The Windstar Hotel at Carolina Beach — Hotel in Carolina Beach

Roaches, terrible customer service, and theft.

I really wish I could give this place no stars. I read pretty good reviews so we went with this hotel seeing there was no other available rooms in town. We had a very sad last minute family emergency during beach season. We just wanted to come, stay, grieve, and be taken care of. You’d think when you spend your money somewhere they want to take care of you and make sure you have a great stay. I don’t have many bad experiences places but when I do, I never have a problem getting a refund, credit, or alternative to make things right.

We had a very minor roach occurrence in the room. We checked in and checked out it was all in the same shift. Maybe there was an infestation somewhere, maybe not. They came from under the AC unit when it kicked on. We immediately checked out because they had no other rooms available. I had no doubt we’d get a refund since we couldn’t stay in another room.

The front desk lady absolutely could not help us and had no idea what to do. She told me I’d have to come back for the manager. She said if she contacts the manager after hours they will not answer.

We came back the next day regretfully. The manager told us to hold on while she finished talking to an employee (training him on a computer) something she very well could’ve held off on while she took care of us.

When we walked in her office she off the bat told us it was impossible for her hotel to have roaches on the third floor. She already expected us per the employees note the night before when we checked out. Cut me off with every sentence. Her words were mean, rude, and inconsiderate. She threatened me with charging the full amount. I told her I don’t do well with threats and she replied with “I don’t do well with no pictures or evidence.” I totally did not have my phone out ready to catch these roaches nor did I want to hang out long enough to do so. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES HAVE YOUR PHONE READY AND TAKE PICTURES.

We are not the type of people to get revenge. We only understand that sometimes hotels can’t help what people bring in and depended on being taken care of as guests.

I’ve never experienced customer service like this in my ENTIRE life. We were made out to be liars, refunded half of our money even though we didn’t stay one night. She then told us “she’s entitled to take the whole amount and I don’t have to refund you anything.” I let her know we could make a very public social media statement she threatened again and said “if you do that I will charge you the full amount.”

On top of this experience I will say the room was very musty smelling and the hotel lacks updates and gives you a very dusty feel.

PLEASE do not stay here. Regardless of it being a 2 star hotel if you have any issues you will be questioned, blamed, and disregarded. This is the worst General Manager I’ve ever encountered. Totally uncalled for attitude. We walked in asking her how she was doing, being completely personable, and being completely caught off guard with her disrespect had me absolutely speechless.

We asked her for the owner’s information and she laughed in my face and said “he’s definitely not...

The worst hotel my family and I have ever stayed in. The staff are extremely rude (aside from two ladies). I am writing this to hopefully be heard and to warn others of the unpleasant experience. When we checked in for our two night stay we noticed BLOOD on the floor, yes dried blood. The stain was about the size of a nickel and there were streaks/drips going towards the bathroom. We notified the man working at the front desk (he was very unprofessional and didn’t present himself confidently) who didn’t really seem too apologetic and concerned. He just gave use a room upgrade. Blood stains aren’t only shocking to see but they are extremely unsanitary. Anyways we got to our new room and it was not clean. There was mould on our sheets, hair and dirt in the fridge, and the toilet had clogged after one use. We notified the same man at the front desk who basically made it sound like I was lying..he said how could our new room be dirty. I said I’m not after another upgrade we literally need a working toilet…after some time the issues were fixed (toilet unclogged but didn’t clean it after using the plunger…new sheets given for us to change ourselves…fridge however was not cleaned). He then said he would take $50 off our bill due to the troubles we were having. When we checked out we were NOT given any money off. The man (a different man) who checked us out was very rude and unprofessional. We were told the blood stains was a cleaning agent…it absolutely was not. I’m not sure what his position was but he was not a manager. He said there were no managers on site to speak to. No one had a name tag on either so I really couldn’t tell who was an employee and who worked on the construction crew. While I was waiting for an answer we were told to have a seat. I was told that I should have asked for an invoice and proof that the previous man offered us money off. Great I didn’t know it was my responsibility to ensure things were handled correctly. I had my two children with me (one very small) and there was no where to sit while we waited due to the construction in the lobby so when I asked where he would like for us to sit he said OUTSIDE by the pool and smiled! Honestly the entire conversation with him was as if he was laughing in my face and refusing to help us. For someone who isn’t a manager he sure acted like he held a lot of authority.

Other things I’d like to mention…. No where to sit in the lobby, constant construction going on at ALL hours, power tools left unsupervised (table saw by the pool where kids could access it!!), no clean linen given each day, they charge $25 for the cleaners to come in in the mornings to tidy, no coffee machines in the room, no ice machine.

Honestly I would have rather have slept in my car. I’m really disappointed. I know what caring for a customer looks like and this was not it. Please do yourself a favor and stay somewhere...

Subject: Serious Concerns Regarding Our Stay at the Windstar Hotel – June 19, 2025

To Whom It May Concern,

My partner, her two children, and I stayed at the Windstar Hotel in Carolina Beach on June 19, 2025. Upon arrival, we immediately noticed signs posted throughout the property, stating that pets are not allowed. However, as soon as we entered the hotel, we were overwhelmed by a strong chemical odor from a device that was actively pumping out large amounts of Fabuloso cleaner. The smell was so intense that it triggered an immediate headache for me.

After checking in, we were given keys to Room 119. When we arrived at the room—at approximately 10:00 PM—we found the door wide open. Upon entering, we noticed a musty odor and discovered that the floor was wet with visible water throughout the room. Additionally, the beds were in extremely unsanitary condition, with dog hair and pubic hairs on the sheets.

We returned to the front desk to request a room change. However, instead of being relocated, we were handed new sheets and told to change the bedding ourselves. Despite our concerns, we were not allowed to move to another room. That night, we attempted to sleep, but the moldy smell intensified, and the floor became increasingly wet, making the room uninhabitable.

The following morning, we all woke up feeling unwell. We experienced a severe headaches, which I believe was due to an allergic reaction to mold exposure. We again raised our concerns with management ( Elderly woman named Cristian) and were told that nothing could be done, although we were offered a mop to clean the floors ourselves and some breakfast for the children as a form of consolation.

Other guests who entered our room remarked on the overpowering mold odor. We requested to speak with the hotel owner, but our request was ignored. Later, when maintenance staff arrived, an employee named Patricia immediately noticed the strong smell of mold and acknowledged that the condition of the room was unacceptable. She stated that she would escalate the matter to management, but we have yet to receive any follow-up.

Since checking out, our attempts to contact the hotel for resolution have been met with evasive responses and no accountability. Given the health and safety risks we encountered, I strongly advise others to avoid staying at the Windstar Hotel in Carolina Beach. We are in the process of filing a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau and exploring additional avenues for reporting this matter.

Sincerely,

If we could rate this hotel with a Zero, we would. DO...