Hawaii

Being right across from the beach is great, but parking costs $1 an hour from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. After that, it’s free. The room was okay, though the floor was dirty enough that my son and I wore slippers the whole time. I was on a business trip and needed internet to send files to my boss. I had no connection. When I told the woman at the front desk, she said no one had complained before. I asked if she could put me closer to the Wi-Fi router, but after 20 minutes of going back and forth, I gave up and returned to my room. She wasn’t friendly at all. I also needed more pillows because my five-year-old rolls around in his sleep. She said the maids had left for the day. I wondered why she couldn’t get them for me, and thought she was lazy and rude. I had to wake up every few minutes to make sure he wasn’t about to fall off the bed.

Mold, no building security, dirty counters with dried mystery liquids, and cigarette-burned sheets. The blinds were broken and crooked, like there had been a fight just before we arrived. I’m no princess, but even the trucker motel with no heat where I stayed in Romania was nicer than this garbage hotel for the desperate. We were supposed to stay next door at the Ocean Surf Hotel, which isn’t nice either, but they messed up our reservation and put us here. We stayed only because we were too tired to rebook right away, then booked somewhere else the next morning. The owners should be ashamed of what they’ve done to a property just steps from the ocean that could have been fantastic.

For around $80 a night, right on the beach, you’re getting a bargain. It’s a bed and shower after a day swimming, and the hotel gets the job done. At that price and location, you get a lot for your money. Be fair and compare it with similar places. People complaining about this hotel seem to overlook how cheap it is. If you expect more, head to SoBe and pay $300 a night for an overpriced umbrella drink. By the way, the Days Inn next door has a nice outdoor bar with seating, minutes from the SoBe crowd and traffic. I’m not affiliated with any hotel or travel agency.

The room was so humid that every night it felt like I was sleeping in a wet bed. There was black mold everywhere, and the broken door lock didn’t help my rating. Still, I expected as much when I chose the cheapest hotel I could find.