Sunny Shores Inn & Suites — Hotel in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Background:||We visited two years in a row (summer of 2017 & 2018, a week or so each time, first ground floor suite facing El Mar Drive). We had a great experience in '17, not so much in '18.||||Pros:||(1) Great location, stone's throw from the beach. Nice & quiet neighborhood.||(2) Generally clean, cute decor, has a (small) kitchen.||(3) If you need anything, the management is generally responsive.||||Cons:||(1) In 2018, after checking in - the first thing we noticed is the AC unit in bedroom was leaking water into the closet. The only other AC unit (in the kitchen area) wasn't blowing any cold air. However, they fixed both issues right away.||||(2) This was during Hurricane Alberto in 2018 - the bedroom ceiling leaks water (on to the bed, no less) after prolonged rains. On two nights we were woken up by water leaking on to our faces as we were sleeping. We did not mention anything to the management till we checked out, because: (a) we were leaving in two days (b) Not sure how they could fix the issue quickly enough without inconveniencing us. Later on, management said they were unaware of the situation. Regardless, this is certainly the first time in my life that I have faced leaky ceilings in a hotel.||||(3) As others have mentioned, the walls & ceilings are paper thin. They rent out the upper floor to large groups, and I believe they have a lounging area on top of the unit we were staying in, as a result there can be a lot of noise coming from above. During our last visit, there was a large group of two families with multiple kids, and we woke up several times from the noise (3 AM & 4 AM in the morning!). Of course, you might get lucky and have no one staying above you (as was our case in 2017). YMMV.||||(4) General upkeep problems. For instance the stopper was missing from the bathroom sink. As a result we were stuck looking at the insides of the disgusting drain pipe while using the sink, not to mention I almost lost my toothbrush when it slipped off of my hands. Oddly enough the bathroom sink didn't have hot water (but the kitchen sink did).||||As it stands, this place is just OK. It could be a lot better with some routine...

I love to rent apartments (eg VRBO or Airbnb) but this comes really close to having that experience. Everything that I needed was available, except for a tea kettle.||||All we needed were a few groceries (there is a few supermarkets fairly close by from Publix to Whole Foods depending on your taste) or you could choose to eat out at quite a few bustling restaurants that were a few minutes walk ago. It was also very close to the beach and they provided beach chairs and umbrellas which is very thoughtful.||||The decor is coastal and puts you in the mood for a beach town right away but it is not cheesy or old-fashioned. It is pretty modern and I loved it. Extra towels and pillows were available as well as hangers and loads of storage space.||||I am a sports widow so I really appreciated that there was a TV in the bedroom as well as the living room so there was no fighting over which shows to watch!||||The A/C worked well and the space was absolutely spotless. I felt very comfortable there. We met 3 staff members - two cleaners and Barbara, who might be the manager. All of these women were warm, pleasant and instantly put your mind at ease. I felt very safe and happy with this place.||||The only downside was I wished I had a tea kettle and there is some noise bleed-through from surrounding rooms. All guests respected the "quiet after 10pm" rule so it wasn't an issue but I feel that I have to mention it in all good conscience.||||Lauderdale by the Sea is a lovely, charming town that is not too touristy, not too busy, not too much city-life but enough going on that it's not a total snooze fest. ||||If I return to this area, I would not hesitate to book again with...

I stayed at sunny shores with my husband in unit 5. The only good thing about this place is it’s proximity to the ocean. The offsite management is a huge issue. We had a few questions and no body answered our calls. It took 10 calls to get someone to answer the first time we tried to contact them (at 1 in the afternoon). The second time we needed to contact them was to see if we could get a later check out time. We called at 2pm (their office hours are until 5pm) to request a noon checkout the following day rather than their normal 11am check out time. We called several times and ended up leaving a voicemail hoping for the best. We got a call at 10:45am the day of check out with a somewhat combative woman who said we needed to be out in 15 minutes because someone else had paid for an early check in time. Makes sense, but we were very annoyed with the woman’s rudeness on the phone and the time frame in which they answer their phone/contact you back. Also, it is ABSURD how housekeeping only comes every 6 nights and the 4 towels you are given for a 6 night stay!!! You can only get more towels for an extra charge of $15 and I honestly don’t think you would even be able to get the towels because no one answers the phone! The towels provided are ridiculously thin and one person uses two with just one shower. Definitely will not be...