Pinestead Reef Resort

We own a timeshare here, and it’s our happy place. Being right on the beach is hard to beat, and the TART trail makes it easy to bike anywhere. Sidewalks lead to nearby restaurants, stores, and the kids’ favorite, Pirates Cove. The rooms are lovely and have full kitchens that help us save on food, though they could use some improvements. The staff are always fantastic.

Someone was already in our room when we went to it because the rooms had been mixed up. There was a lack of communication. Besides that, the stay was decent, and the rooms were good for the price.

Our ground-level room opened onto a patio right by the beach, with an excellent view. It was good value overall and in a great location.

The pool, location, and front desk staff were all A+. We stayed one night after seeing the good reviews, but several things went wrong. Many beach chairs were broken, and the balcony was quite dirty. The property also felt insecure: we were given old-fashioned keys, and there was no swipe card to enter the hotel. Any outside door could be opened overnight, which made the long walk between the pool and our room feel unsafe. Then I woke up with about 15 bites that were identified as bed bug bites because of how severe the reaction was. I was the only one in my room, as we had two rooms, but the painful, huge, intensely itchy bites disrupted the rest of my trip. Six days later I’m still taking Benadryl and using topical treatments. I’m hoping I didn’t bring any home, and my suitcase is quarantined outside. For the nightly price, the resort needs corridor updates and key card access for rooms and exterior doors. The pool was a trip highlight, but I wouldn’t stay again.