Booking directly with Michelle on TabiVista.
Host · ★ Superhost
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✨ What guests are saying
AI summary of 22 Airbnb guest reviews
Guests consistently praise the thoughtful, well-stocked amenities, including beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers, board games, and a fully equipped kitchen, with many noting the home feels like a genuine residence rather than a typical rental. The short walk to the beach is a recurring highlight, as is the outdoor elevator, which several reviewers specifically called out for making luggage and grocery hauling much easier. The hosts receive frequent mentions for responsive, caring communication. One reviewer noted that wooden bed frames in both rooms can be squeaky.
All 22 of this home’s guest reviews
“There is just isn’t enough high praise for these hosts or this HOME! It is a SANCTUARY! Once inside you will feel the grace, peace, love and big sigh of relief that comes when all has been considered…”
“We loved our stay at Back to the Gypsea! The place was so comfortable and well cared for, and you can really tell that the owners put so much thought into making this stay feel like you’re at home…”
“Couldn’t have picked a better beach house for my family. It had everything we needed plus more! The games were a huge hit and the outside area was amazing, definitely one of our favorite places to…”
“This place is so wonderful. Eric and Michelle are great at communicating. The front porch and the back hang out area are amazing and it is in a perfect location for shops and food, with a quick walk…”
Host · ★ Superhost
Two-tier cancellation system: Free cancellation during the approval window, strict refund terms after approval.
Free cancellation — You can cancel at any time during the 24-hour host approval window. Your payment authorization will be completely released with no charges. This also applies if the host declines your request or the approval window expires.
Note: Refunds are processed automatically to your original payment method within 5-10 business days.
Escape to Back to the GypSEA, a charming 3-bedroom coastal retreat in Surf City, North Carolina, where ocean views and direct beach access set the stage for your most unforgettable vacation yet. With steps to Surf City's handicap-accessible beach entry and the Intracoastal Waterway at the end of the street, this is the ultimate destination for sun-seekers and water lovers alike. We’d love to welcome you to Back to the GypSEA! It’s just the right size to be together and we’ve worked hard to ensure we’ve included all of your favorite conveniences of home and more! We all come to the beach to fill up and to make special lasting memories. We feel our home is the best of both worlds…close to Surf City’s Access #1, a no steps entry onto the sand/handicapped access and at the end of our street you can launch paddle boards and kayaks etc. into the inter-coastal canal. The space Our new home was just finished being built late fall of 2022 and we look forward to welcoming guests to our little piece of Heaven and all that Surf City/Topsail Island has to offer. We have a wonderfully convenient outdoor service elevator for use with luggage, groceries and miscellaneous items. It’s a lifesaver and so nice after a long tough day of sunshine and sand! For those over packers (and you know who you are) you’re welcome! This service elevator just might be one of your favorite things! Our beautiful & roomy master bedroom boasts a king bed with a quality plush mattress to ensure a restful nights sleep after a hard day spent at the beach with a large en-suite master bath and plenty of storage for your things. A new swivel smart tv also so the option is there if you’d like to mirror your apps to wind down and watch your shows/movies. Our spacious en suite bath has a tall double vanity, tub/shower combo and ample storage. If you’re not wanting to travel with shampoo, conditioner and body wash we have those included in both baths. Our secondary bedroom has a cool retro vibe and sleeps a queen bed with a quality plush mattress. It also has a new smart tv for your viewing should you choose and plenty of storage. Our VW Bus Surf room we think speaks for itself! Below it has a quality plush mattress, above is a more simple mattress as it needed to accommodate a more shallow mattress on top for safety but still plenty comfy. It also has a new mounted smart tv. We wanted a fun themed room for our littlest guests (or even big kids that never really grew up) that would be memorable! We have many big kids not mind sleeping in the vw as it sleeps two full size twin mattresses. In this room we also have a pack n play should it be needed for your stay so our guests don’t have to travel with one. We’ve also included noise machines in all of our bedrooms for extra comfort and all bedrooms have quiet ceiling fans. A quality memory foam roll-away bed for a 7th guest if needed. This does need to be made known upon booking as it’s not kept readily available. Our well equipped kitchen has everything you need should you desire to cook a full meal or two during your stay with us, but with our great location we’re an easy stroll away some great local restaurants with live music and entertainment! We have plenty of dinnerware, serving wear, glasses, pots & pans, baking dishes, cook books and kitchen gadgets. We also provide pizza stone, blender, crock-pot, toaster, & air fryer. There is so much great outdoor space for families and friends to just hang out and be together. We have several outdoor games (Giant Jenga, Ring toss, Yard-zee, a checker table, and Bocce Balls). We also just installed and wonderful coastal hammock should you feel like just chilling with a cool summer tropical drink and good book in our great island vibe back yard hang out area! It’s a very fun casual vibe out back and we welcome guests to bring along something they’d like to sign and leave behind. All of the flags, fun signs, license plates, seashell creations, towels, blown out flip flops, etc. Have been left by our newest friends, we just love their creativity! We’re not looking for you to visit once, our goal is for you to feel so at home that it feels