El Matador 437 - FREE TICKETS!! Your stay includes free tickets to many area attractions! Reviews, Deals & Photos 2025

Q: Does El Matador 437 - FREE TICKETS!! Your stay includes free tickets to many area attractions! have a pool?

Yes, this property has a pool. Pool types include heated pools.

Q: Is El Matador 437 - FREE TICKETS!! Your stay includes free tickets to many area attractions! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

Q: Where is El Matador 437 - FREE TICKETS!! Your stay includes free tickets to many area attractions! located?

Nestled on the beach, this Okaloosa Island condo building is within a 10-minute walk of Santa Rosa Sound and Okaloosa Island Beach. Fort Walton Beaches and Wayside Park are also within 3 miles (5 km).

10/10 Excellent

Kindra B.

29 Oct 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent place to stay

Wonderful property to stay at

Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Diana C.

9 Jul 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

LOCATION

Location is wonderful, beautiful view to enjoy of the Gulf and the Pool is great.

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

4/10 Poor

Caitlin O.

28 Jul 2025

Liked: Check-in, communication, location

Let me start off by saying, I have never left a bad review because we live so far away from the beach that when we do book a place to stay, I tend to look over little minor things that don’t matter because we are so excited to finally be on vacation. The few things I liked about this place, the view was excellent!, the pool was excellent. The balcony had plenty of seating so our whole family was able to sit and eat together. The kitchen was fine, well stocked and clean. Now to the bad. The furniture is super outdated!! The couch absolutely filthy and stained. There was a big crack above the couch on the ceiling. The chairs were also stained. The curtains concerning the deck, OLD! The bedroom with the 2 twin beds was a nice size but it had no lighting other than lamps. There were extension cords going in two directions for the TV, WiFi box, and lamps to light the room. I didn’t like this at all considered the 10 and 11 year old slept in that room. The bedroom with the king bed felt like you were sleeping on a boulder. If you like an extra firm mattress then this is the place for you. It was absolutely horrible!! Also there were yellow stains on the wall right by the king bed. And again outdated furniture. The bathroom shower and toilets worked fine but there was mold beside the air vent in the bathroom connected to the king bedroom. I didn’t notice it until check out. It needs to feel like the beach when we stay somewhere and I felt like I was at my 75 year old grandmas house.

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Megan T.

6 Apr 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Emerald Coast Beach Access

We were very grateful to find a property where the second bedroom had two twin beds, which my kiddos prefer over bunk beds. There were a few times a second shower would have come in handy, but the one worked out. Like other reviewers, we felt the beds were over-firm, but I slept well (which doesn't come easy for me). The "seasonally heated" pool was not very warm (to my taste) but warmer than the other pool. Hot tubs and saunas are separated into men's and women's and required a key to access. Our only complaint was that the tub drained extremely slowly, so showers were often had in ankle-deep water. We had a great trip and if we decide to head to the Destin area again, we'd definitely reserve here again.

Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2021

2/10 Terrible

Michael J.

19 Aug 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Disliked: Listing accuracy

Not very good

If you don't care about sleep go for it. All the mattresses are TERRIBLE look at the king bed picture literally a hump in the middle. Wish we would have know we would have canceled. The most comfortable bed was the pull out couch and that speaks alot because those aren't comfortable. Now El Matador is a great location just don't get this unit until they do some updates.

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Shea S.

1 Oct 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolutely perfect!

Everything about our trip was wonderful. The room has an amazing view! Me and husband drank our coffee and ate our breakfast together on the balcony every morning. The beach was clean and the water was perfect. I have never seen such clear water! The water is shallow for a ways out making water play with kids awesome. Beach service is not included with this unit but is easily purchased beachside for around $40/ day. They promptly set out our chairs and umbrella every morning. There were some extra beach toys in the balcony closet which were a plus. El Matador grounds were well manicured and pristine. The sunset was breathtaking. The room had everything we needed to make our stay very comfortable. There is a memory foam topper on the master bed which I found very comfy. The kitchen had all the cookware we needed. We came fully prepared even packing the salt and pepper shakers so we were set for meal prep. It was our first family trip to the beach and everything was even better than I ever imagined it could be. If you are debating this unit and this complex, go for it! On a side note....Stewby’s is handy to the complex and the BEST place we found for grabbing a great, fresh, meal out.

