The Lodge 30A — Hotel in Alys Beach

We stayed here with our two kiddos for a family vacation during the 4th of July week. The hotel is new so the overall feel is nice. The location is great and is about a 12min drive from the center of the action in Seaside. The beds were just so so, they are firm (which we like) but they are uneven. The new shops opening up in the same parking lot were great and so was Pecan Jacks Ice Cream shop for an evening treat. Towels were nice. We did notice the shower leaks to the bathroom floor from the corner of the shower even though the shower door was fully shut. Our AC worked great but we don't keep our room super cold like most people. Free parking was nice. For the most part staff were nice. There was one older lady at the front desk that seemed annoyed by guests asking her questions. Working at the front desk, it is critical that staff understand that they are the 'face' of the hotel and their customer service is representing the hotel standards. Some things that really bothered us. There is no complimentary coffee in the lobby, the only coffee available is from a machine that makes you a cup of coffee for either $4 or $6 dollars per cup. They use Starbucks beans so I guess they feel justified in requiring the guest make their own coffee and charge them for it as well. $6 for me to pay to make my own coffee... Really? The ownerships decision to make customers pay for coffee instead of providing complimentary coffee says a lot about their mindset in terms of customer service. You get free coffee practically at any other hotel you stay at, this hotel makes you feel 'nickel and dimed' in that regard. Oh, and the second you walk into the area where you can make coffee, there is a sensor that let's staff know someone is in there. The staff have been well trained to eyeball you and make sure you pay or charge the coffee to your room with the self service POS System. There is no restaurant or bar or Cafe in this hotel, so bring some breakfast groceries so you can have toast/bagel or cereal in the mornings. They do sell frozen and packaged items that you can microwave in your room. The walls are thin - nothing they can do about this construction error, bring ear plugs! Wi-Fi is spotty. It constantly kicks you off. This is not normal with all of the Wi-Fi and Mesh tech available to keep a strong and consistent connection. We didn't use the pool but it looks nice. We did use the self service laundry and the Speed Queen washing machines worked great. The front desk can provide you with quarters for the machines. Being a new hotel, the rooms and lobby and everything else looks nice. My take away is that ownership is new to the hotel business (or are foreign owners) and are learning the hard way on what customer expectations are and aligning those expectations with their customer service and...

5 stars for location but ONE STAR for everything else.

We booked this hotel to celebrate our anniversary, but aside from the prime location, the experience was disappointing- and in one particular case, downright insulting.

Housekeeping was almost nonexistent. Despite the website saying rooms are cleaned “by request,” ours was only serviced once in four nights, and even then, the trash wasn’t emptied and the bed looked like someone gave it a lazy tug and walked out. It was the bare minimum at best.

Noise was constant. The building is clearly wood-frame construction.. and you hear everything!! Dogs barking, doors slamming, hallway chatter, even people from other floors. Not exactly the peaceful getaway we had in mind.

But the worst part of our stay- by far- was being spoken to like a literal child by a hotel “supervisor” named Emily. I asked for beach towels (yes, beach towels- that’s what they’re called, no matter where you plan to use them), and instead of simply explaining their policy to only allow these towels at the pool and not the beach, she spoke condescendingly to me in a way that was genuinely shocking. She told me- twice- that the towels are “only for the pool,” repeating herself slowly and pointedly, as if I was too dim to understand the first time. I told her I understood, and she still doubled down, repeating it again in a tone so patronizing I was honestly stunned. I cannot overstate how belittling it was. I felt like I was being scolded in front of the class for something trivial. The last time I checked, I’m an adult and speak English as my first language, so treating me like a toddler is uncalled for and totally unacceptable.

I don’t care how “nice” you think your hotel is- if your staff can’t manage to treat adult guests with basic human respect, you’ve lost me. I’ve stayed in dozens of places along 30A, and this is the first time I’ve walked away feeling embarrassed by how I was spoken to.

I won’t return, and if you value being treated with respect, having a calm/peaceful/quiet space to sleep, or having linens and towels refreshed each day… Go anywhere...

If you want to listen to loud dogs barking all night along with music blasting through thin walls...this is the place for you! We stayed two nights and they were the worst two nights I have spent in a hotel in a long time. The first night, a dog below us (they allow dogs on the 1st floor) barked ALL night long. At first I was annoyed and then I started to feel bad for the dog as it became clear that the owners left the dog in their room and were out all night.

I spoke to someone at the front desk at 4am and nothing changed. At 8am, I came downstairs and asked to speak to the manager and was told that he arrives at 10am. I had to leave for the day, so I left my cell phone number. He didn't call me until 3:30pm and I missed his call. When I called back at 4:15, I was told he leaves for the day at 4pm. Seriously? I asked for him to call me again the next day (and had another horrible night listening to music down the hall)...I'm still waiting for that call and it's been two weeks since we have returned from our trip. I waited before posting this review to give the staff a chance to at least reach out, but the fact that this manager never called again is not acceptable and St. Joe should be embarrassed! I know this type of service is not aligned with their brand. I have stayed in several St. Joe properties and hotels and I this feels like this property and experience is a significant downgrade for them.

You should also know that they only do housekeeping every third day, but never told us. The only positive comment is that the location and price point are great, which is why it attracts a ton of college kids, so if you are considering this option - be prepared for noise all night long. If you are looking for a clean, quiet and comfortable stay with great service and responsive...