WRITTEN BY: FELECIA CAUSEY
PHOTOS BY: FELECIA CAUSEY
I booked the Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach, Florida weeks before my trip through their website, and everything started off smoothly. Even when I needed to change my room preference, it was handled with ease. The hotel came highly recommended by a reliable source, so we were super excited about our stay. After viewing photos and reading reviews from other guests, I felt ready for my three‑day, two‑night getaway.
But once we arrived, the beautiful outside of the hotel didn’t match the inside.
Check‑in was smooth, and the gentleman who helped me was amazing. The lobby smelled fresh, looked clean, and the room appeared clean at first glance. I was anxious in a good way heading to our second‑floor room. A lot of the rooms had balconies, I guess we were unlucky and didn’t get one. The elevators could definitely use an upgrade, and as far as I could tell, there was only two elevators for the entire hotel.
Inside the room, a few things immediately stood out. The coffee maker was in the bathroom, which I’m not a fan of at all. The room smelled faintly like someone had smoked cigarettes in there before. I did love the small privacy wall by the toilet, and the shower curtains were very clean. They also have a laundry room $3 a load, plus a nice sitting and working area with free Wi-Fi, which I appreciated.
The beds were comfortable… but the extra “guests” (the bugs) ruined everything.
Later that night, I started seeing bugs on the bed. I tried to brush it off, but I went to bed uneasy and felt like I was itching all night. After driving for hours and being up early that morning, I was exhausted. I may have gotten two hours of sleep. The next morning, I found more of the same bugs on the bed. That’s when I knew I needed to speak with the front desk.
I grew annoyed. We don’t lay in hotel beds with outside clothes on. He suggested we go sightseeing while housekeeping put fresh sheets on the bed and he sprayed the room. I politely declined. If bugs were in the mattress, fresh sheets wouldn’t solve anything. And spraying chemicals in a room where my son, who has asthma, had to sleep was a big no.
He left with no apology, no offer to change rooms, nothing. Bugs are bugs, no matter what kind, and in a place, you paid for comfort, that’s unacceptable.
I requested a trash bag several times so I could clean the room myself since we had food and snacks. I asked the front desk twice and a housekeeper once, lied to all three times. I ended up packing all our belongings, putting them in our vehicle, and keeping only what we needed in a small tote. A sweet young lady working the night shift on our second night finally gave me a bag and extra towels.
We stayed out almost the entire day just to avoid being in the room. I may have captured one hour of sleep that night. What was supposed to be a vacation turned into a complete damper.
I requested to speak to the manager twice and was told both times they were unavailable. I left my contact information and emailed the managers, and to this day, I still have not received a response.
On top of the bugs and poor customer service, the air conditioning was extremely loud. You know how you fall asleep and suddenly a movie scene or commercial blasts and wakes you up? That’s exactly how the AC unit sounded. Another guest even mentioned it when we talked in the elevator.
And let’s talk about the fridge. If you’re looking to cool drinks or snacks, you’re better off bringing your own cooler and filling it with ice. The fridge was barely cold and even leaked water.
Now, I’m not going to be biased, there were a few positives.
The pool area was really nice. It was clean and had a hot tub. The workout room was clean and had a decent amount of equipment. If you like to work out on vacation, you’d appreciate it.
They also had a place in the lobby that serves breakfast, happy hour, and dinner called The Bistro. It’s available seven days a week. They’re a bit expensive, but after two sleepless nights, my son and I grabbed breakfast. He chose the Classic Fruit and Yogurt Cup ($8.00). He said the portions were uneven, but everything was fresh. He also had a plain bagel with cream cheese ($4.50). He said it was somewhere between hard and soft. I let him get a caramel iced coffee, after two nights of no sleep, he deserved it.
I ordered the Bistro Breakfast Sandwich ($9.00) with no avocado. The sandwich was amazing, a 10/10. The brioche roll was fresh and soft, everything was the perfect temperature, and the arugula was perfectly tossed. My only critique is that the box could’ve been smaller for such a small sandwich.
Now for the big questions: would I recommend it, and would I go back?
I would definitely recommend The Bistro. But the hotel itself? Absolutely not.
With shelling out almost $400 for two nights of discomfort, bugs, and poor customer service, the entire experience was incredibly disappointing. The location is amazing, the price I paid was great, and the free parking was convenient, you could easily check on your vehicle. But I’m very big on customer service, and what I received did not match what they claim they want their guests to experience.
My overall rating: 2 out of 5 stars.