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Deborah G.

12 Sept 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Enjoyed

We have been coming to these condos for around 20 years ,and as always never one problem clean friendly ocean view is awesome.

Stayed 8 nights in Sep 2022

4/10 Poor

Amanda D.

7 Aug 2022

Liked: Check-in, location

Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy

Needs updated / cleaned

The room is very outdated , broken furniture , no decorations , the beds was very uncomfortable, and it wasn’t very clean. The light on the balcony was busted so we couldn’t use it. The front door lock is in bad shape , it wouldn’t hardly lock. I would not recommend waisting your money on this room. We’ve stayed at this resort a couple of times , never had a problem until this room.

Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2022

4/10 Poor

Jeremy H.

9 Jun 2022

Liked: Check-in, communication, location

Disliked: Listing accuracy

Not what we expected!

The location was great! The unit was horrible! First, the listing says it’s a 2 bath unit but it’s not. It’s a 1 1/2 bath jack and jill. The only tub/shower there was to use also didn’t hold water when trying to take a bath and the shower sliding doors would not slide without using both hands and muscling the door open. The shower door is also rusted all over and looks like the original door. Even the outdoor furniture was all rusted and looked like it was 50 years old. All the beds were horrible and the master bed, was literally like sleeping on the floor. We purchased and $100 plus mattress topper to try and make it decent but it didn’t work. And we now have an extra mattress topper that we don’t need. All the furniture looks, sounds and feels outdated and uncomfortable. The tv’s were also old and one was even an old computer monitor. The tv in the master was only about 18” wide! If you can’t provide a decent tv, then don’t provide one at all. We had to purchase several items just to stay in the unit. Trash bags, dish soap, dish cleaning brush, paper towels, and even a can opener. If I could include a picture on this review I would to show you how old the can opener was. The one in the unit looked to be from the 1930’s and all rusted up. There were not enough towels provided so we had to use the same ones over and over covered in sand. We even spent time washing what we had instead of playing at the beach. Besides not having everything provided “like home” as they mention in the listing, there were no extra amenity items like beach chairs, umbrellas, board games, etc……. We’ve never stayed at a condo where there were no items provided given the location of the condo and consideration for rain out days. Having to spend more money and time to provide items that should already be included is unexceptionable. Everything in the unit appears to be 40-50 years old and either not working or about to fall apart. The owners need to shut the unit down and do a full remodel with all new furnishings.

Stayed 6 nights in May 2022

8/10 Good

Beverly S.

28 May 2022

Liked: Check-in, communication, location

Wonderful property, not so great unit

I love the location of this property! However, if I stay here again, I will choose a different unit. The beds are HORRIBLE! Not comfortable at all. One of the twin beds was so hard, you might as well sleep on the floor. Loves the property itself nm it not this unit.

Stayed 4 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Natika P.

23 Mar 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Most beautiful location on Okaloosa Island

We have stayed several times at condos located at El Matador and we LOVE this location. It is backed up to a protected area owned by the Air Force, so there is less public traffic. It is an older resort but we still enjoy the stay. Lots of amenities on site. This particular condo was located in the perfect location. You see the Gulf the moment you step into the condo and the moment you step back outside the entrance. The unit is surrounded by amazing views in a fantastic location! Some of the decor and fixtures are a little out of date. That doesn’t really bother me so much. The floors have been updated to a beautiful tile and are no longer carpeted as in the photos on the listing. The tub wouldn’t hold water, but is a great sized soaker tub. My husband went to plug a charger into the outlet on the left hand side of the sofa and noticed the outlet end on the cord on the lamp was burnt. We did leave that lamp unplugged for safety reasons. Unfortunately there was some heavy machinery work being done on the building we stayed in and it was very loud at times, but I also understand this has to happen to update the units. I do want to say that there were mentions in other reviews about the beds. I want to elaborate on this, because when I saw firm I thought “firmer than usual”. No this is much different than that. With respect to the owners, if you stay here often and love these mattresses, then obviously I understand why you keep them. If you haven’t slept on these beds, they badly need replaced. The king mattress is not only hard as a rock, but has a hump in the middle. The twins weren’t comfortable either. We did not get one single night of solid sleep our entire stay. We even searched for reasonable mattress toppers in the area to salvage the trip but they would have taken a chunk of our budget and we didn’t know how we would get them home. I called the front desk and begged for a comforter or something to help but they had nothing to offer. They did say they have gotten several complaints about the king mattress. It is the first time I have ever come to the beach and looked forward to going home simply for a good nights sleep. I would also suggest upgrading the comforter to something less worn. If it weren’t for the bed, I would stay in this unit every single time I come to Ft Walton. I have several friends that planned to come this summer in which I planned to suggest the unit. If you do upgrade

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Andrei M.