like your beach home you look forward to returning to year after year. Downstairs we also have an outdoor “wash house” for a quick rinse off after the beach! We all love the sand but not so much fun to bring it home and sleep with it! We supply bed coverlets and pillows and blankets and basics ( a few rolls of tp, paper towels, dishwasher pods in case you arrive late to get you started). Please note: to keep our cleaning costs at a minimum for our guests we don’t provide linens and towels. Upon request we’re happy to pass on information on a local linen service, it’s wonderfully convenient and you just leave them at our door upon your departure. We’re also happy to provide names of local businesses who rent golf carts should you desire that fun option during your stay. Our well equipped kitchen has many spices and some basic condiments. We’re proud of our mega equipped kitchen and all that’s provided there for your convenience. Do you prefer a regular coffee pot over a Keurig, we have both! Do you love to cook pizza on a pizza stone, it’s there. Are you a master with the air fryer- it’s waiting for you to create your masterpiece! Our large pantry is full of serving pieces, coozies, and everything you’ll need during your stay down to your coffee filters and chip clips. Our home here in Surf City is our second Airbnb. Please check out our other listing should you like to know more about us. We work very hard to ensure our guests enjoy their stay and feel welcome and comfortable in our home. We’ve consistently been awarded the honor of being a Superhost and “Community favorite” homes every quarter since we began hosting with Airbnb over 4 years ago! We’re honored you’re considering staying with us. Our goal is not only for you to love your stay, but for you to love it so much that you can’t bring yourself to leave without wanting to book your return for your next stay upon your departure! We look so forward to welcoming you to our much loved “Back to the GypSEA!” Guest access Guests will have full access to our home and back yard area. Other things to note Our home is pet friendly. We welcome one dog with a $200 non-refundable pet fee. Your pup must be housebroken and not a chewer. Sorry, we’re not able to welcome cats due to our family being highly allergic. We welcome a second pet with prior approval with additional non-refundable fee of $150. Please Note again: We do NOT include linens/towels in our $225 cleaning fee. We have a wonderful local service we’re happy to recommend and share information should you not like to bring them from home. We try to keep our cleaning cost at a minimum for our guests and this is our way of doing that, which allows our wonderful cleaner more time to focus on our home being immaculately clean, we don’t just “turn our home over” like some rentals do, it’d cleaned like we’re welcoming family! No smoking or vaping is allowed inside our home, or immediate deck area. We ask that be done in the yard/back yard area. We strictly prohibit large gatherings or parties of any kind. If we find theirs more then the allowable number of registered guests and this rule is broken you’ll be expected to vacate the property without a refund.
Please review and respect Michelle's house rules during your stay.
Guest reviews from Airbnb
“There is just isn’t enough high praise for these hosts or this HOME! It is a SANCTUARY! Once inside you will feel the grace, peace, love and big sigh of relief that comes when all has been considered for you! - you are officially on vacation and everything has been considered for YOU that you could possibly have ever needed or desired for comfort and ease - from the clean and new beach chairs and family oriented outside space for socializing to the well stocked kitchen to the spacious and clean bathrooms to the easy and efficient laundry space to the ELEVATOR for hauling so much “stuff” - everything is HERE! This home is well supplied, stocked, CLEAN, quiet, safe, so comfortable, efficient and by the way literally STEPS TO A BEAUTIFUL BEACH!!! The beach is family oriented, also so pristine, glorious, soothing, ever changing and therefore fascinating and a constant source of entertainment and just magnificent. The entire destination is healing and glorious! We hope to be back to Michell”
“We loved our stay at Back to the Gypsea! The place was so comfortable and well cared for, and you can really tell that the owners put so much thought into making this stay feel like you’re at home. We missed the note in the listing about bringing our own linens, and Michelle was so sweet about it and helped us find a last minute solution when we got there. We’d love to stay here again anytime!”
“Couldn’t have picked a better beach house for my family. It had everything we needed plus more! The games were a huge hit and the outside area was amazing, definitely one of our favorite places to be. Such a short walk to the beach - was very easy with kids. Can’t wait to come back!”
“This place is so wonderful. Eric and Michelle are great at communicating. The front porch and the back hang out area are amazing and it is in a perfect location for shops and food, with a quick walk to the beach. We will absolutely be coming back here. One hundred percent reccommened this house.”
“We had a great stay for Labor Day with another family. The “bus room” was a huge hit with the kids, and you can’t beat the location and ease of walking to the beach. The home is also walking distance to some restaurants and night life which made it easy to get around. The only criticism I’d give was that the wooden bed frames in both rooms were a bit squeaky if you’re one that moves around a lot in your sleep. Otherwise we truly had a great experience and can’t wait to come back! The hosts are also very communicative and you can tell they truly care about their home.”
“We had a very pleasant stay.
The proximity to the beach was key! House was beautifully decorated and comfortable. Would recommend.”
“Loved our stay at the Gypsea cottage. Great location — walkable to the beach, private and quiet at night. The home is stocked with everything you need. We were especially appreciative of the beach chairs/toys and outdoor shower. Highly recommend!”
