The Breakers Resort

The cockroaches in Room 1176 Paradise Building ended our long history with Breakers. This was my fourth stay in 10 years, from family trips with my parents and siblings to honeymoons and vacations with my own little family. I'd always loved coming here and thought we'd be lifelong customers. I'd noticed the quality slipping over the years, but earlier stays hadn't been a problem. This time we found a German cockroach in the bathroom. After researching it, I learned it was a baby, which can mean at least one full-sized one is breeding somewhere, and there were likely more. German cockroach infestations are among the hardest to get rid of. We told the front desk right away and asked to move because we couldn't find another hotel. They said they couldn't give us a different room but offered to have an exterminator inspect ours the next day. We never got an update about the room, and we found three more cockroaches. After asking again, we were moved to the 18th floor and given breakfast vouchers for the rest of our stay. We appreciated that, but still had to spend extra money to avoid bringing an infestation home. This caused me a lot of stress. I have a toddler who's very sensitive to reactions, and I'm afraid an infestation could affect both our environment and his health. I know hotels always carry some risk. I checked the room thoroughly, but it wasn't enough, and I'd trusted Breakers a little too much. We won't be back. It's sad because I've made such great memories here, but I can't risk taking bugs home.

The problems started on arrival. Months ago, when I booked, I got an email saying we could redeem a voucher for a free welcome amenity. After checking in, I was sent to someone else in the lobby to collect it. The supposed free gift turned out to be an invitation to a Wyndham Vacation Planning timeshare presentation. They'd give the gift only if you agreed to sit through 1.5 hours. Even if you're strict about leaving after the agreed 90 minutes, they keep trying to make you stay longer until you agree to spend thousands on their vacation plans. When you say you're not interested, they call you rude. It's extremely tacky for a resort like Breakers to have these predatory people in the lobby, lie to guests, and direct them there under the name “free welcome amenity.” There were other issues too: the room's ice maker dispensed dirty ice, the hallway vending machines didn't work, and the TVs were outdated. For what you pay, there should be smart TVs. There was also a window in my room looking into the hallway. I thought I'd booked a resort, not a motel. I might usually overlook those things, but the passive-aggressive timeshare salespeople they let set up in the lobby and go out of their way to send guests to made the whole arrival especially tacky.

The room was very clean, nicely decorated, and had comfortable beds. The bathroom was immaculate, and I loved the shower's water pressure. All four elevators were working and moved quickly. The hallways and entrance also had a pleasant, fresh smell, never stale. What I love most about The Breakers Resort is that it's not pet friendly. I like not having to worry about being greeted by dogs or cats at the elevator doors or elsewhere on the property.

The front desk was so attentive, and the customer service felt like a breath of fresh air. We had a great view and everything we needed in the three-bedroom, three-bath lockout condo in the Paradise building. It’s about 1.2 miles from the Myrtle Beach marathon start line. We had a very pleasant stay and plan to come back next year.