28 Nov 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Five stars overall

Gorgeous location!

Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2021

8/10 Good

Jami O.

7 Nov 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Oakloosa island

Excellent would love to come back!

Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2021

4/10 Poor

James M.

26 Oct 2021

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Disliked: Cleanliness

Cleanliness

We got there and there was sand everywhere, under the couches was trash. The kitchen counter was dirty. The mattresses were horrible!!

Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2021

8/10 Good

John S.

14 Oct 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Nice and Quiet

Great beach access! The rooms and property are very clean although a bit dated, but has everything you need. A washer and dryer in the room would be nice but are available on each floor. Plenty of wildlife on the right side of the beach day and night to see.

Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

2 Oct 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Simply Amazing!

The best place we have ever stayed! At the end of the island, very private & secluded. Such a beautiful beach! We will be returning for sure!

Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Whitney N.

22 Sept 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Location

Great location with beautiful views; property is little bit dated; MBR mattress very, very firm; bring a hair dryer; otherwise, exceptional value

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Robb S.

18 Sept 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect view, right on the beach!!

This view from this condo was perfect. The location is close to convenient store, and about 5 minutes from the main road. We plan to come back next year! The only thing we could complain about was the beds. The king bed was so firm we had a little trouble getting comfortable. Twin beds were fine! Pull out couch was a little springy feeling. But overall we loved it.

Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2021

6/10 Okay

Sallie W.

2 Aug 2021

Liked: Check-in

#437

The view of the beach was great. The room needed a little TLC. The twin mattresses were so uncomfortable. Everything is very outdated. The chairs in the dining room were falling apart. The balcony table needed attention.

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Manuel V.

21 Jul 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location for fun in the Sun

Loved the location, the beach area was not as crowded as other options. Check in was easy and the unit had everything we expected. We had multiple families staying at the same property and the only suggestion I would have (after seeing other units) is an update of the unit. It was clean but could use a fresh upgrade to make it a true 5* unit.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

8/10 Good

Elisha V.

22 Jun 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Needs updated

Room really needs updated and refreshed. The main bed is like sleeping on a board I actually looked to see if it actually was. We had no issues. For the price and right on the beach with a view these can be overlooked but if you can spend a little more I would stay somewhere a little more updated.

Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Sandy J.

21 May 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We absolute loved this condo! The view of the ocean and beach was breathtaking!

Everything went perfectly with this rental! It was spotless! I loved being on the 3rd floor! The view was amazing! And just when we thought of something we forgot to pack I walked in the closet and found it, the box fan! Thank goodness y’all really have thought of everything! Thank y’all so much!

Stayed 4 nights in May 2021

8/10 Good

Stefanie D.

11 May 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice location and resort

First time staying in this area. The location was nice and away from the busy areas but still close enough to find things to do and eat. The beach was lovely and we found 3 sand dollars which I've never been able to do anywhere else. The only complaints I have is that the beds and couch were super hard and uncomfortable. Also, the chairs on the patio all sat low to the ground so the view was obscured by the railing. Other than that, we really enjoyed our stay!

Stayed 5 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Tim B., Gulf Breeze, Florida

11 May 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A great weekend getaway

Very nice property. The stay brought back memories of earlier stays at El Matador in the 1970's.

Stayed 3 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Julie S.

6 Oct 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Enjoyed it!

My family of four definitely enjoyed our stay. Although the condo is old and a bit dated, it was very clean. We look forward to coming back. If I had to make one suggestion it would be to invest in new patio furniture. We love to sit out on the balcony, but the furniture was very old and rusty. However, our overall stay was wonderful.

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2020

El Matador 437 - FREE TICKETS!! Your stay includes free tickets to many area attractions!

Photo gallery for El Matador 437 - FREE TICKETS!! Your stay includes free tickets to many area attractions!

Reviews

Entire condo

Popular amenities

Add dates for prices

About this property

Entire place