Isle of Palms

There were several problems in the room: a lamp that flickered and was broken, missing blinds on both windows, and only one remote for two TVs. There were no bath towels or washcloths at check-in. When we asked, the front desk clerk was rude and said he was too busy to bring any, telling us to come back later without saying when. The hand towels we did get had ants on them. Neither outlet in the second bedroom, which had two beds, worked. The bathroom sink only ran scalding water, while the kitchenette sink never got warm.

The location was perfect, and the pool area and patio were great apart from the cigarette smell. But the place smelled like cigarettes everywhere, including the rooms and decks. The floors seemed unswept and unmopped when we checked in, and dirty towels were left on the deck beside an ashtray with a half-smoked cigar. We were a group in several rooms for a soccer tournament, and multiple rooms had clogged toilets. We had to wait for a plunger more than once. There were only two towels in the bathroom at check-in, so we had to ask for more. Staff seemed indifferent about the towel shortage and the clogged toilets. This was the filthiest place I’ve ever stayed. I didn’t complain about the dirt or smoking because I didn’t think it would help. One family left early because of the filth and plumbing. If you have kids and want a clean, smoke-free place, I wouldn’t recommend it. Very disappointed. I only took one photo, at check-in.

Being only a block from the boardwalk was amazing, and I loved having a private balcony. All three beds, two full and one queen, were clean and comfortable, though they were all on full-size bedframes. Overall, we had a good stay, but the plumbing gave us a lot to put up with. One AC unit died within our first half hour, but they brought a replacement within an hour. The shower temperature dial had only about 1/16 of an inch of “warm” between a little cold and scalding hot, and the toilet handle and arm didn’t work properly. I had to pull the disconnected arm by hand to flush for everyone except my fiance all week. The tub drain and “kitchen” sink were clogged too. On the day we left, the elevator quit, and the fire department shut it down after a woman got stuck.

Checking in early was a nice surprise, but the weekend turned into a nightmare. The toilet clogged in the middle of the night, so we had to drive to WaWa to use a restroom. After I finally reached the front desk, they gave me a plunger, and we had to use it nearly every time. When I went back to complain, I was told we used too much toilet paper, even though it was barely single-ply tissue. Someone checked the toilet, said nothing was wrong, and walked out. The so-called Queen bed didn’t have a base that fit the whole mattress. When I raised it, they said the bed was fine and fit two people. I asked for a refund and was told I could get my money back if I left then. That’s a great example of their hospitality. Why run a hospitality business without taking responsibility for problems with the property? They clearly don’t care about guests’ experience or repeat business. Stay at your own risk. We won’t be back.