Tides Folly Beach, Charleston's Oceanfront Hotel — Hotel in Folly Beach

We booked a week long honeymoon stay at Tides following our wedding in Mount Pleasant. When booking I had purchased the champagne and chocolate covered strawberries package and selected it for the first night upon arrival. The lobby was nice and inviting as well as the front desk staff, Macy. We asked if the room had a microwave and she said she could have one sent up for our leftovers wedding food which we appreciated. She did explain that she didn’t think the strawberries or champagne were in our room but she would see about getting them sent up tomorrow. We were disappointed to hear this but went up to the room to unpack. After a little while we called back down and asked if there was anyway she could have the strawberries and champagne delivered tonight instead of tomorrow. She said she would get this handled for us and asked if the microwave had been delivered yet. We told her It had not, and she said she would make sure it was delivered within the next 10 minutes. It was delivered shortly there after which we really appreciated. As for the room Itself there were issues with the shower not draining and massive puddles of water after each shower in the bathroom floor. Stepping into cold undrained water was gross to me. Additionally, we tried to keep a towel down to prevent this, but the towel would be sopping wet every time due to no door on the shower. The balcony was also very, very small with no seating. I will say that the drinks at the tiki bar were very good, however, after walking up from the beach and wanting to be out of the sun, we moved some chairs to the front corner of the bar. We were asked to please move down further because this was the walk up portion of the bar. While I can understand this to an extent, The sunny side of the bar was fully clear for people to walk up to still. We were simply guests of the hotel, trying to stay out of the sun. Later, on in the week, I received a text from the hotel stating their specials for the day and letting us know that we could order room service as well by calling the restaurant number off of our room phone. Our room phone would not work so I dialed from my cell phone to the front desk. They connected me with the restaurant and when asking to order room service the lady told me that they were very busy. She waited for me to speak , almost as if it was an inconvenience. I told her that we would still like to order room service and she took my order again telling me that they were still very busy. Room service also comes with a gratuity charge of 22%. I have no problem with this, but wish it had at least been included in the text blast from the hotel when advertising room service. I would like to mention how kind and friendly the Bellhops were to us daily, specifically the older gentlemen. Macy at the front desk the first night was also very helpful and sweet. And the ladies in the coffee shop were very friendly and even escorted me personally to the restrooms when coming in looking lost from the pool. Overall, the location and proximity to the bars on Center Street Were the best part of our trip. I can agree with other reviews that the pool did seem cloudy and dirty. Some staff were great while others were offputting and made us feel as if we were just tourists coming in off the street to their hotel, even though we were guests. I don’t believe that we would stay here again, looking back at the quality of the room itself. I would opt for an Airbnb if we were to do our honeymoon over again. The elevator was also out of order multiple times throughout our stay. If it wasn’t one, then it was the other. And this single elevator was being used by all staff and guests resulting in long wait times. If looking for somewhere simply in walking distance to the nightlife then this is the hotel for you. Otherwise I would recommend finding a nice Airbnb. I hope Tides can use this...

Tides is the hotel for you if it’s all about location. My wife and I enjoyed our time here and hope to visit Folly Beach again. If you are thinking of staying at Tides here are some helpful things to consider.

Pros: -Location: on our first visit we found out quickly that Folly Beach is a special place. Tides is in the best location in downtown Folly. Not only is it direct access to the beach but it’s located on the edge of Center Street and just steps away from great restaurants. We loved not having to use our car at all during our stay. -The Beach: we were blown away at how nice Folly Beach is and Tides is the perfect way to enjoy it. We loved being able to walk out on the beach early morning and sit in our beach chairs late into the evening. It was so nice not having to worry about parking or beating the crowds since you can just walk out of the hotel onto the beach -The Staff: any interaction we had with Tides employees was fantastic. The front desk was welcoming and helpful. But it’s the young man working valet that really made an impression. When we first pulled he told us all we needed to know for check in and then helped empty the car. He helped my wife take up our things while I parked the car. He was a huge help! -Coffee Shop: located in the hotel, it serves Starbucks and the prices are reasonable

