Ocean Holiday

The balcony facing the ocean was beautiful, and waking up to waves right outside made each morning feel peaceful. The beds were very comfortable, the atmosphere relaxing, and the location was just right. Our second trip to Virginia Beach from Charlotte, NC was even better than the first. Ocean Resort made it unforgettable, and we're already excited to come back next year. A big thank you to Ebony from maintenance. When we had an issue, he responded right away, handled it kindly and professionally, and checked in afterward to make sure everything was still okay. That kind of care really stood out and made us feel valued. Ebony and the rest of the team are why I'd recommend Ocean Resort to anyone visiting Virginia Beach.

This was by far the worst experience I've had in all my years staying in Virginia Beach. We came for a weekend with my children, and I checked in to find an unbearable smell in the room. We reported it, but nobody helped, apparently because everyone was too busy. A guest later confirmed the smell was awful too, so we knew we weren't overreacting. After searching around, we found old spoiled milk, cheese, or something similar leaking from the refrigerator and soaking into the wood. I spent the next six hours trying to get the smell out with bleach. They said there were no other rooms, and because most were booked for the Jackalope festival, it was either stay there or sleep on the beach. I reported it to the front desk and management agreed to return half my money, but I've been chasing that refund. It was unacceptable after about nine hours wasted. My service call rate is $100 an hour. I've called and gone in person, and both Booking and the hotel keep giving me the runaround. It's a privately owned hotel, so beware: in all my years in Virginia Beach, this was my worst stay.

The place sits right on the ocean, with great views from every room, and there's an indoor pool. I wasn't sure I'd want to get in that pool, though. If all you need is a cheap oceanfront hotel, this is what you'll find, a cheap hotel. The front desk service earned all three of my service stars; everyone there was fantastic. Housekeeping never came into our room during our four-day, three-night stay, not even to empty the bins. The floor looked like it hadn't been vacuumed in weeks. The beds were incredibly uncomfortable, none of the six pillows matched, and the fitted sheet was inside out. Small thing, but it showed how little attention the rooms got.

Thank goodness Kim and Dan were so helpful. We traveled from New Jersey and needed a handicap accessible room, and this was the only hotel that could accommodate us that day. I had made the booking by phone and thought I was calling the hotel directly because of the 757 area code. Later I learned it had actually been arranged through the third party AGOOA, which caused a major booking mix-up. The front staff were pleasant and helped change things to fit our stay, as well as explaining the third-party booking. Thanks again to the hotel staff.