Peninsula Island Resort & Spa - Beach Front Property at South Padre Island

My friend and I came home with extreme discomfort and dryness in our private areas, on top of scalp itching and similar rashes that affected all four of us. We had booked rooms on different floors with our fiancés, theirs on the 6th floor and ours on the 1st, and all went to the pool Saturday afternoon and evening. I can't believe it's a coincidence. Either this place has bed bugs or there were parasites in the pool. My friend's car was towed too. I think she and others may have been targeted because the plates weren't from Texas. I wish I could give zero stars. I'll be making a formal report to the health department and BBB.

At $365 a night, I expected a resort, but this was the worst lodging of our lives. We paid $730 for two nights, and the $100 security deposit still hasn't been refunded after a few mini-fridge items were deducted. The photos are misleading: the tall main building shown in the promotions doesn't exist, just two low side wings that felt like a 2-star roadside motel. Our ground-floor room was at the very end of a wing, with its only entrance through a back door behind reception (see attached photo). It faced the main path, so we had to leave the plastic blackout shades down for privacy and were left in total darkness. The shades were partly detached and broken, and couldn't be raised once lowered. Management said someone had come to fix them while we were out, but nobody ever did. Receptionist Abby also refused our request for an extra bath towel, saying we already had enough for the number of guests. I waited a week before writing so I could give a calm, factual account. This was a massive disappointment that felt more like a scam than a vacation. I'd strongly recommend booking somewhere else to avoid being misled by their outdated, inaccurate photos.

The one good thing was how close the hotel is to the beach. We had a payment issue, but they wouldn't give us a receipt and said their policy didn't allow them to show us any charges. There wasn't a manager there, so we had to speak with someone on FaceTime. They just blamed the online booking site.

The room was dirty and stained, management didn't seem to care, and the breakfast looked like a health hazard. The website gives a misleading impression, too. The restaurant wasn't open and there was no swim-up bar. We had no hot water for two days, then no water at all on the third. They wanted to flush the hot water tank while we were still in the room at 8pm, and I had to insist on getting another room with running water. Book at your own risk.