Ocean Lakes Family Campground — Hotel in Myrtle Beach

This review is for property #MH19B rented through the OLP website since there's no reviews for those houses This was our 2nd trip to OLFC. Our 1st year, my family of 3 rented through VRBO. That house was immaculate, however we wanted to stay a little closer to the beach this time and we were bringing a family of 4 with us, so we needed more room. Booking & check in process were quick & easy. The office ladies were friendly & welcoming. HOWEVER when we arrived at our house, we were extremely disappointed. Compared to the pics & description on the OLP site, the listing needs to be updated. One of the main reasons we chose this house was for the ground level patio area with bar, TV, sofa, hammock, dining table and gas grill. All of the furniture was filthy, worn, and had not been maintained or cleaned EVER! The TV didn't work (the plug was all rusted thru - see pic) including the grill (pics). That would explain why there were 3 other rusted grills sitting around the property as well. (Now 4, including the 1 we had to go buy) When we contacted the office, they did send someone to look at the TV, however he never returned with the promised replacement. (Which we could've used while we were confined to our property most of the week due to weather & the Dad's like to hang out at the bar at night and watch sports) The other 2 decks were adorned with patio furniture in the same condition (Again see pics). The owners shed had a "section" of supplies designated for the renters (pic). We took one look at the pile of broken beach chairs and fishing poles - along with the tattered and rusted hammock that had been in the pics - and shut the door. We would've created an avalanche had we tried to take anything out. The inside wasn't much better. The pics on the listing must've been taken in .5 mode because the "open main Living space" was 10x smaller than what it appeared to be on their website. There was sand in all the furniture (which I expect some sand at the beach) but it was very obvious whoever cleaned, did the bare minimum. So I spent the whole 1st night cleaning the house to prepare for our guests. I was so embarrassed. (The other mom and I spent days going through properties for this week, so the choice was not made lightly.) Plus this was their 1st time at OLFC and I wanted them to want to return. (If this had been our 1st visit I KNOW we wouldn't have returned) The pic of the vacuum is the state that I found it in. The washer and dryer looked like they've NEVER been maintained (pics), there were stains, sand and filth all over the mattress covers and comforters (pic), and there was a massive sized dead COCKROACH - IDC what you call them - laying with all the other grime in the laundry closet (pic.) Each night small black "Flying ants" would accumulate on the kitchen ceiling (pic), and we had more than 1 run in with the large COCKROACHES as well as the small ones in the kitchen. The office did send an exterminator to spray "again", but that did not help. The kitchen supplies were sparse and filthy, and I spent 2 hours cleaning the coffee pot and inside of the fridge. Because of the state I found everything in, I felt the need to scrub the bathrooms as well. I spent more time cleaning this place than I should have. And now I think the extra fees you pay through AirBnB and VRBO are totally worth it. We LOVE OLFC but highly recommend renting through a site that has reviews and can guarantee that everything is in working order and clean. I just don't think OLP has the time or manpower to stay on top of the properties that they rent and manage. When you pay that much $ to stay somewhere, it should include all that is promised and at the very least, be clean! Lesson learned. I hope this helps future renters make their decision. PS I would need another full post to talk about the despicable and embarrassing treatment our 1st time guests and I received from the OLFC security- on our 1st night no less! Know your...

Editing my review again based on OL response: They clearly aren't listening to their customers, because everywhere I look online, people are complaining about the new rules. "However, I assure you, those in support of these policies are much greater than not. Security wants to be consistent and works to be fair and reasonable with our policies." I've been fortunate to never have to deal with any issues regarding the new rules with the security team, but it's clear from witnessing others have to deal with it that it's neither consistent nor fair in how rules are enforced. It's also clear that the majority of customers don't agree with the new rules. I can't say I've ever vacationed anywhere with rules as strict as OL. I sincerely hope they rethink what they're doing so that they don't lose customers to other campgrounds that let people enjoy their vacation without having to worry about harassment from security over nonsense rules that are in place as a money racket, not a "safety measure."

Editing this review to add: the new rules that golf carts can't be driven after midnight is crazy. Ocean Lakes has decided to punish everyone for the actions of a few bad apples, instead of just dealing with the few people being loud after quiet hours. You're now supposed to drive your vehicle to get around the campground at night (even to get to the bath house, Laundromat, etc.), which is WAY louder than the golf carts are. Our family has always been very respectful of the campground rules, but the new rules have gone too far.

