Daytona Beach Oceanside Inn

We were already at the Daytona 500 when the owner called to say we had to leave that day. We'd booked specifically for race day, and only after I checked the details and reached someone did they admit the date had been coded wrong. That added a lot of stress and wasted time on a day we were looking forward to. The place itself was awful. We arrived later than the stated check-in cutoff because we never got the room code, and had to track down the owner. Despite our confirmation, they weren't expecting us and the room wasn't ready. It smelled pungent, and we were so grossed out that we slept in our clothes with shirts over the pillows. There was no soap anywhere. The kitchenette had dirty dishes, filthy utensil drawers, and a coffee maker that didn't work, so we used none of it. We got one lousy towel each for three days and only two partly used rolls of toilet paper. The owner told me to buy soap and toilet paper at a store down the street and said one towel per person was standard. The safe didn't work, there were no closet hangers, and maybe one light worked. The table was grimy, with bits of something that looked like weed stuck in its cracks. The elevators were broken throughout our stay, and the laundry room machines were out of order. This is an old hotel with individually owned units and no lobby or front desk. The owner was rude, and the whole experience was horrible. Booking.com did nothing when we reported what happened, and I think they should remove this owner from their platform. I wouldn't use Booking.com again or stay here. Find a direct hotel chain instead.

There were two coffee makers in the room and not a bit of coffee. The extra pillows were yellow and stained, sitting on top of a George Foreman grill in the armoire. We also found two neglected bicycles under a rug in the corner. The host even tried to take back the so-called complimentary bottle of cheap Moscato. The sheets smelled, the mattress was stained, and the towels were so dirty we went out and bought our own. The bathroom had cracked tiles, and the shower was more like one by a pool and needed repair. The toilet took two minutes to flush, with a note telling us to hold the handle down. There wasn't an ironing board or hair dryer either. I wouldn't pay to stay here again, and I wouldn't take it for free.

Those privately owned condos are basically old hotel rooms, and most of the photos don't show what they actually look like. The lobby is the one part that matches its pictures. Our room had black mold on the wall, an air conditioner that barely worked, and a toilet that ran day and night. The main light was out, and the wall lamp looked like a serious fire hazard. There was just one towel for two people. When I checked out, I tried calling the condo owner and got no answer.

The building's location isn't worth the hassle. Long-term tenants told me they get hit with random fees, constant complaints over little things, and staff with awful attitudes. My own experience fit that picture: checking in was self-service, and you had to pay for it. When I needed help, nobody was available; it felt like they couldn't afford to staff the front desk. The people I did find were unbearable. They say there have been renovations, but I saw old musty carpet, broken baseboards, shaky elevators, dirty bathrooms, and paint that looked like a two-year-old had done it. I wouldn't choose this place as a hotel guest or a tenant. There are other condos and hotels nearby, and I bet you'd have a better stay.