Surfside Motel

The rooms were musty but clean, and it seemed like the owners were slowly updating them. The bathroom was clean and nice, though bring your own shampoo and body wash unless you’re fine with cheap off-brand products. The carpet was nasty, so don’t walk barefoot; the temperature was hard to control, and there were no security locks on the door. The bed was comfortable with a memory foam topper and clean linens. The small pool looked clean, and the motel is not far from Noah's Ark, but don’t count on discounted passes since better deals are available elsewhere. Booking was a mess, and I think I got the room setup wrong. One suite had a queen in the main room and another queen in a separate bedroom. Had I known, I wouldn’t have booked a second motel room, but management refused to refund it after we checked in. The owner wasn’t friendly, and the manager seemed unsure of what to do at the front desk and smelled horrible. The motel was okay, but I hoped for a better experience given the good reviews. It wasn’t worth the price.

My family and I left in the middle of the night after finding eggs and a bed bug under the sheets. We had a baby with us. We tried to handle it calmly, but they never give refunds. The office closes early, and now I can see why: they don’t want to deal with bug complaints at night. If you have kids or don’t want to sleep somewhere dirty, find somewhere else.

Second update: the room was full of roaches, most dead but not all. They’re dead now, until their friends show up, I guess. Refund, please. The night staff eventually moved me to a much quieter room after a bad review, email, and phone call. I was glad, because it had been loud enough that I was about to call the cops. The upgrade wasn’t an extra charge. If you want quiet in summer at Surfside, ask clearly for the two-story section in back, away from the pool and highway, and don’t let them put you in the front. The first room was so noisy, with pool splashing, yelling, and music sounding like it was right in the room. Even when there were vacancies, the night desk guy refused to move me, said it wasn’t loud, and had a terrible attitude. Don’t expect to rest. Read the updates, too: it got better, then worse.

Our room was okay, but the place was full of people coming and going at all hours who looked suspicious to me, and we won’t return. When we arrived, several police cars were there for a long time. A very young girl was at the desk, and just after she finished checking me in, a teenager came from the back and rudely said I couldn’t check in yet. I showed him the email confirming the time was right, but he argued. I was about to leave when he shoved the key across the counter and said fine. He was the only staff member I saw during our stay. He never smiled, and at checkout he made me wait five minutes in the office while he was just outside. I booked because it was cheaper than the big resorts, but should have paid a little extra to stay elsewhere.