“Felt right at home!”
“We were in town for our daughter’s wedding and could not have felt more at home at GypSEA. This place truly feels like a real home—not just another Airbnb. Every detail was so thoughtful, and the house had absolutely everything we needed. The outdoor elevator was such a bonus—it made hauling luggage and groceries a breeze! We visit the area often to see our daughter in Hampstead and have stayed in several Airbnb’s nearby, but none felt like a place we’d return to—until this one. The accommodations, the warmth, the location—everything was perfect. Thank you for creating such a welcoming space. We’ll definitely be back!”
“Wow, where to even start. We were last minute in booking a spring break vacation and this trip did not disappoint. This was hands above the most clean and peaceful Airbnb trip we’ve taken.”
“The best host I’ve ever encountered! So caring and quickly responded to any questions. My daughter loved spending her 13th birthday weekend here and our host even left a small gift for her to find upon arrival. The back area was the favorite hang out spot and when storms rolled in (the joys of southeastern NC) there was plenty of entertainment to be had indoors. I would most certainly recommend this place to Surf City travelers and hope to stay here again in the future :)”
“We had a great time at the beach. Very close to the beach access and the place was perfect for our family. Our boys especially loved the van bunk bed!”
“Eric and Michelle's home was very comfortable! It had everything we needed (beach chairs, beach toys, pack-n-play, etc.) and a fully stocked kitchen. The kids loved the bunk beds, and we all loved how easy it was to walk to the beach! Thank you!”
“Absolutely excellent house and location. The house is exactly as advertised and Eric & Michelle were great hosts with constant and responsive communication. The house is stocked with everything you need and excellent small touches such as dog treats, beach coolers, board games. Just a quick walk over to the beach and walkable to restaurants in the area. Will absolutely be looking to stay at this home in the future, cannot recommend enough!”
“Our family of 4 (plus pup) really enjoyed staying here! This brand new home is clean and bright and the location is perfect. Only 2 short blocks to the beach - bring your wagon! We appreciated being able to use the beach chairs and umbrella. The elevator is a back saver! The outdoor shower is fantastic. The hangout in the backyard adds another place to hang as a fam. The kitchen was great - I loved that Michelle left spices, oils, paper towels, dw soap, handsoaps, etc for us to use. That was incredibly convenient. My only want was for measuring spoons and an outdoor grill. Would definitely stay here again.”
“We had a fabulous time staying at Eric and Michelle's beautiful house. This place had everything we needed for our vacation and all of the amenities of being at home. The outdoor recreation area was a nice place to hang out at and the elevator was super helpful with bringing luggage and groceries upstairs. This place instantly felt like a home away from home and we look forward to staying there again next year.”
“We had the best time staying at Eric and Michelle’s place! There were so many fun games to play and a lot of family memories were made. Looking forward to coming back!!”
“We had a wonderful stay at Eric and Michelle’s, and already decided we would return and stay again. The house was a great location, a nice area at the beach where it wasn’t too crowded. There were two restaurants within walking distance but everything else was a short 5-10 minute drive. The house had chairs, umbrellas, coolers, and so many games. They were the perfect hosts!”
“Their place was amazing. It’s beautiful and roomy. They provided everything we needed and more they sent clear instructions and how everything works. They were amazing. I would definitely recommend them.”
“We had such a great stay for our girls weekend/30th birthday celebration! The house is beautiful and exactly as photographed. Michelle is super friendly and incredibly responsive! The house is just a short walk to the beach and a few of the local bars/restaurants. There is also a ton to do at the house if it’s rainy or you need a break from the beach. The outdoor elevator was incredibly helpful and easy to use as well. The only complaint we have was the twin bunk beds were not comfortable and there was a bit of an issue with the linen service upon departure. One thing to note - the house does have a slight sway to it if it’s windy as it is raised pretty high above the ground - just something to keep in mind if you are sensitive to those things! All in all we would definitely stay here again and Michelle and her husband are fabulous hosts :) a great spot in Topsail Island!”
“Let's just say me and my husband have looked into purchasing our own beach house after staying here!!! Oh my goodness, I feel in love from the moment I saw the pictures and even more so when we got there in person!!! BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL beach home!!! I loved the decor, the cleanliness, the close proximity to the beach, the fact that our puppy was allowed to join, the outside hangout area, all the things!!!!, PLUS Michelle is so amazing!!! She was so quick and responsive with answering any questions I had, she made sure we had everything we needed while staying there, down to puppy treats and even left my babygirl a thoughtful birthday gift!!! If you're toggling between other beach homes in Surf City, PICK THIS ONE!!! You won't be disappointed..”
“This is a fantastic house for small families or couples to get away for a little while. The host were extremely thoughtful in how they put together this place and all the things that they included. They literally had everything we needed. The environment is incredibly nice and relaxing. Overall, a wonderful stay and would highly recommend to anyone going to surf city. The location was also really close to the beach so it was very easy to walk there.”