Starfish Swim-up Beach House Guidebook
[ez-toc display_counter=”yes”]
Welcome to the Starfish Swim-up!
| ADDRESS | 116 Starfish Street Surfside, TX 77541 |
| DIRECTIONS | Launch in Google Maps Launch in Apple Maps (on iOS) |
Hello and welcome to our home! We are so glad you decided to stay here, and we hope you have a great time in Surfside.
This home is our family’s happy place, and we are so excited to share it with you! The views of the sunrise over the ocean in the morning are spectacular, and there are some fantastic restaurants in the neighborhood. My favorite is Seahorse Bar and Grill because you can just walk right down the beach to get there!
This page contains information about the house and area to help you enjoy your stay. You should find everything that you need, but if you have a question that isn’t covered here, please get in touch and let me know how I can help!
We truly hope you enjoy yourself and visit again in the future!
Sincerely, your hosts, Kourtney and Nathan
P.S. If you have a good time, please sign the guest book and leave a review online to let us know!
| CONTACT INFORMATION | If you need assistance with anything, please contact: Name: Kourtney Call: (979) 484-7898 Text: (979) 484-7898 Email: info@lonestarcasitas.com |
Right After You Book
| PROTECT YOUR TRIP | Travel Insurance For large houses like this one, guests who would like the option of receiving a refund for last-minute cancellations should purchase a travel insurance policy. Our guests consistently recommend 3 companies that provide coverage for last-minute cancellations for Surfside Beach trips. The cost is usually about 2% of the total trip cost. The best prices are available for 2 weeks from the day you booked the trip. |
Before You Arrive
| WHAT TO BRING | Drinking Water Like all homes in Surfside Beach (and many other beachfront communities), the city tap water is not safe for drinking unless filtered. There is a special faucet in the kitchen sink that supplies drinking water purified by a reverse osmosis system. For large groups, you may want to consider bringing bottled water also, as the system can only purify 2-3 gallons of water per hour. See page 5 for more details. Ice There is a small automatic ice maker in the refrigerator. This ice is supplied by a reverse osmosis purification system. However, for large groups, be sure to bring in any additional ice that you would like to use during your stay. There is an all-hours ice dispensary conveniently located 1.5 blocks up Starfish Street (near Sharkies). Beach Towels / Blankets / Chairs / etc A few clean outdoor towels are provided (intended for use in the hot tub), and are located by the front door. The house also has a handful of beach chairs and usually at least one umbrella stored underneath the house. Please bring anything that you would like to take down to the beach. We kindly ask that you do not take any of the white bath towels from the house down to the beach. Beach towels are available for purchase at Surfside Food Mart, walking distance from the house. |
| CHECK-IN | Self check-in is fully automated. The day before you arrive, you will be sent a code that will unlock the front door. This code automatically becomes active at your check-in time, and expires at check-out.Our goal is that you will have a 5-star check-in experience. If anything does not meet your expectations upon arrival, please contact us immediately so we can help! |
| PRIVACY | Your stay will be completely private, including self check-in. There is a smart doorbell that is unmonitored unless pressed; please feel free to cover the camera and light with a hand towel during your stay if you prefer. If you need anything during your stay, please message us and we will be happy to help. |
| SECURITY | There is a deadbolt lock on the front (and only) door. |
Video Walkthrough
Welcome video with house walkthrough (6 min)
House Rules
- NO SMOKING or VAPING anywhere on the property (indoors or outdoors).
- NO PETS of any kind.
- Only registered guests are allowed on the property.
- No unaccompanied minors under the age of 12 in the hot tub. Minors under the age of 12 in the hot tub must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Please rinse off sand before getting into the hot tub:)
- Quiet hours are from 11pm-7am.
- Please keep our outdoor space barefoot friendly! NO GLASS outdoors on the property.
- Please don’t open the windows unless there is an emergency. The windows are sealed to prevent leaking, and beach air damages the interior of the house very quickly.
- No cooking, grilling, or open flame anywhere underneath the house or on the deck. It is a very serious fire hazard to have flames near the house pilings or near the deck. Please feel free to untie the grill and move it out into the open area to use it.
- Areas of the house that are off limits. We have tried to make as much of the space available for your use as possible. However, the pantry door is locked (for use by the cleaning staff only, to make your stay great), and any other cabinets or drawers that are secured with locks are off limits. Guests are not permitted to climb into the attic. If you believe there may be a problem in the attic, please contact us immediately and we will send help promptly.
