Beachside Resort Hotel — Hotel in Gulf Shores

3.5/5 - Solo traveler, room 120

I checked the reviews before I booked and, as you have probably noticed, they are mixed. So here is the objective truth. This place is fine for the money. It has a few issues but for a short stay near the beach, you can't beat the price. Pros: -Excellent location. It's a short walk to the beach past a decent seafood place called Bahama Bob's. I made the walk several times. It was quick an easy and Bahama Bob's has good food and one hell of a bartender. Beachside also has a restaurant but I was only there for one night so I didn't get to try it. -Staff. The room was clean so housekeeping does a good job. The young lady at the front desk was very courteous and funny. (She has jokes and a very dry delivery. Be prepared for that.) I read a few 1 stars on here that said the front desk staff was rude and unhelpful but that was not my experience at all. Then again, I was only there for one night so it's a small sample size. My experience with the staff was very positive. Cons: As mentioned in some of the other reviews, the rooms here have some issues, most of which are out of the hotel's direct control without major and costly renovations. -First of all, the rooms are very humid and moisture is a major issue that cannot be easily remedied by a small A/C unit. I'm from the south so I can live with that. The major issue I had was with the tile floor. The humidity and moisture in the room made the floor constantly damp and slippery. The towels were also sort of damp just from hanging in the bathroom. If you decide to stay here, bring some slip resistant house shoes or some grippy socks that you don't mind getting dirty or be prepared to scoot around on a towel like I did. -The A/C unit worked great but made a clicking sound that was so loud that I had to turn off the A/C to watch a movie. -The springs on the bed frame made a loud truck horn noise whenever I got up. This didn't really bother ME but it was so loud, I was afraid it would wake up people in the adjacent rooms. I think this is due to the TV not being centered on the bed. It was to the left of center, so single guests probably spend more time on the left side of the bed, leading to uneven wear on the springs.

To summarize, this hotel is good for the cost and location. The staff was great and the room I stayed in was clean (besides the damp floor which can never be adequately cleaned no matter how hard they try) and I found no evidence of mold or pests. It has minor issues that should be addressed by management at some point but if they undertake any major renovations, this will just end up another super expensive hotel on the beach and who needs that? It's perfect as a short stay for anyone looking for some salt therapy on a budget but I could see the issues mentioned above wearing on me after a few days. If you just need a quick stay near the beach, the location and staff more than make up for the inconveniences. Plan accordingly for the slippery floor, however.

Suggestions for hotel management: I really enjoyed my stay and realize there is only so much that can be done about some of the issues I described without a major overhaul. I do have some suggestions that won't break the bank, though. Moisture: The only really annoying part of my stay was the damp and slick floor. Upgrading to a more expensive, non-slip tile or adding dehumidifiers to every room is cost prohibitive and laying carpet would probably lead to a mold issue in the future. I would suggest some strategically placed rugs/runners in these rooms to give guests some comfort. Something relatively inexpensive and easy to clean. It would have made a load of difference in my room. My A/C worked great but made a very loud clicking sound that would have annoyed a less chill guest so you might want to check it (room 120.) Overall, I enjoyed my stay and would definitely...

We were extremely dissatisfied with our stay—absolutely not worth the money. From the moment we walked into the rooms, we were disappointed. The ceilings were peeling, not just in the rooms but in the bathrooms as well. Rust spots were everywhere—it looked like the place hadn’t been properly maintained in years. When we woke up and left for the day, we expected the basics: made beds, fresh towels, swept floors. Instead, we got nothing. We came back to the exact same unmade beds and dirty floors for all three days of our stay. The floors were never swept once—which is disgusting, especially considering how close this hotel is to the beach. Sand, dirt, and grime everywhere. No fresh towels of any kind—no bath towels, no washcloths, no hand towels.

When we went to request extra blankets, they acted like it was some rare luxury. We were only ever given one blanket, and when I asked again on the second night, the staff member snapped, “Didn’t I already give you one last night?”—incredibly rude, especially considering our room hadn’t been serviced a single time. We even had to grab the broom ourselves, and the only broom available was half-broken. Not once did anyone offer the basic services that should come with the room.

Our family members in other rooms had it just as bad. One of their AC units leaked so badly it soaked the floor—not once, but twice. No one offered to switch their room or even clean it up. They had to take care of it themselves.

And the final straw? When plugging in the in-room coffee maker, it sparked and started a small fire. While trying to unplug it to stop the flames, someone got injured. When we reported all of these issues to the front desk, their excuse was, “We are fully booked and most of the time we don’t make it to every room.”

Here’s a thought: hire more staff or stop overbooking. Guests shouldn’t suffer because of the hotel’s laziness, lack of care, and blatant false advertising. This place promotes itself as a “good stay,” but in reality, it’s an unsafe, poorly maintained, and completely unacceptable excuse...

This was my first stay here and I was very pleased! I booked my room on a hotel website, and I got a good rate. I contacted the hotel before my visit with a request which was graciously accommodated. I asked for a room near the elevator. Rooms are in the front and rear. I was in the front, facing South towards the Gulf. The hotel is across the street from Bahama Bob's restaurant, and a short distance from some other really good restaurants! Some of my favorite restaurants are in a mile radius of this place! The hotel offers a Continental Breakfast in the lobby with a good selection of fresh fruit, cereal, fruit snack cups, granola bars, snack crackers, muffins, and coffee from 7-10 AM. One of the obvious benefits of this hotel is it's just across the street from the BEACH!!! Gulf Shores charges for parking at their public beach parking areas,. If you are staying at the hotel, you are in their free parking lot! The hotel pool is located on the third floor over the portico entrance to the lobby. It was closed for repairs while I was there. This property is undergoing renovations and repairs. Some of the repairs are probably due to Hurricane Sally. My room was very clean with plenty of fresh towels. The bed was very comfortable with clean bed linens. The furniture and lighting were fine, and my room had a regular refrigerator and a microwave. The TV and channel selection was great! It's DirecTV with local channels. I had a great WiFi connection and the speed is very respectable! The cleaning staff were very nice and accommodating! Check in and check out went smoothly. I liked this hotel so much that I booked another day online and had to get new card keys. They have luggage carts like at major airports, so unloading and loading is a snap! This isn't a fancy condo/hotel, or directly on the beach, but it's a great beach hotel! I plan to visit here again if prices...