Declining Fast:
This was our third consecutive year staying at Seaside for our family Christmas. Unfortunately, it will be our last due to our reservation upon arrival not being correct, an ill equipped, unkempt room, and no response from management during our stay or via follow up post guest survey when contact was requested. We thought we found a gem.... Spacious three bedrooms, great views in higher rooms, more modern furnishings, but after year three it's just another mediocre Myrtle Beach property that feels well worn and better properties can be had for the same price during this slower time of year. *see photos 48-60*
The Good:
The property is in a great location close to all things and easy to access once you figure out which avenues directly connect with ocean blvd.
The staff is nice, particularly Tim at the front desk (who was under the weather), and Larry, the maintenance man who had to come to our room several times to fix the tv, the dishwasher, and the smoke alarms. They were responsive to our needs while there.
The views in the upper 3 bedrooms have walls of windows and oversized windows in each of the back two bedrooms so everyone gets a view! Go 12th or 14th floor. Really unmatched by anything we could find on the strand.
The 3 bedroom #1203 has a sunrise view and #1206 has a sunset view. #1203 has Better beds with memory foam mattress toppers. Nice to have a comfy bed away from home.
#1206 had carpet that was in great condition
What matters most to us when selecting a hotel in this area is a sanitary room, great views, decent pools (for the kiddo). If you feel the same, then you'll get 1 out of 3 at seaside.
The Bad:
Perhaps it's because we chose to come in the low season when the hotel was having pool deck repairs, had scaled back on staff, and were not highly occupied during the time of our stay. But if a hotel chooses to be open to the public, then it should be operating as if December guests matter as much as July guests.
We started off on the wrong foot when we arrived and the room we reserved #1203 (and were told was booked in our name) was occupied by other guests. We had stayed at seaside enough to know that we wanted this particular room. So at check in the front desk told us that booking a particular room was not their policy which is understandable, but we felt misled during the reservation process as it seemed to be no problem at all. They had put us in room #1206 which we stayed in the previous year and didn't enjoy as much which is why we were careful to be particular during the reservation process. So #1206 again.....
We asked for a different room after we took a peek into #1206 and the only thing they could offer was a unit on the 6th floor. It was comparable in square footage only, not in view (looked at a neighboring balcony) and was even more worn than #1206.... So we stayed put. We asked to speak with a manager to further inquire about the mixup and the staff Christmas party was that day so no one was available. She mentioned we could talk with Tim the next day.
So we unpacked and settled in. It was our Christmas.... This was not a big enough deal to impact the holiday spirit. As we got more comfortable in the room, we started to notice things that grossed us out....stained & overly worn furniture, trash left under a living room chair, a very ill equipped & worn kitchen (bring your own coffee mugs...theirs are small), non working remotes, tv issues, non working dishwasher, smoke detectors beeping, and things that with an extra eye or managerial walk thru prior to check in could have been taken care of and we would have been none the wiser. Felt like someone checked out 30 minutes prior to our arrival. Ugh!
We decided to get out of the room and head down to the pool. It was rainy during our stay so this was our main activity. The indoor pool and lazy river were freezing cold. It literally took our breath away after stepping in. They were not kept at the 80 deg. mark maintenance said. The plastic walls were ripped and flapping in the wind making the room drafty. The pool deck was gritty and felt unwashed and end of season repairs were being made on the pool deck which were noisy and obnoxious putting a good coat of dust everywhere. The hot tub was nice though! Warm! Which was needed to brave the pool!
Went in to speak with Tim at the front desk the next day to see what our options were ( could we go to the sister resort to swim, could they provide a continental Bkfst since the kitchen was not equipped etc). His title was front desk, so we asked for the GM. She was out with a cold and would return on Monday (our check out day) and he'd leave a msg for her to call us. Never did. Disappointing.
Recommendation:
We do like Seaside in comparison to the majority of where we've stayed. But if you book here, adjust your expectations as their special competitive edge is lost. read more