Really enjoyed our stay and the front desk staff were top quality - we couldn't ask for a better place to stay with our pet, they were so friendly.
- Visit hotel website
- 1 (877) 859-5095
- Email hotel
- Free Wifi
- Free parking
- Pool
- Fitness center
Really enjoyed our stay and the front desk staff were top quality - we couldn't ask for a better place to stay with our pet, they were so friendly.
Everything was clean quiet and perfect. We enjoyed the newly decorated rooms and the new flat screen Tv's
Not sure what makes this is a "resort" and not just a hotel. For example, they have no restaurant or room service at all. Also, there is no concierge, and the desk staff seems to always be limited to 1 person. The hallways are open air, which seemed like a bad idea during check-in when it was raining and blowing in on us as we brought up our things. Then they really seemed like a bad idea when different groups of kids would be screaming in the hallways literally feet outside the door. We realized the open-air feel makes it feel like outside, so of course no one will use 'inside voices'.
I really liked that I could bring my pet, and that plus the reviews here were the deciding factors in me booking this hotel. However, I now feel that Oceana's very hands-on management of their online presence may have more to do with the good ratings than the actual quality of the trip/ experience. My experience was decent in spots and poor in spots, but never actually excellent in any spots.
First, I will fully admit that we brought some of this on ourselves by going for Easter weekend when it was busy. But the outdoor pool being closed meant that the indoor pool was always completely packed. Same with the indoor hot tub. We had better luck with the outdoor hot tub, but that was probably due to the windy/ cold weather. The fitness center has 5 pieces of equipment and for the number of rooms, that is pretty paltry. Same for the number of parking spots. Come back late and you may find yourself without one.
I'll say the positive things first: the access to the beach was quite convenient. The beach was very crowded, but wide enough to enjoy. The view from the grassy area and outdoor pool were nice (outdoor pool was closed during our trip in early April, but in later months, I'm sure it's very nice to swim while overlooking the ocean). The outdoor hot tub is very large- I bet it seats 30.
As for the negative, it mainly has to do with the staff. Perhaps they were short-staffed, but one would hope not for such a busy weekend. We experienced errors from check-in to check-out. First, we are almost certain we booked a king room, but were given a room with two full beds. We called the front desk, who told us that A) she had us marked down as two full beds and B) she had no king bed rooms for the remainder of our stay. My immediate suspicious was that this is something that gets pulled often, as I checked my e-mailed confirmation and it specifically confirms me only for an "ocean view room" even though when you book online, you're asked to select from "ocean view king room" or "ocean view standard room". If the confirmation is generic, they can give you whatever is available and you can't dispute it. We let it go and decided to enjoy the trip.
We had ordered tickets to the aquarium with our room stay on the site, but when we checked in, we noticed our passes were marked as only being good for that day. We checked in at 8:30 PM or so! Considering the price of these passes, we wanted to ensure we could go the next day. The front desk person said to bring it to the manager in the morning and he would make it right.
When I tried explaining this to Micheal, he asked why I was bringing them to him (actually, fairly rudely) and told me I was supposed to take them to Ripley's. I almost left and did so which would have been a huge waste of time. I'm glad I challenged him. He made a call regarding it, and then seemed to just move on to other tasks without telling me what was going on. I stood in the lobby while he took reservations on the phone, checked out other guests, handled maintenance calls on the walkie-talkie, etc. I assumed I was waiting for a manager or someone to come handle the issue. Finally, when the phone stopped ringing and the lobby cleared out, he opened a drawer and gave me the Ripley's passes. I was upset that I had not been informed that he was going to help me, and also upset that I stood there for a very long wait while he took other customers who were effectively behind me in line, whether in person or on the phone.
Additionally, we had a large (thousands) infestation of beetles on our balcony which made it literally unusable. Micheal told us he would send maintenance to check, but they never came (we reported it 36 hours before check out). A member of the housekeeping staff happened by to ask if we wanted the room to be cleaned and we asked her about the beetles and she had seen them on other balconies as well. If it was a common problem, we were unsure why Micheal would promise to have someone look into it (and then not do so anyway). We took a lot of photos of the beetle infestation, as we plan to use it for our reviews. We felt the vacation was a bit of a bust and that we did not get the value we paid for from the hotel.
Staff needs to have a back up to answer the phone. It is completely rude for staff to answer phone calls, take down credit card numbers, and answer general questions about the resort while there is someone standing there in the lobby waiting for service. This happened at 3 of my 4 trips to the front desk and is obviously policy. I'd encourage management to set up a procedure that does not require the customer to be shunted aside because the phone rings, nor interrupted by the walkie-talkie if maintenance wants to confirm that they've fixed a doorknob.
We were an hour from check out time and packing in our room when housekeeping knocked and immediately entered... when we had the "do not disturb" sign up! We could have been getting dressed! They said the front desk had us marked down as having already checked out the day before. Just another error. Our opinion was that the front desk was very poorly and unprofessionally run. Just a small example- all the files are sitting up on the desk where anyone behind the counter could see or grab them. If I were the manager, I wouldn't want my guests checking in to see a file labeled "accidents" or be able to put their hands on the check in paperwork for guests. But maybe that's just me.
It could have been good, but was just not. We won't be staying with Oceana again. If you need a cheap place and have a lot of kids and a pet, I could see why someone would end up here. But if you have other options - take them.
Dear Would Not Stay Here Again:
Thank you for taking the time to post a review about our resort. We are always grateful to hear from our guests to help us improve our guest experiences in the future. I would like to address several items in your review. Our outdoor pool has been open since March 1st. Easter weekend is a busy weekend at the beach and I apologize about the front desk being busy during your stay. The bugs that you mentioned in your review have been infesting Myrtle Beach for the past few weeks. They are kudzu bugs who came to visit our county last summer and did not leave. Although harmless, they are still a nuisance when they are on your balcony.
I sincerely hope that when you return to Myrtle Beach that you will give us another chance to accommodate you.
Mike Deaton, CHA
General Manager
Exceptional service and wonderful family vacation! I will definitely be back!!!!
Everything was perfect except for the housekeeping. I was impressed with the grooming service offered right there in the hotel. Most of the staff were very friendly and esp. dog friendly.
The only glitch was housekeeping. The time varied dramatically each day and even upon request, didn't change the sheets except for every 3rd day. Hey, I'm on vacation and want to be pampered. Wasn't I paying for clean sheets every day? In addition, I don't want my pets to stress w/people in the room they don't know, so I wanted to be in the room when housekeeping "showed up." I spent 4 hours one day just waiting for them. I think more staff would solve this problem.
We had a first floor condo which opened up to the swimming pool, it was very nice. The rooms were clean and the king sized bed was very comfortable. Only one minor complaint- the cleaning closet and staff were right across the hall from our room and it was noisy early in the morning. Other than that, it was a very nice room.