Due previous problems, we were offered a complimentary room for 2 nights and a reduced rate after that. We accepted their offer and booked a 2-week stay. We checked in to our first room, which was not facing the ocean. This room type is not listed on their website, so we had no idea that our view would be the parking lot. I contacted Pamela Hopkins (assistant to the VP of Hotel Operations), with whom I communicated prior to our stay, and I copied Joanna Bear (assistant manager). I shared with both our frustrations and asked if we would be able to, as we were originally offered, stay in our Oceanfront Towers King (OTK) room for the duration of our stay, since it was available. (The 2 complimentary nights were in an OTK room but the other nights were not.) My first email went ignored; after a 2nd email, Pam said she would look into it the morning of 7-30. Through the evening of 7-29, when I searched for availability online, 4 different oceanfront room types showed up. On the night of 7-29, we asked about availability at the front desk and were told that rooms were still available. But the manager, Lisa Silva, overheard our conversation and immediately told us that no rooms were available, which was a lie. I asked a friend of mine to call reservations the next morning, 7-30, before we stopped down. My friend spoke with Heather, and she told my friend that MULTIPLE OTK rooms were available. 15 minutes later, my husband went down to the front desk and spoke with Tammy, who said that NO OTK rooms were available. Tammy then said that one room was available for all but one day and she and Pam were going to see what they could do. But, a Seaview room came up on the online reservations system without restrictions for the entire range. When we still had not heard from Tammy, we called and were told that we could check into a Seaview room. On 8-1, the front desk manager (Elaine) gave us our key with a smug smile and said, it’s on the first floor. The first floor Seaview rooms have very little view of the ocean (due to the solid wall on the patio) and are perhaps the loudest because of the location directly next to the pool and Splashes. Bottom line: try the Montage, St. Regis or the Ritz, but stay away from Surf and Sand.
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