DeSoto Beach Hotel — Hotel in Tybee Island

READ BEFORE BOOKING!

I typically am not one to write Google reviews when I have a bad experience with a business (and I never have written one before this), but I thought the DeSoto Beach Hotel earned themselves this review after the experience my husband and I had there recently:

Parking lot closed for resurfacing (understandable); resurfacing sounds/ odors beginning at 7:15am, and lasting for just 45 minutes (why not start later in the day?). Damp/ sandy carpets that never felt dry, even with AC running (made our socks wet while walking around). Dirty microwave, smelly refrigerator. Dirty ice bucket with no liners available (had to ask for extra trash bags to use as liner). Shower wouldn't drain, would back up with unidentified hair/sand. Broken/ lopsided shelves in closet with broken hangers jammed inside a random shelf. Continental breakfast with moldy bagels, cream cheese kept out at room temperature. Housekeeping disgruntled when asked to change our linens after 3 nights.

Although these things should speak for themselves in terms of the quality/ upkeep of this "hotel," the true issue I have was quality of staff and their lack of integrity. During our visit to Tybee, my husband and I found 2 shark teeth. Due to reasons I won't share to Google Reviews, these were EXTREMELY sentimental and important to us. While hastily leaving, we unfortunately left them in our room. After realizing this 20 minutes after our departure, we called the front desk to see if someone could look for them for us. We told them we left some "seashells and other things," and if they could look for them and keep them at the front desk we would arrange for them to be picked up by friends ASAP. After not receiving the call back that the front desk had promised, I called again an hour later. The woman at the front desk informed me that they found "a shell and a shark tooth, but we only found one shark tooth, not two. Also some sort of vape charger." I was disappointed but didn't think much of it. (And the vape charger was in our room upon our check-in, attesting to the attention to detail of housekeeping).

During our flight home, I realized that this was impossible that both teeth hadn't been found: 1. The shark teeth/shells were all together on the counter. 2. We had never told them we had two shark teeth. So they clearly knew there were two, and someone had kept one for themselves.

I called back after our flight to speak to them again to see if the second tooth had been "found," and they told me it hadn't. I then spoke to a manager, who told me the same thing. I explained to him that clearly both had been found, and someone was being dishonest. He informed me that housekeeping is instructed to throw these types of things away when found, and that there was no monetary value to this so there is no reason housekeeping had kept the shark tooth for themselves. However, when we first called, housekeeping hadn't been to our room at all, nor had anyone else, until we asked them to look for these items for us. I told him that I understood this wasn't of monetary value to a housekeeper, but extreme sentimental value to my husband and me. Additionally, was he implying that if we HAD left something of monetary value, then housekeeping likely would have kept it for themselves? A true testament to the staff he maintains and the integrity he is aware they hold.

So, if you've made it to the end of this Google Review, you probably just think I'm some pathetic person that's sad that I lost a shark tooth. I am sad I lost it. However, I'm heartbroken that this hotel was such a disappointment, for multiple reasons. My family and I frequent the Savannah and Tybee areas, have been residents of Savannah in the past, and have always enjoyed our times there. I can confidently say we will NEVER again step foot near the DeSoto Beach Hotel, and I advise anyone considering reserving a room here: don't. You will likely be disappointed with the facilities, and if you leave anything of monetary or sentimental value, consider it...

Our "Ocean View" terrace turned out to be the Georgianne Inn which was three houses back from the ocean with no ocean view. The staff was very short with me when I called about the location mix up. The lady stated that I was put in the Georgianne Inn because I didn’t pay enough to stay in the Terrace that I originally booked through Orbitz. I think that $356.00 a night is plenty to stay in Terrace 3 myself. The Georgianne Inn is online for $255 a night. When I got Orbitz to resolve the mix up all Desoto would refund is $150.00 off of the total I paid for 3 nights….I am no math professor but $101.00 difference per night is not $150.00.

Night two I called and complained about no parking and the lady was rude at the front desk. I was told to just pull in the grass and she hung up on me. I was already furious about the mix up about locations and now I have to park in the grass, walk farther to the beach, we have no beach view and have to still pay a premium price. Our nightmare didn't end there for the 3 days.

They do not provide any cleaning services for the Georgianne Inn. So by day two, we were out of clean towels. I requested more clean towels and we got 1 for the 4 of us. They only give you 1 garbage bag, no travel size box of detergent was in our unit but there was a sample size fabric softener (I guess they want you to wash your own towels, or at least freshen them up with downy), 1 tiny dish soap with no sponge to wash dishes which they tell you that must be washed prior to departure. Then after you run out you are required to supply your own. This unit does not have a dishwasher nor a washer and dryer. Which the terrace did have that I originally booked. (make sure you bring plenty of change to pay for the washer and dryer)The coffee maker was extremely dirty and the filter had not been emptied from the previous guests! Disgusting!

Day three finally arrived and upon checking out the staff did not ask how my stay was while checking out. They really didn't seem like they cared. They just made sure I returned the two keys or I would be charged a $100 replacement fee. I feel that it was very overpriced for what we got. I would not stay here again. If I am going to supply my own amenities and clean my own towels, clean up the unit better than I received it then I will just get a much, much bigger condo down the beach for a much much cheaper price. I had just came from Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island and didn’t pay this much for the two nights we stayed with them and it was a whole lot nicer. I will never stay here again. Desoto Properties are very...

I am writing to share a recent and deeply disappointing experience my husband and I had at DeSoto Beach Hotel, which significantly impacted the start of our vacation.||||A few weeks ago, we booked an oceanfront room at your property through Hopper. We were excited for our trip to Tybee Island and looking forward to a relaxing stay. Upon arrival and check-in, however, we were surprised to find that the room we were given did not match our reservation. According to our confirmation, we had specifically booked an oceanfront room, but the room provided did not have the advertised view.||||I immediately contacted the front desk, and the staff member informed me she needed to speak with her manager. The manager later called and told me that the room we received was what had been booked and that nothing could be done due to lack of availability. I was advised to take the issue up with the third-party booking platform.||||I contacted Hopper, and a representative there made efforts to resolve the issue, including attempting to communicate directly with your hotel to authorize an upgrade. While I waited at the front desk and remained on the phone with Hopper, I overheard the same front desk staff offering another guest an oceanfront room—despite having just been told that none were available.||||Shortly after, the Hopper representative informed me that your hotel would no longer authorize the upgrade. I politely asked the front desk staff to have the manager contact me again. To my shock, instead of continuing the conversation, the manager called the police. I was stunned and confused, as I had not raised my voice, used inappropriate language, or acted in any way that would justify such a response.||||I immediately texted my husband, who joined me at the front desk. The manager refused to speak directly with the police, and since the hotel is private property, we were asked to leave. We had only been on the property for about one hour. Despite being forced off the premises without receiving the room we reserved, the hotel refused to issue any refund.||||We were devastated by this treatment, particularly as respectful guests who simply wanted the accommodations we had booked. Fortunately, Hotel Tybee had availability and was able to accommodate us, salvaging the remainder of our vacation.||||This experience was unacceptable and extremely disappointing. Needless to say, we will not be returning to DeSoto Beach Hotel and will advise others to consider alternative accommodations when visiting...