Castle In the Sand Hotel
3701 Atlantic Ave, Ocean City, MD, 21842
Castle In the Sand Hotel Menu
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Address :
3701 Atlantic Ave
Ocean City, MD, 21842 - Phone (800) 552-7263
- Website https://www.castleinthesand.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Karl H.
I've stayed at this hotel a dozen times since I was nine (back in the mid 80's, when Reagan was president and Max Headroom was king) and it's always been a super-nice experience. Plus one: the room (I've stayed in both the main hotel buildings and the rental cottages) is always clean and the air conditioning works. So what? This is not always something you can count on in Ocean City, MD. And comparatively speaking, the pricing isn't bad at all. Perks: the swimming pool is a decent size, with more than enough lawn chairs to chillax upon. They've got a restaurant in the basement of the hotel that offers bland but budget-friendly breakfast buffets. And the hotel staff is always polite and friendly (once again, not always something you can expect in Ocean City, MD). However, there's two things that really stand out, that have earned my loyalty as a return customer. First, they've got waitresses who come out to you on the beach and bring you your beer/mixed drinks! From what one of the waitresses told me, they're the ONLY hotel in Ocean City that's allowed do this (otherwise your boozing anywhere else on the beach will be frowned upon by the municipal authorities, apparently). Granted, the drinks are a little on the pricey side, but such service is worth paying the price for. I particularly remember this one absolutely beautiful, leggy (when I say leggy, her legs were as long as you are tall) bikini-clad Russian waitress they had two years ago. Sadly, I didn't see her this past year. Eye candy isn't everything, I guess. Besides, I'm a pig. My other perennial favorite is Castle in the Sand's resident children's entertainer, Sunshine the Clown. Sunshine provides hours of fun activities for kids daily (I think), like craft workshops, carts full of bubble wands, and face-painting. Sunshine's assistant--didn't catch her name--is the Michaelangelo of face-painting, no overstatement here. My three year old daughter actually bawled her eyes out when the beautiful palm tree + tropical sunset on her face washed off the following day. Can't say I blame her, none of my tattoos look half as good. Best of all is the cool r&b and rockabilly music Sunshine pipes in through the outdoor speaker system. I heard some Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the original version of "Green Door" from 1954 (which later became a hipster classic when the Cramps covered it in the mid 80's)! I asked Sunshine about it, to which she nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders and replied, "oh, I just hooked the stereo up to my Ipod". Wow. Not only is she consistently great with the kids, but she's a paragon of hipness. My only gripe is the cheeseball band that plays at the Castle's beachside bar, Coconuts. I mean, how many bad covers of Jimmy Buffet and Billy Joel should anyone have to endure in their lifetime, especially if they're on vacation? All in all, make your reservations for next year now, because it might just be me who gets that last room.
(5)Elizabeth F.
Location on the beach and the outdoor bar service makes this the best play to stay on the beach. Family friendly place with lots of kids activities. Book early. Pricey but worth it.
(4)Melinda C.
3.5*** Went for a bachelorette party and packed quite a few girls into 1 room. The suite had a quite decent kitchenette with a full sized fridge and coffee pot, so I really can't complain. The room was also equipped with a radio that worked great for just hanging out, and we were lucky to get a first floor suite so we got quite a nice section out back with several chairs and sand - it's secluded from the beach so if you want to read outside with a view of the sand and some peace and quiet, this is perfect. We were also 2 seconds away from the beach. Amenity wise, the radio also had an auxilary-in I believe, so you can plug in your ipod, there is a hanging rack for you to dry your wet bathing suit and towels from the beach, and the cleaning staff cleaned the room so nicely after we trashed it the night before (don't worry, we tipped them!). Lots of fresh towels (and don't worry about asking for more), a tv in each room and a pull out couch, 2 rocking seats and an ottoman. Worked out quite well for a handful of girls. My only gripes about this place was that the A/C was in the living room/kitchen, and did not reach into the bedroom, man it was stifling there even with the ceiling fan. The back door (where the sun rises) did not have any blinds so it was blinding in the morning. Also, the hotel was 10 blocks from where the boardwalk ended, so it was a hike to get there. Though it's called Castle in the Sand and the building is castle shaped, that theme does not permeate more than just the exterior of the building. But with a fairly central location - great places to eat farther up, great bars like Seacrets and Fish Tales a little below, it's quite a decent place. FYI - the windows are kind of mirrored so that during the day it is tough for people to see in, but at night it's totally see through!