This place has some good components and some bad. The presence of security is way too heavy. We were trying to get back to our ocean-front campsite after the golf cart parade, and security stopped us and made us go all the way around the campground, up by the pool and the rec center, instead of just driving straight to the site. We were only about five sites away, but we still had to go way out of our way to get there. They also yell at certain people for blasting loud music, but teenagers are allowed to drive around blasting explicit music no problem. I had a metal water bottle in the cupholder of our golf cart, and every time we passed by a security officer, they were peering into the cart to see if it was alcohol. I would've understood this happening once, but multiple times by the same guy was a bit excessive. Overall, they just made us feel more uncomfortable than safe.

The lifeguards at the water park could also use some more training. I got yelled at by one in the adventure river for sitting the wrong way in the tube, so I moved, and then got yelled at by another for sitting the new way and was told to sit the way that the first lifeguard had told me was wrong. I gave up and got out, since the lifeguards apparently don't know what they're supposed to be telling people. By the way, the "adventure" part of the adventure river is that you have to push yourself along for most of it, since the jets in the water don't really do the job.

The snack bar has really great food! The pizza is definitely worth getting, as is the ice cream. My only suggestion is to update the website to the correct hours. The website said that it closes at 11:00, so we went at about 9:15 one night. We were told that we couldn't get any food, because they were closing at 10:00 and the kitchen closed an hour before that.

The fact that the campground is literally right on the beach is what makes it so great! We enjoy being able to walk straight onto the beach from our campsite. It's also nice having paved campsites. There are plenty of bath houses so you don't have to walk far to get to one. The campground is very pet-friendly, too. If you go, definitely rent a golf cart to cruise around the campground on. Overall a...

We paid top dollar for a house near the front row. The stove was missing one of the main burner knobs only allowing us one big burner for large pots. When you have eight people staying in a house that makes cooking difficult. The dishwasher did not work half the time. For the money that they are charging there was nothing of convenience other than an iron. The garbage from the previous tenants was still in the trash cans and the stench was so overwhelming that when we got out of our cars we started gagging. We got there on Saturday and had to wait until Monday morning for it to be removed. Then we had the dealing with the shooting or supposed shooting/hostage situation in the area. We did not receive notification that this was going on to almost an hour after the event had started which could have been an endangerment to those walking in the area or riding on their golf carts. I never told this story, but my husband and I years ago in 2020 were going to purchase in the development during the COVID era. When we walked into the sales office. We were told to stand behind a line at the front door, we were first in line, which we did and then when it became my turn after she got off the phone she said how can I help you and I stepped forward and next thing I knew she was screaming at me to get behind the line and not to approach the desk. I was all the way across the room when this occurred. It's one thing to say would you please step back, but it was not this. It was just brutal screaming, get behind the line!!! I understand fear but her rudeness was amazing! Thus, my husband and I walked out without purchasing. I would have kept an appropriate distance of at least 10 ft. In this case it was me standing at the door and shouting my business across the room while people stood behind me. As I stated, I turned around with my husband and walked out. They were very rude in the sales office at that time. I don't know about now. This time, the woman behind the front desk who checked me in for additional parking was super and exceptionally nice. I thought to myself well this is good... a good start!

I no longer felt safe. The place was too too crowded. We would sit on the beach and not even be able to see the water because of all the people in front of us no matter where we situated ourselves in the morning. I did not even bother to take pictures while at the water because of this. The house across from us had four vehicles parking there instead of the required two making it to where every time we wanted to leave we had to ask them to move one of the vehicles. Obviously no one is monitoring that. The pool, well, I would not get into it. It was murky and just overcrowded. The year before when my daughter and her family went they came back with COVID and had not left the campgrounds. I just get the feeling that many of the facilities there are not that clean. While the kids were swimming in the little water thing that goes around and they float on rafts a baby was allowed to poop in the water and they had to vacate everyone. Okay, that can happen anywhere but like I said this place is so overcrowded it did not surprise us at all. Is the overcrowding their fault during one of the most popular vacation weeks of the year? I can't say for certain that it would be their fault, but since they are doing the rentals perhaps a new policy should be considered to prevent overcrowding assuring people paying top dollar as they do for the rental homes that they are at least getting their monies worth of a quality vacation. I have no...