Pilgrim Sands on Long Beach

We stayed four nights, and the staff were courteous and helpful at check-in. For the price, the room was clean and spacious, and the location was very convenient for our trip. It's an older hotel, and the owner or manager seemed to have tried to update the room and lounge on a budget. There was nowhere to hang clothes except the towel rack above the toilet, and both towel racks were badly rusted. Complimentary bottled water in the room would have been a nice touch. I don't think we'd return.

Our ocean side room, number 117, was comfortable, and the outdoor space and view were amazing. There was even a band playing the night we stayed. I had one concern in the room, and it was handled right away: someone came to the room and fixed it on the spot. I saw plenty of renovation supplies, so they're clearly working on updates. With today's economy, I know that's not easy. I'd been put off by some of the negative reviews, but don't let them stop you. We definitely plan to return.

The person who checked us in was nice, but there were a lot of problems. I booked this motel so my grandkids could play on the beach, yet the stairs down to it were rickety and dangerous. They should be blocked until repaired. The only hot water was at the sink. We complained and thought someone was coming to fix it, but nobody did, and they didn't offer to move us. The tub and shower were barely lukewarm. I had cataract surgery four months ago and can see clearly now, but every TV channel was fuzzy, like an old film with a poor restoration. We asked about that too, and nothing was done. There was a big oil-like stain on the bathroom window curtain. I missed the no-elevator detail in the listing, so that's on me. The indoor pool was supposed to be 80 degrees according to the front desk, but it felt very cold, and even the kids were shivering. Breakfast was included, but it was all carbs, with no protein at all, and the coffee was terrible.

The ocean view is amazing, and the pool and hot tub were spotless. I swim regularly, so cleanliness matters to me, and there were extra towels for swimming. After a long day hiking, the hot tub helped with my sore muscles. We were happy with the rate and our clean, updated non-ocean-side room in this older motel. The manager was also kind and quickly resolved a double booking by canceling the extra reservation. Other hotels might hold your money for a while, so we appreciated that he handled it upfront. My one gripe is the breakfast photo on the hotel site, which shows eggs and meat and looks like a full breakfast. In reality it's waffles, bread, cereal, and no eggs or meat, so don't expect those.