The house itself is really nice, great location - quiet street near beach access. The description and pictures on VRBO are very accurate. Beds were comfortable, showers worked well. Note that as described, the house is only stocked with essentials - just one kitchen garbage bag, two dishwasher pods, no dish brush/sponge. Back yard is very nice, my son's dog had a great time - we blocked the one small unfenced bit with the trash bin. We did not use the spa - could not get the heater to work and thought I would ask the agent when they returned one of my calls - but they never did call me back. We cooked a lot, all the appliances are very new and work well. Would be nice if there were a few more bath towels and extra blankets.
Our issues were with the rental agent - between the owner and VRBO - we never communicated with the actual owner. Prior to booking, Hodnett responded to inquiries fairly quickly. Prior to arrival - they did respond to a question about check in, but not very quickly. After our arrival they never once replied or acknowledged any of my communications. I prefaced everything with not an "emergency" because it was a holiday weekend but it was also my [expensive] vacation. We had problems getting the TV to work, internet issues, running the clothes dryer, and also reported a few minor property damages we noticed on arrival. I received no response from Hodnett - I used the VRBO app, the Hodnett app, and also left voice mails. We did work out the problems, but it definitely detracted from the experience. I have always dealt directly with owners on VRBO - they have always been happy to answer questions by text or VRBO messaging to help us settle in to the property, too bad we had the rental agent instead.
St Simon's is a wonderful place to vacation - this house would be very comfortable for families or friend groups - we were 5 adults and one dog.