Sea Palace

Love this resort! It's right on the boardwalk next to the Waterpark, with a beautiful view and professional, friendly staff. The rooms are large, nicely furnished, and look out over the ocean or bay. Most have washers and dryers, and every room has a kitchen setup. A one-bedroom has two full bathrooms, so four people can stay comfortably, while the two-bedroom units have three bathrooms. The rooms also have spacious balconies for sitting outside and enjoying the breeze.

We had to stay five extra nights after American Airlines cancelled our flights on day seven and we couldn't get another flight. The staff gave us a very good rate for those nights. Sherwin, Chalonda, and Sasha were all wonderful, and everyone was very hospitable. Secure parking is a big plus on Front Street. The rooms aren't luxurious, but they're comfortable. The pullout couches aren't great, and the mattresses could use covers and a topper. I slept on a soft mattress for three nights and didn't sleep well then. I'll stay here again and again.

We spent two weeks here on exchange. The first week's ocean-view room was fantastic, though the lighting was dark. After the resort renovations, most of the furniture had been upgraded, but the workmanship was poor. For week two, we were meant to move to a room facing the garbage dump hill. We objected as soon as we found out, and ended up in a room with only half the ocean view of our first unit. There were also appliance and layout problems. The dishwasher couldn't open all the way because the fridge blocked it, since it was installed in the middle of the counter instead of at the end. The microwave door only opened halfway because there wasn't enough corner space. The balcony sliding door needs replacing, and in the first unit the on-demand hot water unit had to be replaced. Don't expect every appliance to work properly. On the plus side, there's an authentic Chinese restaurant onsite, groceries nearby, free Wi-Fi, free beach chairs, and a fantastic view of the cruise ships coming and going each day. Beach chairs cost US$20 a day, so the free chairs saved us a lot. Staff were friendly and dealt with maintenance issues promptly. But when our daughter-in-law had trouble with the advertised 4th night free rental package, the manager wouldn't honor the free night. Be very careful with that offer on the Sea Palace Resort website. Overall, it's a good place for a family vacation.

We had two days on the island before our cruise, and this hotel suited us perfectly. It was affordable, quiet, and had spacious rooms with air conditioning and fast Wi-Fi. We could walk to bars and restaurants, and there were reserved beach chairs for guests right by the water. The vibe was casual.