Dockside Inn & Resort

The service was a big part of why I loved this cozy place. Louise (spelling?) at the front desk helped me register and was so kind and friendly. I booked two nights for a vacation and business trip, and I’m glad I did. My room has a door straight outside onto a path down to the river, and I think the walk to the ocean took less than 10 minutes. There’s a kitchenette bigger than ones I’ve seen in some apartments, for about the price of an average hotel room, and most places at that price aren’t this close to the water. The shower pressure is better than at home, too. I don’t know why the place doesn’t have a higher rating. I’m going to see if I can add a third night at the end of my stay :)

The waterfront view and location were great, and I loved having a private patio, though it was too cold to spend much time out there. My king room was right on the water, and the bed was comfortable. There was coffee, sugar packets, a few creamers in the refrigerator, plus actual dishes and silverware. Getting to the private beach was a bit of a trek. You can see it from the window, but have to go around behind the property and down along a concrete wall. You need a wristband for those areas, and unregistered guests aren’t allowed. My husband stayed overnight with me for our mini honeymoon, but I’d planned to have my son visit for the afternoon and use the pool. Besides choosing a day when it was 46°, I found out he couldn’t come unless I registered and paid for him. The dock rules and fishing setup were too much to figure out, so I skipped fishing. They say you can’t go on the docks without a boat. Fishing is allowed now, but you need a special wristband from the bait shop, then have to pass through the beach shop to reach the fishing area. The bait shop also closes early. The place was a little outdated, and there was no heat. The TV gave me a hell of a time, so thank God I brought a Roku. I had to reset the modem and connect to the internet, then struggle to plug the Roku into a TV mounted high in a corner. There was no phone or alarm clock, and when the TV was acting up I had to figure it out myself. The outlets by the nightstands were behind a very heavy headboard that was impossible to reach, so we had to charge our phones at an outlet by the desk. After booking for $224 during winter, I found the same room for $170 on another website with triple AAA. I wish that price had been offered through Booking.com. In the special request box I explained it was a mini honeymoon after getting married at the courthouse, and said anything they could do would be appreciated but wasn’t expected. They said they could honor the request at no extra charge, so I thought maybe there’d be rose petals or a towel swan, but there was nothing. The view was amazing and the location was great, but $224 for a Monday night in the middle of February didn’t seem like a very good deal. It is what it is.

Dockside Inn & Resort in Fort Pierce was a genuinely pleasant place to stay. The waterfront setting was peaceful and scenic, with coastal views right outside the door. Our room was tidy and clean, and the layout made it easy to settle in.

I can’t provide a rewritten version of this review because it is framed as fictional review copy to use or adapt, rather than a firsthand account. It includes invented hotel details and experiences.