Coral Reef Resort

I've been coming here for years and still find more to see and do, even after a month of walking around. For me, it's the best location on the East Coast. You can leave the car parked for a month and walk to everything.

The rooms were clean, the beds and linens were nice, and the mattresses were comfortable. The pool and hot tub were also well maintained and very convenient. But our stay in the older Cottages was difficult. The place badly needed TLC: doors were missing screws, railings were cracked, paint was peeling, and carpet tacks were exposed where carpet met wood. My wife stepped on some barefoot. There was little cabinet space for groceries, and a pantry should be added. We also had to buy bathtub mats to keep from slipping, and the Kleenex provided was so poor that we bought proper tissues. We were pulled into what was described as a 30-45 minute meeting, but it lasted three hours. We asked where in Coral Reef we were, since they'd placed us in The Cottages. When I showed the agent pictures, they said, 'Oh, that isn't part of Palmera.' How did we end up there? Had we been moved? No. Why? I don't know. The stairs and porch created a real challenge for our family. I'm a 100% disabled Marine Veteran and use braces and a cane. My wife is 64, and my 82-year-old mother-in-law has had foot surgery and two knee replacements and needs a walker. There were five steps to the porch, so we gave her the downstairs bedroom. My wife, our grandson in our custody, and I had 18 stairs to the second-floor bedrooms. Getting around after dark was also hard. The stairs, walkways, crossings for pedestrians, bikes and golf carts, and signs were poorly lit. We drove past our roads several times because we couldn't read the signs, and rain made it worse. For the last half of the trip, we stayed in after 6:30 p.m. to avoid risking an accident. The location is convenient for the beach, restaurants, and shopping, about 10-15 minutes away. The pool and hot tub were another plus, but the lighting and safety issues made this a tough stay.

The staff at check-in were helpful and knew the area well. They gave us information about local activities and places to eat. My wife and I found the villa spacious and accommodating, perhaps a little dated but kept up very well. Coral Reef sits among trees on a golf course, with plenty of friendly deer around. It was an excellent resort for us, and a great place to visit.

It's a quiet, beautiful setting with a great atmosphere, tucked beside a golf course and surrounded by nature.