The Story Behind
Low Tide Retreats
what is low tide retreats?
A more personal approach to vacation and annual rental management, built from experience and shaped by the life we've created here.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Low Tide Retreats didn’t start as a big business plan. It came together over time, through years of experience and a deep understanding of how this industry works from the inside out.
I’ve spent most of my career in vacation rental management here on the Grand Strand — guest services, operations, co-founding a management company, and everything in between. After more than 20 years in this industry, I’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and what gets overlooked when a company grows too fast.
Low Tide Retreats came from a simple realization: the difference between an average stay and a great one usually isn’t anything big. It’s the small things — how a home feels when you walk in, how communication is handled, how consistently the details are taken care of.
I built this company to do those things right. Every time.
Sherry Gustafson
OWNER, FOUNDER & PROPERTY MANAGER-IN-CHARGE
WHERE BRUCE COMES IN
Bruce brings something most management companies don’t have — a construction and renovation background that goes well beyond surface-level maintenance. As the owner of Low Tide Interiors, he sees properties differently. Not just how they look, but how they function and what needs attention before it ever becomes an issue.
Together we cover both sides: the experience — for owners, guests, and tenants — and the condition of the properties behind the scenes.
Bruce Gustafson Jr.
OPERATIONS & RENOVATIONS PARTNER
A little more about us
We both found our way to the Grand Strand years ago and never left. Bruce moved here at 14 from New Hampshire. I came from Charlotte in my early twenties, not entirely sure what was next — and ended up building a life here that I wouldn't trade for anything.
We met in 2007, found our way back to each other in 2016, and got married in July 2020. We share our home with two teenagers — Aaron (18) and Kaylee (16) — and two labs, Drake and Luke, who have very much taken over the house.
This place is home. That's not something we say lightly — and it's a big part of why we care so much about the work we do here.