- Please stay off the dunes! Help us protect our dunes by walking around and not over. To access the beach, please walk over to the entrance located on the other side of the blue house next door.
- HAVE FUN!!!
Violations of the house rules may result in the entire group being asked to leave immediately without a refund.
An extra cleaning fee will be assessed for most violations.
Important Safety Information
| IN CASE OF EMERGENCY | In case of emergency, dial 911 Nearest Medical Center: St. Luke’s Health- Brazosport Hospital Phone Number: (979) 297-4411 Address: 100 Medical Drive, Lake Jackson, TX 77566 Fire Department: (979) 233-5926 Police Department: (979) 239-1151 x7 Neighborhood: Surfside Beach YOU ARE AT: 116 Starfish Street, Surfside Beach, TX 77541 |
| FIRST AID | There is a first aid kit in the labeled cabinet in the buffet under the large mirror in the dining room. Included is a special bottle of sting relief for jellyfish stings, as well as an itch relief stick for mosquito bites. |
| EMERGENCY EXITS | In the event of an emergency, exit the front door and go down the deck stairs. If this pathway is blocked or unusable, there are 2 fire escape ladders (one on each floor), in the northernmost back bedrooms (facing the driveway, away from the air conditioners). Carefully open a window facing the driveway in one of the bedrooms on the north side of the house and hang the fire ladder on the window sill. Carefully climb through the window and down the ladder. |
| FIRE EXTINGUISHERS | There are 2 fire extinguishers – one in the kitchen island cabinet and one in the upstairs central bathroom cabinet. |
| SMOKE / CO DETECTORS | The house has an interconnected smoke detection system – detectors located all throughout the house that all go off when any one is triggered. If there is a false alarm, press the button on the smoke detector that raised the alarm. There are also Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors. However, there are no natural gas lines anywhere on the property. |
| CHILD SAFETY GATES | We have three child safety gates installed throughout the property. One is located at the top of the outdoor stairs to keep small children on the patio. The other two are retractable gates at the top and bottom of the indoor stairs. |
| WATER | Please don’t drink unpurified Surfside tap water. Like many beach communities, Surfside city tap water is safe for showering and bathing, but please do not drink it or cook with it. There is a special faucet in the kitchen for drinking water, and water/ice from the refrigerator door is also safe to drink. There is bottled water and ice available at the Surfside Food Mart or any of the nearby grocery stores. The house is equipped with an advanced whole-house filter system. However, you may notice a slight yellow color/ smell in the water when you shower or bathe. That is normal here in Surfside! You may notice a slight yellowish color in the hot tub water as well since it is also filled with Surfside tap water. This discoloration is from plant tannins in the water supply, and is completely normal and harmless. |
| WATER PRESSURE | Occasionally the city water pressure will be low. When this happens, you may notice that the faucets suddenly don’t have much water pressure for a period of time. That is also normal here in Surfside and usually doesn’t last very long 🙂 |
| TRASH | Trash collection is on Mondays and Thursdays, usually in the morning. To take the trash out, please wheel the three trash bins over to the street corner on the other side of the blue house (Gulf Giant). The city will not collect bins left at the end of our driveway (they don’t come down the street toward the yellow house). |
How To…
| ACCESS THE PROPERTY | A code to unlock the front door lock will be sent to you prior to arrival. Cars can be parked underneath the house or on the gravel driveway leading up to the house. Please do not park in or block our neighbor’s driveways. |
| USE THE WIRELESS INTERNET | Wifi Network: Lone Star Casitas Fast Wifi For your convenience, a wifi password is not required 🙂 |
| USE THE THERMOSTAT | The downstairs thermostat is at the bottom of the stairs; the upstairs thermostat is in the hallway by the bathroom. Press the middle button (multiple times if you need to change heating/cooling modes). Then, use the up and down buttons to control the temperature. |
| USE THE HOT TUB | We have a white hose with a hand-held sprayer at the top of the outdoor stairs to use for washing sand off swimsuits, towels, and feet. There is also an outdoor shower downstairs by the swings for your convenience. Sand in any sinks and tubs quickly causes slow-running drains or clogs and water back up which will be unpleasant during your stay. |
