The front desk clerk never even greeted us but just asked our name and gave us keys and pointed to the elevator

The bathroom was dirty and there were holes in the wall.
The windows looking toward the beach were so salt covered that we could barely see out of them
The elevator had trash on the floor that was not removed during our three day stay.
The pool area had broken chairs and cigarette butts that had likely been there a while as well as standing water that we had to walk thru to enter the pool and hot tub area

No newspapers - even in the breakfast area.

first off, the girls that worked there in the morning were awesome!! I won't say what they did for us cuz I don't want to get them in trouble, but they rock and were hilarious! so now for the bad stuff:
Housekeeping is very much below par here. We stayed 3 nights. Each day they flipped up the comforter, emptied trash and gave us fresh towels. However one day we left some breakfast items in our room before we left (plates, cups, cereal bowls, etc) and those items were still there when we returned. Gross. The crumbs on the nightstand were still there and a cup of cherry pits also. I mean, we try to pick up but we intentionallyleft these things to test the staff, and they failed.
The pool is very small...very very small. The pics are a little deceiving. The hot tub is the smallest one I have ever seen.Also, I believe the Hawthorne suites next door sends their guests over to this pool. Not cool.
the walk to the beach is nothing...please..not even 5 minutes. the view is very pretty and the walk is easy, even barefoot.
The room: only one trash can in the bathroom, but plenty of room for one more in the main sleeping area. the sofabed mattress: gack. My 8 year old couldn't stand the springs in her back so she cozied up on the sofa. The bed: very comfortable with the tiniest little square pillows I've ever seen in a hotel. Suprisingly these worked very well for us. The sheets and towels are very soft. On the balcony...there are no chairs and the railing is made of plastic and seems a little wiggly. I felt very uncomfortable leaning on it from the 4th floor. Also we noticed large patches of mold in the corners of the bathroom, and tiles falling off the edges.
The breakfast: It really is no big deal. yes they have a waffle maker. the eggs are powdered. Everything else is continental style. If you want the good breakfast, book the Embassy Suites.

We stayed there in June of 2012. Shower had LOTS of mildew in it. Had to ask for a shower chair and it was so dirty I didnt even use it. They do not clean the rooms daily they just put new towels in the bath and throw the covers and pillows up over the sheets.(and not in a neat way) Ceiling fan did not work and night stand light had a bulb burned out that was never replaced. Pool was so small and crowded we didnt even get in it. Beach was nice we were able to drive about 20+ miles down the beach and it was nice. If you dont have a 4x4 do not attempt this you will get stuck in the sand. We pulled alot of people out of some very soft sand just about everyday. Will never stay here again.

Had serious doubts after reading the other reviews, ended up paying the extra $20 for the balcony suite with a view of the gulf. It was so worth it! The staff was great. The hot breakfast was the best of anywhere we've ever stayed! The waffles are to die for. And the view was excellent. The beach is a bit of a walk (5 minutes max), but there's also a public parking lot about a block away so you also have the option to drive over. And this is one of the cleanest best beaches on the island. It was great!