Ocean Plaza Motel

The whole property was disgusting, from the outside and sidewalk to the parking lot, elevator, and ice machine. There was rust everywhere, the floors were in bad shape, and the elevator buttons didn’t work, so you couldn’t tell which floor you were on. I only stayed because I cleaned my own room and spent most of the day and half the night away. The room and bathrooms needed proper cleaning and sanitizing, especially for what they charge. I brought Clorox wipes and Lysol spray to disinfect the beds and bathrooms myself. The lobby closed early every day, and when the doors were locked guests didn’t know how to get into the facility. It was supposed to be non-smoking, but I smelled cigarette smoke all night, and other guests smoked marijuana the whole time. Monthly renters smoked on their balconies, so I had to walk through smoke. The place wasn’t worth the money. After four hours of back and forth, I hope the owners take a look at their 2.9-star rating and make improvements. The photos on the website are misleading. If you’re a very clean person with high standards and values for yourself and your family, don’t stay here. They want your business and money but don’t appreciate guests who deserve good service and accommodations. Owners, you should be ashamed. Do better, people deserve it.

We left right away. The room was such a health concern that the ocean view didn’t matter: the sliding door wouldn’t open, hair and debris covered the bed, the shower wouldn’t drain, and the carpet was so filthy that our socks turned black. I’d be terrified to bring a baby or young kids into that room. When I raised the problems, the manager argued with me instead of apologizing, until I mentioned the health department. We paid the same price for a room down the street and the difference was night and day. It was clean and updated, with amazing pools, an ocean-facing room, and great on-site amenities. Don’t rent from Ocean Plaza. Spend a couple extra dollars somewhere else and spare your health.

We’ve stayed at Ocean Plaza for years. It’s not fancy, but it usually does the job, without bugs. This time I paid for the room in full before arriving, then paid in full for an extra day two days before checkout. When we went down to return the keys and collect our $100 damage deposit, they claimed I owed another $255. I showed them my two receipts and credit card statement, all showing I’d paid in full. After four hours of arguing, they admitted they hadn’t charged enough on their end and expected me to pay the difference, saying I shouldn’t expect them to pay for my vacation. I had paid $450 already, and their own weekend price was still $119, which is what I’d paid. Their mistake wasn’t mine to cover. They even planned to keep my deposit because I wouldn’t pay that extra $255. Under South Carolina law and hotel policy, they can’t use my damage deposit to pay for the room, and I did get my $100 back without paying the amount they came up with. They were doing the same thing to other people while we waited for two hours as the manager, kim, tried to wait us out in her office. She swore at me and was incredibly rude.

Our room was small, very dirty, and looked out on trash cans and the parking lot. We’d paid extra for a balcony and requested one, but got a first-floor room instead. If we’d known that wasn’t an option, we wouldn’t have stayed. There was mold in the shower, and after a couple of days both of us had a strange cough. Flies got into the room from the trash outside. Check-in took 30-40 minutes, as other reviewers have said. My boyfriend agreed with the review describing the clerk as “out of it.” We saw cockroaches running along the outside of the window, which was unsettling, though we didn’t see any inside our room. The indoor pool was dirty and disappointing too. The jacuzzis were cool, at least.