(3)Dane C.
Booked 2 suites in Castle North for a bachelorette party 5/21/11. Because some of the girls coming were on a budget we opted for this instead of a more expensive hotel. Because it was Cruise weekend this was the only place that could accomodate us for a Sat only booking. The staff is super friendly. It was clean & spacious. The only thing it is probably time to update the 80s decor though there was flat screens in both our suites. They should also It was sufficient for a 1 night stay & I'm sure it would've been even better if it were summer & we were able enjoy the beach entrance. The bar downstairs was convenient & bartender friendly. The wifi was free.
(3)Lorraine E.
The perfect spot for a family beach week. The beach rocks! The hotel rocks! The food rocks! The other guests and the staff rock! It just plain rocks! Everything we expected is just as we expected. Love it.
(5)Tara M.
This hotel is by far no frills. However, what it lacks in frills it makes up for in its cleanliness and customer service. I see families there year after year that stay the same week we do. I love Coconuts beach Bar as well. They have lots of local entertainment to keep you humming. You have to try a Tipsy Turtle while there.
(4)george h.
What a dump, may have been nice 15 years ago. The room was smokey and dirty. The room service was poor, and the staff was apathetic at best. There are plenty of nicer places to stay in OC for less money.
(1)Nathan C.
One year later, we went back - and the fourth star is awarded for consistency! Not much has changed - the staff is still great, the location superb, and the rooms clean and tidy. Still no wifi in the rooms though... what is this, the Dark Ages? We tried the breakfast buffet this time ($8.95, 5 & under free), which was good - and I think the overall food prices have gone down. Some additional things to note if you stay here: - The sandbar on the beach in front of the hotel appears to be stable year-to-year - the water stays less than 3 feet deep out for quite a ways. Great with little kids. - They rent umbrellas, chairs, and boogie boards for reasonable-for-the-beach prices. Plus, you don't have to set 'em up or take 'em down - they do that for you. It's a nice way to stake out your spot early in the AM. - Parking is distributed across two lots (a big one close, and a small one less than a block away... no crossing of busy streets!) but there are a few spaces in front of the hotel. Steal these when people leave for dinner. - If you get a room with a pullout bed, make sure you get the linens and blankets from the front desk - they tend to forget to put them in the room. - It's faster to go and order food (and drinks!) from the bar than it is to wait for the waitresses to find you on the beach.
(4)Kurt S.
Eh...here's the thing with Castle in the Sand. The location is fantastic, right on the beach. The pool is very large and easy to share with a bunch of folks. The rooms are clean. The staff is friendly enough, although I have experienced friendlier. The buffet restaurant isn't gourmet, but it's adequate and affordable. The price isn't too bad for Ocean City. But I do have a couple of complaints. We stayed in the Castle South building adjacent to the pool. The room was nice enough, although there was no television where the bed was and I like to watch TV while laying in bed. The other thing--and I can't believe no one has mentioned this--is that there is a band playing at the beach bar ALL DAY starting at 10:00 AM...and it is so loud you can't hear the television at full blast. I don't know if the other buildings had this problem, but it was annoying enough that we won't be coming back to this hotel. Castle is fine in almost every other respect, but they REALLY need to sound proof the walls if they're going to have bands playing all day.
(2)Angela G.
I stayed here over the post July 4th weekend. It was hit or miss in several areas, but overall for a old beach hotel, it was pretty good. We had a room (304) that slept six, two double types when you first walked in and then you go through a doorway that will close, into a galley kitchen, with a fully loaded set of dishes, glasses, and a full size refrig with an ice maker. That was a BIG plus. Next you entered the living room area with a pull-out sofa that could have been more comfortable but also could have been much worse. This lead out to beach front Ocean City Beach, very nice. We unfortunately went during one, the holiday weekend and two an extraordinarily hot time of year. The ac was in the further room, we cranked it down, so the front room would get the air. For us sleeping on the pull out we were enjoying the cold air, up front, not so much. The showers were pretty good, hot water was available upon need, but it was so hot, cold showers were welcome also. The outdoor pool had a diving board and the kids absolutely enjoyed themselves, the only problem was the water was way to warm. Now the outdoor patio bar area - Coconuts was great. They had happy hour from 5 to 6, a very busy one hour, with 2 for 1's. The drinks were good and reasonable, especially for a beach front resort. We ordered a bunch of food as we were over 20 of us, and it was surprisingly very good. Make sure you check on it, they dont seem to have a systems where they can call you when its ready. No the less, it was very tasty! Overall, I would recommend this place. IF you get the chance have a waiter at coconuts by the name of Mike wait on you, he was awesome. He treated our family amazingly!!!