Cons: -besides the location of the hotel there’s not much that sets this apart from typical hotels. The rooms do need updating and there aren’t many amenities besides beach access and typical room service -the price: sadly this might be the only reason we don’t come back. Although the view and location are prime, it’s just not worth 400-500 dollars a night. There were too many things needing updating to justify this. Tides is one of the only lodging options on Folly but they still make sure you pay a premium for the view. I get it but I just think the price could be more reasonable. -Balconies: every room has a balcony view of the ocean. But it’s not big enough to fit a normal sized chair on. That was a bit of a bummer. You can easily stand on the balcony but we would loved room for chairs for early mornings or late evenings -The walls are very thin. It’s very easy to hear the neighbors. We did have a few instances with bugs. Nothing terrible but we saw a bug in our room and then large bug (cockroach) in the lobby dead on the floor. It was gone from the lobby when we walked by later but it seems that they may need to address a minor bug issue.

Other things to consider: -every room does include a view of the ocean. It is beautiful! However, I think it’s fair to say not all views are as good. We got the 2nd floor and we had a decent view. I wish that customers could choose their floor when booking. -there is a restaurant on-site with beachside seats. We didn’t check it out but the view while eating is amazing. Folly Beach is beautiful.

So overall, my wife and I definitely enjoyed our stay at Tides. If all you care about is location don’t hesitate and just book a stay at Tides. However, if like us, price is one of your main criteria it’s worth considering the...

The "Tides Folly Beach" hotel, is a remodel of the 1980's Holiday Inn hotel. Let me start by saying "We did enjoy our stay at the hotel, overall!" But, the hotel is in need of some renovations. When making reservations, my wife asked if there was any hotel damage from the recent hurricane, Ian. The receptionist replied "No damage!", but she failed to mention that one of the only 2 elevators, was inoperative! (Which made long lines at the elevator, all the time!) Our ocean front room was nice, overall. A tile floor (with included sand), w/ a great view of the beach and pier (Which was currently under Heavy reconstruction! No entry onto the length of the pier!). A nice King size bed, w 4 pillows (Yeah!), a small desk with a rusty office chair. A small, standing room, balcony and decent A/C unit. And a mini fridge, that did get Super Cold! The bathroom was okay. A remodeled shower insert, with Great water pressure! (The shower needs some new caulking!) The bathroom was spacious but had poor ventilation (so the mirror steamed up). The bedroom also has a few rusty items: Fire extinguisher, hinges, door trim, etc. You use coded door key cards, for room keys. These were constantly failing. And the staff was having to reprogram them, daily! (Which the little receptionist was not happy about!?) The hotel was decorated in an almost modern 80's style, but was nice. They have a restaurant (which was sporadically open, due to staffing shortages!), a med. Size pool (which they "don't allow coolers, or alcohol in the pool area!" (Which was more of a guideline!?), there is a beach bar, outdoor wash down pads, outside restrooms (nice and clean-ish), and beach chair rentals. Oh, the hotel and beach are DOG FRIENDLY! Which is great if you travel with pets! There is a $10.00 per day "Resort Fee" which gives you 2 bottles of fresh water (which we Never Received!), Beach towels (the size of a bath towel, available at the front desk!), and parking (Yes, they have a gated, unsecured, parking lot!). The location to the beach, and pier #101 was good! They are located in the center of town, and within easy walking distance to shops and restaurants. I suggest "Rita's" restaurant which is right across the street. (You'll smell the smoker, so follow your nose! We ate there 3 times, it was So Good!!! Trust me...) Most of the restaurants serve the same menus of bar food, but one, The Crab Shack?, had all Sea Food. It, too was delicious! And the restaurant at Pier #101, had great food, cold beer and mixed drinks, and a tackle & gift shop. The beach was hard, dark sand, and murky Atlantic Ocean water. A good place to search for seashells, and larger shark's teeth. FYI: S.C. does NOT ALLOW ALCOHOL ON THE BEACH! Overall we did enjoy our stay at the Tides at Folly Beach. As most hotels go, it has its problems. (We realized to ask specific questions, the next time we stay at a hotel!) Its a good place to stay, for a quiet family & pet, beach vacation! Food, drinks, and shopping are close by. And the staff was...