Topaz Motel

It’s a nice spot to relax, get some ocean breeze, walk on the beach, or use the pool if the big beautiful ocean isn’t your thing. The ocean view is lovely, right across the street, and there’s good food nearby. I ate at The Cajun Beach a lot while I was here. The room was comfortable and quiet, though a little run down in places. I’ve seen worse. The website advertised laundry, but none was available. The room looked more like storage, though there was a laundry mat down the street.

I was shocked by the state of the room. The bathroom was dirty, the furniture stained and worn, the curtains broken, and there were no blankets or comforter in late December. The heater didn’t work and blew only cold air, so I was freezing all night. I paid $120 for one night, which is outrageous for these conditions. It’s listed as a 2.5-star property on Booking.com, but that rating is completely misleading. I’d had dinner at a nearby restaurant on New Year’s Eve and, after a few drinks, decided not to drive. With the New Year’s countdown coming up and not wanting to risk the road, I booked this hotel for the night and stayed instead of leaving. It was extremely uncomfortable. This is the worst place I’ve ever stayed, not a 2.5-star hotel and not even worth half a star.

Some rooms have a nice beach view from the balcony, and the beach is right across the road. The place is very worn down, about 20 years past due for a remodel. You can see why the price is what it is.

The only good things were the price and location. I barely went into the room before deciding it was terrible. The curtains were falling down, the loveseat cushion had exposed foam where the cover had come off, and the mattress felt like it could have been original to a 60 yr old motel. I took the keys back to the front desk and left before we got attacked by bugs. I told the guy to keep my money, maybe they’ll use it to fix something. I don’t know why there are so many good reviews unless they put them out themselves.