Holiday Sands South Resort by Palmetto Vacations

The room and hall smelled strongly of bleach and weed, while the hotel itself was musty, smoky, and not very clean. Our room had holes and spots that looked like blood, including blood on the bed. We were told we'd booked an ocean view, but got a street view instead. The staff were incredibly rude. When we raised the concerns with the manager, they couldn't say what the spot on the bed was. We had our two kids with us, and we all left feeling dirty and uncomfortable to find another hotel.

The staff were amazing, and the ocean view and location were nice. We did have a couple of cockroaches in the room, the dryer was broken, and some cupboards could use work. It would also help to have bathrooms on the ground floor or portable toilets outside so people don't have to take the elevator just to use one. Overall, it's a nice place to stay.

For our group of seven, four adults and three kids, the efficiency setup was a real plus: a full kitchen with a full-size stove, sink, and fridge, two TVs, and two sleeping areas. There were three full-size beds, though the listing said queen beds. It was clean, but we kept having to ask for towels. The beds and pillows were hard as rocks, so bring your own pillow. I bought one at Dollar General, about two blocks back and ten blocks down, with free parking. The staff at the front desk could be friendlier. I paid $570 for three nights in late March, and there was a cheaper place down the street in similar condition. Would I come back? Probably not. Myrtle Beach is all about the beach and attractions, and this spot delivers: oceanfront and central, about ten blocks plus from Family Kingdom Amusement Park, walkable, around 20 blocks from Boardwalk, and about ten blocks or less from the pier near 34th street in South Myrtle. It's an older hotel in two buildings, with an indoor pool, lazy river, outdoor pool, beach access, and plenty of parking. But it needs major reinvestment. The buildings are its selling point, and the owners aren't highlighting or fixing up their moneymaker. The carpets were old and smelly; the rooms, bathrooms, and bedding need updates too.

The room was so bad we left after one night, though we'd booked the week. The smell spread through the room even with the air conditioning on. Paint was peeling from the ceiling, black spots marked the walls that we could only hope were some kind of mold, and every surface seemed coated in slippery grime. The beds felt like springs under a napkin. The pillows were like cardboard wrapped in thin foam, and smelled awful. After we came back from the beach and dinner, loud music filled the room for 45 minutes, then people outside yelled through the night. In the morning, my dad made breakfast in the laughable kitchen, which had no salt or pepper, so the eggs were tasteless. The cramped bathroom was about 10 square feet; after showering my hair was greasier than before, and its broken fan left the room like a sauna for an hour. The lobby hit us with hot, smelly air as soon as we walked in. We couldn't find a luggage cart because the entire hotel had only two. The floors between the lobby and rooms were either scratchy, mold-like carpet or sticky, slippery tile. The elevator was rickety, and the dim halls had trash, low ceilings, and peeling paint. The pictures and low online price fooled us when my dad booked this for spring vacation. My sister and I begged to leave, but Dad tried to stay positive until morning, then booked another hotel in north myrtle. At checkout, the front desk woman seemed baffled that we wanted to cancel. Dad asked for a refund and was told there was a no-refund policy; they offered credit for a future stay, which he declined. I wouldn't recommend it even to my enemies.