The Salty Fountain by Distinctive Beach Rentals

The suite was much nicer than I expected, with tasteful furnishings, a small kitchenette in one room, a whirlpool tub in the master bath, and ocean views from both decks. We were nearer the road, but could still see the water pretty well and hear the waves. The lobby was bright and pleasant, and the Tiki bar out back was a nice surprise. It was January and too cold for the pool, though it looked like a good place to relax when it's warmer. The property is right on the beach. We live about an hour north and came for a 24-hour race at the speedway nearby. I knew the motel was older and that rooms were individually owned, so I didn't expect much. Before we arrived, the desk staff were helpful and friendly. The hotel was full, so we couldn't check in early, but they gave us a parking pass so we could leave the car. After the race, check-in was easy, and the desk is staffed around the clock. It seems owners furnish their own rooms, so others may vary, but ours was great. Don't expect a modern Hilton. If you like older places with character and a little nostalgia, give it a try. I'll come back with my girl when it gets warmer. Our favorite nearby motel was sold and has become awful, so we needed another quick getaway spot. I think we found one.

We left before the reservation ended and had to work with Expedia for compensation. We weren't expecting a premium stay, but this place was missing some basics. The room smelled strongly of chemicals, probably bleach mixed with other harsh cleaners, and the floor was damp and slippery from the humidity. We might have tried to put up with that, but the bed was very uncomfortable and the sheets were wet enough to soak through onto our clothes. I got 25% of the reservation cost back from Expedia. It wasn't much, but I took it so I could book another hotel. A frustrating night, especially since this place wasn't cheap.

The location was convenient, with beach access, a good sized heated pool and hot tub, a decent sized room, very cold A/C, and easy check-in and checkout. It was mostly quiet. The women at the front desk were friendly and accommodating, and the ground-floor tiki restaurant had excellent food and staff. There could be more convenience stores within walking distance, and the pool area needed better cleaning and upkeep. Cleanliness was a major problem. The room and hotel felt grimy and poorly maintained. The bathroom had little privacy, the shower and toilet area was tiny, and water pressure was very low. Housekeeping came just once during our five days and only took the trash. The room phone was broken, there were only three pillows, no comforter or headboard, no free drinking water, and the vending machine was empty. We ran out of towels on day two and were told there weren’t any more. The front desk gave us one bath mat to use for the rest of our stay, though there were four of us in the room. We had to borrow towels from other guests, which was unacceptable. One male front desk employee was rude, dismissive, and unprofessional throughout our stay. We followed the rules and didn't ask for anything unreasonable, but he treated us like a nuisance. He also made inappropriate comments to me about the group I was with, not realizing I was part of it. That affected the whole experience. The location and some staff were good, but the cleanliness, housekeeping, missing essentials, and his behavior outweighed those positives. Better upkeep and staff accountability could make the hotel much better. We took photos of the room when we arrived.

The location is good, but the room was terrible. I was in room 417, where the furniture was falling apart. It was cheap particleboard furniture, warped from water, and looked like it came from a dumpster. Both beds were wobbly and misshapen. The shelf over the microwave was dirty, chipped, and cracked, and the dresser and end tables were warped from wet items being placed on them. Don't count on a decent free breakfast. It was dollar-store bread, Pop-Tarts, and stale coffee. The tiki bar was closed by 6 p.m. on a Saturday. Is that 4-star Google rating out of 20?