Castle in the Sand

The front desk deserves a shout-out. They were the friendliest people I've dealt with in Ocean City. Our room at Castle in the Sand Hotel was spacious, clean, and had historic character, and room service was friendly and efficient. There was plenty of parking and space to load, which was convenient during cruise week. The location was the big draw for me, right by the beach and in a good spot for the strip. A pleasant stay, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone looking for a nice vacation base.

The fifth-floor view was amazing, and check-in went smoothly. Staff throughout the hotel were great. The room was very dated, though, and the bathroom was so small it was hard to turn around. They really need to update the rooms.

My family had a frightening stay. There was broken glass left in the room, and I stepped on a shard and had to remove it. I'm glad I found it before one of my toddlers did. Worse, my wife and I contacted the front desk five times about a loud, violent disturbance directly above us. We heard screaming, profanities, things being thrown, and what sounded like a young woman being beaten. Staff didn't resolve it. When it sounded physical in the middle of the night, I called 911, then called again. Police and EMS came to the property and arrested someone for violent second-degree assault in the room above ours, while my wife and toddlers were trying to sleep. It went on for hours, and I don't think help would have come if I'd left it to the staff. Afterward, at checkout, I gave management a chance to make things right. They passed me to the property owner. I emailed the owner, “Als,” several times and called the front desk again, but haven't heard back. You'd think a violent assault and arrest with police and EMS after 2 a.m. would get an owner's attention, but it hasn't at Castle In The Sand. The experience was a nightmare. If we'd felt safe enough for all four of us to leave, we'd rather have slept in our vehicle. I wouldn't risk staying here if you care about your safety or sleep.

I stayed three nights alone in a one-bedroom suite on the second floor of Castle South. You enter from the west, pool side, through a small but adequate bedroom. From there, doors lead to the bathroom and galley kitchen, which both open into the living and dining area. There's also a pullout sofa bed. That layout would feel awkward if several people shared the suite and some slept in the living room, since you'd have to pass through the bedroom to get in. The balcony looks over Coconuts and the ocean. It was fun to sit out there, people-watch, listen to live music, or have morning coffee, though it was noisy as expected. Screen doors on the balcony would help: there were lots of flies, and I used the fly-swatter provided in the suite. The AC is by the balcony, so the bedroom at the far end got a little warm even on cooler September days while the living room was cool. There's a fan above the bedroom door into the kitchen, with a high wall switch, but I don't know that it helped much. A separate bedroom AC would be ideal. The unit also smelled distinctly of urine. At first I thought it was old motel funk or humidity, then realized what the odor was. The suite felt shopworn and could use new furniture and some attention. Despite all that, I enjoyed the stay.