Avista Resort

Our son had a lot of fun on his first beach trip, and getting between the beach and the hotel was easy with young kids. The beachside rooms have fantastic views, and the outdoor pool area is nice too. Just know that the website is wrong about the indoor pools being heated: only the lazy river and the one they call a spa are heated. It's a solid choice for families, though the rooms are old, like most places along the Grand Strand. Shower pressure was weak, but everything else was fine. The front desk staff came across as brusque to us, while everyone else working there was awesome. They also try to sell you a timeshare, so just say no. If the price looks too high, it probably is. I'd wait for an off-season discount or sale.

We had a clean, well-kept oceanfront condo for the whole month of February, with a great view. Everyone was excellent, from the bellmen and maintenance crew to the restaurant, housekeeping, and front desk staff. They responded quickly whenever we had a concern. We made lots of new friends and have already booked again for February 2027.

The manager's response to my $100 charge was what bothered me most. At check-in, the front desk said the card charge was only being held for possible room damage, but they charged the money right then. We left the room as we found it, and I called several times without getting the money back. The manager told me to contact booking.com because that's where I reserved, and then the bank told me to call the hotel. After going back and forth, I gave up. It wasn't so much the $100 as how the manager handled it. The restaurant food was tasteless and low quality, and I left disappointed. They need a real chef. The indoor lazy river pool also needs a deep cleaning. If I could rate this zero stars, I would.

This is very much a family hotel, so expect plenty of noise, kids, and general bustle everywhere. Even with lots of staff around the property and pool, nobody enforced the pool rules. Other kids and teens kept diving, jumping in, and roughhousing, which made it hard for my five-year-old to enjoy himself. There aren't attractions nearby, either, so plan on driving for entertainment. We liked having indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs. Our bathroom plumbing had a problem that wasn't fixed during our stay, though they compensated us before we left. The on-site meal I ordered arrived cold, and the bread was soggy. Customer service was excellent.