pets, Traveled with family
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
In its day I’m sure was quite a great unit- has lost that , unable to open windows without screens, no smoke detector back by bedroom open to outside - difficult for anyone unable to climb high steps to bedroom, to boat at low tide and forget getting to top deck. May be good for young - many good options near for food
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Patricia

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Patricia

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dawn

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Fun boat stay
This was a fun change from a regular hotel stay. It was exciting and comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

4/10 Poor

Brandon

Disliked: Room comfort
Not my cup of tea
Great location! Great views. The smell on the boat was just unacceptable! Bed was extremely uncomfortable! Booked for 2 nights only stayed 1 found a hotel next morning.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023

6/10 Okay

Odie

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

8/10 Good

Tina B

Traveled with partner, Traveled with pets
Liked: Amenities
We've read the previous reviews and were expecting pretty much what we got so it was okay. This is similar to camper living. There needs to be some updates/repairs on the camper. The electrical needs to be worked on. There were some finicky switches & some lights not working. It needs a smoke detector. The whole place needs a scrub and some updating. Bathroom sink needs a new faucet. The bathroom shower fixture was not as pictured.. but it worked. You only have a few minutes of hot water. As in previous reviews the toilet issue is just going to have a smell.. it is what it is. If you have air freshener and keep the toilet lid down and air out the cabin with the windows and fans occasionally, & it was fine. We were able to make ourselves comfortable. We had never stayed on a house boat and wanted the experience. We did enjoy being there on the water & we enjoyed the top deck very much. We were able to bring our dog so we were willing to sacrifice. I really hope the owner does some updating.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022

6/10 Okay

David

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Unique , fun, safe and comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

2/10 Terrible

harold

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
We actually enjoyed staying on the house boat. Had stayed there once before. The biggest issue we had was the sewage. It was horrible. We could use the shower or sink due to the smell coming in through the water lines. Until that is fixed I would not recommend staying there. There was also no hot water.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

6/10 Okay

David

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Love watching the rain on the boat . We enjoyed our stay . Definitely will come back
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Highly recommended
Thank you for accommodating me last minute after a long driving . Glad I was able to witness the best sunset that really relaxed me . The bed was comfortable and was able to sleep like a baby. Best accommodation and will be back for sure. Will recommend this to friends and family .
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

4/10 Poor

Geoffrey

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Best one night stay. We shall be back for longer accommodation.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

2/10 Terrible

Dalton

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Taylor

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Adorable!
Our stay was an amazing experience! The boat was clean, very well stocked, and the location is prime! This is a hidden gem. Overall, everything was great! 😊 We're definitely going to return next year.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Would stay here again
First trip after COVID and it was wonderful. The booking was easy and instructions were easy. The houseboat stay was amazing and location was perfect. Would definitely stay here again. Beaches are few minutes away. The pic was taken from the upper deck of the boat .
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

2/10 Terrible

David

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Terrible! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY on this FILTHY DUMP! We arrived around 8:00 PM. We were unable to get half of the lights to work. We called the owner and she said she’d send help. while waiting for someone to come help us, I realized we didn’t have a single washcloth. Two towels for 2 people for 2 days. The person who helped with lights acknowledged that the outlet with the lamp wasn’t working. Neither was the air conditioning in the bedroom. Imagine the summer in Florida without a working air conditioner in the bedroom! It was torture! The air conditioner in the living area couldn’t get cool enough to reach the bedroom. PLUS, they clearly haven’t emptied the tank of the house boat in some time, because every time we either flushed the toilet or ran water in a sink the STENCH of SEWAGE was overwhelming! We couldn’t even brush our teeth without becoming nauseous! The owner told us we could get a refund if we left right at that moment so they could rent it to someone else. We had driven all day, we’re hungry, and had nowhere else to go! After walking over to a nearby restaurant we decided to stay the night. It was the WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED! I feel badly for anyone who ever gets sucked into this arrangement.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Excellent stay
Just everything we needed to rest after a long hot day on the beach. Cool and comfortable inside , clean towels provided and amazing view of the sunset on the deck. Thank you for accommodating us .
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Absolutely fun and unique
Great short term accommodation. Safe and quiet. Sunset view is amazing. Comfortable stay. We shall be back again.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021