The Tides on Hollywood Beach

The apartment smelled strongly of mold, and tape was holding the floor in place. There was mold on the walls and ceiling, a broken bathroom window, old furniture, and rusty patio furniture on the balcony. The dish soap had been used, and so had the kitchen sponge. The AC unit made so much noise I couldn’t sleep at night, and there were cockroaches in the main bathroom. Some electrical outlets had no covers, which is dangerous for kids. The front desk was very rude. At the pool, security kept taking photos of everyone every ten minutes, which felt like harassment. There were too many rules: no music, drinking, floats, beach balls, or beach chairs. The sun was very strong, but they wouldn’t let anyone open an umbrella. Valet parking was overpriced for two days, and you had to park your own car, so it wasn’t really valet service. The stairs were nasty, the elevators were small, and the security staff were unprofessional and aggressive. Don’t rent at Tides.

The place felt unwelcoming and focused on surprise charges. We booked for four people, with every name on the reservation, but hidden fees started adding up as soon as we arrived. Almost every employee we dealt with was rude or unhelpful, and seemed annoyed that guests were there. Parking was a complete scam. There wasn’t a regular parking option unless you paid for valet, and even if you found your own spot, you still had to pay. We paid almost $100 to park a car that wasn’t even on the reservation. The valet was the one decent employee, polite and helpful. The front desk staff had miserable attitudes. I speak English and Spanish, and the woman at the desk acted as if my speaking English offended her. The bracelet and key fob situation was another problem. You need fobs to access almost everything, and they force you to pay a $50 deposit for each fob, with one per two bracelets. None of that was mentioned when booking. By check-in, it felt like the place depended on unexpected charges and hidden fees. Save yourself the frustration and stay somewhere else unless you want to be nickel-and-dimed and treated like an inconvenience.

The staff were pretty bad, with strict, almost dictatorial rules and a lot of unnecessary fees. Nothing in my condo room worked except the microwave and oven. The hair dryer, toaster, and even the TVs were all out of order. The only reason I’d recommend it is that it’s on the beach.

Our condo was nice and the Airbnb host was good, so I have no complaints about that. We appreciated the easy late-night access to and from our PH, and the security was good. The beach was nice too, though renting chairs and an umbrella cost extra. The male staff member helping with that was friendly and more helpful. Tides itself made the stay unpleasant. The staff ruined the experience. We went to the pool only twice in six days because they watched everyone closely and kept taking photos. One woman yelled at us three times in one day for “jumping in the pool,” even though we’re grown adults and got in politely. She also yelled at me for not wearing a shirt over my bikini top in the elevator to the pool, and for not having a wristband even though my boyfriend at the time had one and it was clear we were staying together. I still had to get out of my lounge chair in my bikini right then to get one. I saw staff get into several heated arguments with families and couples at the pool. Other guests seemed bothered and uncomfortable too, and I overheard people discussing it. Children were yelled at for very minor disruptions, so I wouldn’t bring kids here. It felt like the staff didn’t want anyone to have fun at the pool. On arrival, the staff were confusing and indirect about unloading luggage, parking, and finding the penthouse. We had to wait until morning to get the fobs needed to access the rest of the condominium. The valet wasn’t really valet, and nobody seemed to know what was happening with check-in, check-out, or returning the car. Throughout the trip, they also seemed to dislike us for being American. I’ve never felt so out of place or targeted for being American in the US. We felt like we were walking on eggshells the entire stay. I’d spend my money in a friendlier area.