Oceanfront Inn

We were meant to have a relaxing four-day beach vacation, but it was anything but. The website photos are years old, from a previous owner, and there’s no beach, beach chairs, or umbrellas to sit under. The room we were assigned, 217, was old and wouldn’t have met any cleaning standards. The bed was old, some furniture was rusted or falling apart, and there was visible mold. We knew the place was older and have enjoyed other old Florida motels and hotels, but we had to find somewhere else during the peak of spring break. We asked for a full refund and got it promptly. That was the only redeeming part of the whole situation.

I booked through expedía on Friday, then checked Google Maps ten minutes later and saw lots of bad reviews. Since I was traveling with two children, I called Expedia right away to change hotels. Expedia said I needed to contact the hotel for a refund. I spoke with the operator and asked whether the reviews were accurate and if the hotel was in the condition shown in the photos. They assured me everything would be fine. But when we arrived, the room smelled unbearably of cigarettes and wasn’t clean. I’ve attached photos. There was no hotel representative on site, so I called. They apologized and said someone would call my cell phone. I shut the room door and went looking for somewhere else the children could sleep without that smell. I’ve been trying to make a claim since Friday. They assured me everything would be fine, but the place was even worse when I got there. My family and I shouldn’t have had to go through this. We were supposed to have a few days of rest with the kids, but ended up traveling more than an hour to find another hotel in better condition. Neither the hotel nor Expedia has answered. The customer service from both was terrible. I paid $260 for a room that looks like a cheap roadside motel where you don’t know if you’ll lie down and get fleas. They only replied that cigarette smell isn’t grounds for canceling the room. So they expect me to put my family through that and sleep in those conditions? I hope they return my money, or I’ll take the claim further.

The restaurant and its service were great, and the view from the Atlantic building was amazing. Room #19 wasn’t fully renovated, but it was clean, and the bed and sheets were comfortable. There’s no Florida resident discount, which I wish they offered. Still, coming from the west coast to visit family in Ft Pierce for the weekend was perfect. I’ll stay here next time I make the 2 1/2 hour drive so we can safely enjoy our jetty rum runners and not have to drive.

The hotel had what we needed and did the job, though the rooms and the property itself could use a deep cleaning.