Emerald Coast Inn & Suites

The room was so fresh and clean when we arrived, with none of the musty smell I’ve run into at other beach hotels. It was spacious and comfortable, and we could see the boardwalk and Gulfarium from the window. The outside looked decent but not especially impressive; inside, the lobby was nice and well kept, and our room really surprised me. The pool area was nice for family time, even if the pool itself wasn’t very big. We had read mixed reviews before booking, but the location was great for getting around and we’ll definitely stay here again.

After driving for 10 hours, we just wanted a clean place to rest with our children. We stayed for 15 minutes and decided not to go ahead with the stay. The lobby fish tank looked as though it hadn’t been cleaned in years, with dead fish inside, and the lounge chairs were dirty, with mold on some of them. The elevator area was in deplorable condition. In the unit, the entrance door was unpainted, the safe and bathroom were moldy and very dirty, and there was mold throughout. The carpet was dirty, as were the coffee maker, oven, refrigerator, and stained ironing board. The hotel’s promotional photos were totally different from what we experienced. We asked to cancel, but manager Marina was incompetent in resolving the situation, and we were charged for one night even though we had only been there 15 minutes.

We had a great view from our room, and the location was perfect, within walking distance of many places. The rooms were clean and the bed was comfortable. The pool was small but fine for the few times we used it. Hotel staff and housekeeping were really friendly and helpful. Best of all, there were no bugs. I highly recommend staying here.

The inside looks pretty good, like it’s been renovated, and they fixed the problems we reported. The outside of the hotel looks really run down, though, and it seems they renovated everything except the tub and AC. We were in a nonsmoking room on a floor they said was entirely nonsmoking, but we smelled cigarettes every time we bathed. We booked Monday through Friday, reported it when the smell came back Wednesday, and were told they’d handle it. By Thursday we smelled it again. Maybe that wouldn’t bother most people, but we don’t smoke, and I’m pregnant, so it was very unpleasant. I spilled something on the floor and wiped it up with a towel that was absolutely filthy and no longer even white.