| USE THE WASHER AND DRYER | A stacked washer and dryer are located in the hallway on the first floor. Please rinse towels and clothes of all sand outside before placing them in the washer – sand clogs up the washer plumbing, preventing it from working, and this might not be fixable during your stay. |
| USE THE TVS | Roku TVs and remotes are located throughout the house. Feel free to log in to your own subscriptions throughout your stay. You will be automatically logged out when you check out. You can also use the Roku mobile app to control all TVs when your phone is connected to wifi. |
| OUTDOOR FOOTWASH AND SHOWER | We have a white hose with a hand-held sprayer at the top of the outdoor stairs to use for washing sand off swimsuits, towels, and feet. There is also an outdoor shower downstairs by the swings for your convenience. Sand in any sinks and tubs quickly causes slow-running drains or clogs and water back up which will be unpleasant during your stay. |
Where To Go
| THINGS TO DO | 🏖️ Surfside Beaches 💦 Splash Pad and Playscape at Jetty Park 🏄 Surfing the Perfect Wave 🐟 Fishing Adventures: From Jetty to Deep Sea 🐬 Find Dolphins on a Jet Ski 🦋 Explore the Great Outdoors 🏛️ Step Back in Time at Fort Velasco 🐦 Birdwatching Extravaganza 🏎️ Golf Cart Rentals: Explore Surfside in Style 🐎 Horseback Riding in Surfside Texas: A Unique Beach Experience 🦀 Crabbing: After-hours fun for young and old ❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) |
| NEARBY GROCERY STORES | Name: Surfside Food Mart Address: 111 Fort Velasco Dr. Surfisde, TX 77541 Distance: 0.1 miles Name: H-E-B (They deliver to our address!) Address: 97 Oyster Creek Dr. Lake Jackson, TX Distance: 13 miles |
| OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS | Name: Seahorse Bar and Grill (menu) Address: 310 Ocean Dr. Surfside Beach, TX Distance: 0.3 miles Why: Walk to dinner/ drinks along the beach! No driving necessary! Name: Sharkies On the Beach (menu) Address: 10 Surf Dr., Surfside Beach, TX Distance: 0.1 miles Why: Delicious burgers and live music! Name: Red Snapper Inn (menu) Address: 402 Blue Water Hwy, Freeport, TX 77541 Distance: 0.4 miles Why: Fresh-sourced seafood! Date Night!! Others: In Lake Jackson (12 miles away) you will find MANY popular chain and local restaurants to choose from! |
| SHOPPING CENTERS & STORES | In Lake Jackson (12 miles away) you will find pretty much any store you are looking for…. Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, Walgreens, CVS, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc |
Checking Out
| CHECK-OUT PROCEDURES | We hope you enjoyed your stay at Starfish Swim Up! As a reminder, check-out is at 10:00 am on the day that your booking ends. Before you leave, please: ✅ Start the dishwasher and put away dishes if time permits. ✅ Place used towels in the laundry room. Beds should be left unmade (no need to strip the beds). ✅ Please remove all of your food and drinks from the refrigerator and cabinets. ✅ Please take out the trash and place it in the 3 large garbage bins below the house. ✅ Check for any personal items (chargers, phones, iPads, personal pillows & blankets). ✅ Please return the deck furniture to its initial state and secure items you have used under the house in case there are high winds after you leave. ✅ Please turn off all lights and lock the front door when you leave. ⏰ Guests who are still on the property 30 minutes after checkout are subject to a $200 late checkout fee. Guests who are still on the property 90 minutes after checkout are subject to paying an additional night’s rent or $500, whichever is greater. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We truly hope that this was a 5-star experience for you! We rely 100% on the 5-star reviews of our amazing guests. If you enjoyed your stay, we would greatly appreciate it if you would be willing to leave us a review. 5-star reviews are the lifeblood of our small business. If you have any notes, there’s a private feedback section as well. We do our absolute best to make each and every stay wonderful for our guests. Please travel safely and come visit us again the next time you’re in Surfside! |
| RETURNING GUEST EXCLUSIVE PERKS | Next time you book, you can save significantly by booking directly with us at lonestarcasitas.com and using a returning guest discount that will be emailed to you directly 🙂 Sign up at lonestarcasitas.com/surfside_deals to get notified about last-minute super-deals and vacation giveaways. |