October 2006
I don't know even were to beginning. When we arrived at the hotel they wanted to give us an entirely different room from what we booked. The room did not over look the ocean like we requested.It had a side partial view of the ocean and a great view of the garbage below.The next room we looked at the paint was peeling off of the walls and the bathroom was moldy.We went threw three rooms before we finally settled for a room with a view of the ocean.Now,this room looked exactly like the picture that we had seen on the internet,but there was no air condition in the room and it also had a moldy smell. The water ran a lite tea brown color.Other guest where complaining that they had no water or the water was rusty.The owner stated that he had just bought the place and was trying to fix it up.I understand the conditions are still the same .Yet they want you to pay high prices and a resort fee for horrible accommodation. I can say that the grounds were beautiful.

Although the hotel was built in 1957, they have refurbished most of it. Hot water for showers was poor, but the waterfront views were just great. I would stay here again and they did discount our stay by 10% because of the hot water issue. Grand old hotel that has received a facelift. Some of the rooms in the hotel are being converted into condo's.

Prepare to do battle with the front desk! The room given to us on the first night was completely different than what we booked. When we pointed this out the response from the night manager was a brusque "It's midnight...where else are you going to go?" The following day, they "upgraded" us to the room we had requested but the following day, still with one day to go on our reservation, they insisted that we were to check out that day. They later relented but only after "proving" that our reservations were for another day. So, if you like to engage in a tug-of-war with the front desk, this is your place.

On some points, the beach view and pool area, the Ocean Manor would rate a 4 or even 5. On the other hand, the run-down and "Who cares?" demeanor was evident in many places throughout the place. The furniture was generally frayed and only about half of the fixtures worked. Doors don't close properly, paint is peeling off wood surfaces, and things like toilet paper dispensers come flying off with a gentle tug. The "complimentary" valet service will cost about $5-$10 daily in tips. Altogether, the place is either a 1 or, generously, a 2; they will not receive my patronage again.

Upon arrival, our group of five was told it was our lucky day because we would be staying in the penthouse. Everything was downhill from there! After exiting the elevator (only the service elevator with an inspection permit three years out of date was capable of taking us to the top floor) we entered a construction zone with ladders and equipment throughout the unfinished hallways. We walked in to find dirty dishes in the dishwasher and trash not emptied in the kitchen. The expansive balcony allowed more room for trash, cigarette butts, and broken glass. There were no telephones or smoke detectors in the unit . Both the air conditioning and hot water were sporadic. The following day the roof air conditioning unit leaked into our apartment so we kept three large pans in the floor to catch the water. That night as we were all in bed asleep we were terribly frightened when a hotel bartender and his friends entered our apartment to party - they "didn't know Frank had rented it out"! As we examined another apartment that was offered to us, the previous tenant was leaving and didn't recommend it because of poor air conditioning and inoperable televisions among other inadequacies. It was absolutely the worst experience we have had in any hotel in any city. Check the Ocean Manor off of your list.