I was hesitant about booking this hotel because of lackluster reviews & the allowance of pets, but it turned out ok. It was really the location & availability of awesome food within walking distance which improved the overall experience.
Firstly, I definitely overlooked the fact that you have to pay for parking. Was Not happy about that-especially considering how limited parking there was available!! Underneath the hotel there are a few spots, but driving in is so awkward & there is So little room for turnaround, most people ended up having to back all the way out if they couldn't find a spot. There were some spaces across the street but those also filled up fast. I overheard another customer that got a ticket because there wasn't enough parking he had to park elsewhere. Also, there were signs Everywhere warning to lock up & that the hotel wasn't responsible for break ins...?! If you're going to charge customers 13$/day for parking, you need to make sure there Is adequate parking available. Next, the elevators didn't work. Not a huge deal, but certainly a frustration with the heat and having to bring everything in. The room-certainly could use some more cleaning. There were stains on pillow cases, Loads of dust on AC unit, lifted up the toilet lid and toilet had Definitely not been wiped down, neither had sink; fridge is very small and also wasn't wiped out. I don't pay money to stay somewhere so that I can clean someone else's mess-please make sure yoyr staff is Cleaning after every guest. It left me wondering how clean the shower was. The bed was mostly comfy, a bit squishy while I prefer more support. I had also planned on eating breakfast while there to save money, but really wasn't worth it. I'm not really into typical American diet (sugar) and didn't seem to be much to chose from. There was yogurt which was a decent option-hard boiled eggs but no salt/pepper. Some cereal and pancakes, cinnamon buns and muffins. Very small area, guests were all over the place and all the tables were dirty, staff didn't seem too concerned w wiping anything down. Staff was nice enough. Walls were thin, we could hear peoples children running and screaming all over the place (parents fault, not hotels), and we also heard music f restaurant (that was nice and done by 10pm). I'm Really glad we didnt splurge for an ocean front room because there isn't actually any privacy. We stayed on 2nd floor (even though we had requested 3rd months in advance) and I could easily walk out each morning to balcony to see sunrise. If Any of these things would be a deal breaker, stay elsewhere.
Now, the location is beach front-Plus!! Bring able to walk out in morning and see sunrise-huge plus! Also, the walk to beach area takes less than a minute, Very nice! What really sealed the deal for us is that there is Awesome food within walking distance. You don't have to get back in your car the whole trip if you don't want to. Next door is Papi's Taqueria- some of the Absolute best food we have ever had!! Acme Lowcountry is also amazing, certainly pricier but great. We had a phenomenal vanilla latte and breakfast sandwhich over at Cafe Paname. Luke and Ollies pizza is ok (they advertise as NY style pizza-it is Not), but it's not too bad.
Overall, the fact that we got to stay ocean front & there were great food choices made us really happy. The pros def outweighed cons, but they should take away the parking fee and do some thorough cleaning of rooms.
