Checking in/checking out

Our unit at The Wharf was managed by Meyer Real Estate in Gulf Shores. Although the unit's door lock was electronic, Meyer required us to check in in person at their office in Gulf Shores.  This proved to be less of a problem than we anticipated, since their office was an easy, short drive up Canal Rd.  The check-in even saved us a few dollars, since we took highway 59 into Gulf Shores instead of the Orange Beach Expressway, which I don't think saves you as much time as you think; it is an "expressway" in name only.

There are 2 parking garages, a right and a left one, and it is important that you know which one your assigned parking spot is in.  We asked when we checked in this time, but last year we didn't know to ask, so had more difficulty finding our spot. It may sound minor, but your assigned spot is on the top level of the garage, so you will drive around a fair bit looking for your spot before you discover that you're in the wrong place.

The Wharf provides carts for transporting all your stuff from your car to your condo.  This is very convenient when you're traveling with children, since you will no doubt have lots of extra, loose stuff to get into your apartment.  There are loads of carts, so even if you're checking in at peak time, as we were — first Friday evening of spring break — we had no problem obtaining one.