(3)Bonnie W.
This is not your cookie cutter Holiday Inn. Any hotel/motel in a castle theme with turrets is going to be different. We were looking for a Sunday night stay in OC the day before school started around here. Found a $99 deal online, read reviews and figured we could deal with it for a night. We drove down, between vicous rain showers that had flooded much of the eastern shore the night before. Arriving about 4, we were nicely greeted at the old fashioned office, received our 2 keys, the kind with real keys on them and a parking pass and card to get us into their parking lot in exchange for $10 cash deposit. Found a spot and wheeled out bags up to the North tower next to the very loud and swinging Coconuts bar/restaurant. Worried, we waited for the one elevator in the cinder block area. Up to the top 5th floor and into our very nice room overlooking a turret and the bay. We were so surprised the room was so nice, not very big, but reasonable with good A/C. Only complaint is the old small bathroom, but it was clean. And we couldn't hear the band. So we wandered down to Coconuts for a beer, listened to the band. I went to the nice beach, where you can apparently buy drinks from the hotel, tho I didn't see a waitress. As I read on the empty beach, the bar was overrun for the 2/1 5-6pm happy hour, several deep to the bar. What was really funny about the bar somewhat rowdy bar was there was barely a soul under the age of 50! All out partying like they were 20 something, some folks were quite interesting...we decided Coconuts must have opened when they were 20 something and they have just kept coming back. The band must have played only until 7 or so. We went out to dinner with friends and when we returned, about 10, the place was deserted. We left early the next morning and had breakfast in the basement restaurant because it was handy. For 9.95 plus tax, you get a breakfast buffet with eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, etc. Not great, just ok. Best was make your own waffles. Perky exchange waitresses took care of us. Checked out to return the keys and parking card - one beer and a soft drink at the bar made a complete wash of the $10. Drove away thinking we got a good room for a good price. And there is a fairly big laned pool by the parking lot surrounded by chain link fence that the kids loved the day before. The last week of August is quiet at the beach with nice weather.
(4)Jay E.
This place was gross! Our room smelled like cigarettes and mold, the ceiling had water stains, the bedding was shredded from overuse, and the refrigerator made a very loud high-pitched squealing noise that sounded like an alarm. Also, there is only one elevator for each building - it takes forever to pick you up. At $68 for the night, I expected more than what we got. The best part about this hotel was that we only stayed one night. Totally not worth the money. I would check out the Holiday Inn (there are a few of these on the island, but we stayed at the pink one and it was great). I would never stay here again.
(1)N C.
Normally I wouldn't pay this much for a hotel room of this quality--however--it's on the beach!! There's cocktail service on the beach!! (Though the B Team appeared to be on during the week). Great beach gear rentals. A fabulous staff! Everyone--maids, waitress, desk staff, and the umbrella rental girl--EVERYONE was helpful and top notch. Good location at 37th St. And really all I need in a beach hotel is a clean room and good a/c. This place had both. No musty smell in the room no sand ground into the carpet and we had a great view of sunset on the bay. Totally coming back!
(4)Srebrina M.
We found this one after running away from a terrible hotel in the area, they gave us a cottage for a very reasonable price, let us chill by the pool until it got cleaned, and let us in at 4 pm that day. Pool is AWESOME, the bar is nice as well, the cottage was great although there's water damage on the floor inside, and they are generally not maintaining it well enough. It was clean though and very quiet. We enjoyed our stay there a lot, and were few steps away from the beach. I recommend it!
(4)Shanna M.
Back in 2002 I lived in Ocean City Maryland for a summer. I worked at Higgins Crab House and had an awesome 3 months living at this beach. Unfortunately I have not been able to make it back to OC until this past weekend. With more that 7 years since my last visit I was both excited and apprehensive to visit... would it be everything I remembered it to be so very long ago? However my stay at the Castle and the Sand Hotel alleviated all my fears. This hotel was great! We waited until the last week in August and the rates had dropped significantly. The hotel was right on the beach and the Coconuts beach bar and grill that is attached to the hotel served the most delicious drinks, with an awesome 2 for 1 happy hour and live music . Our room was nice for the first 2 days, just your standard room with 2 double beds... but we decided to extend our stay and we upgraded to a suite. The room had a king size bed, a full kitchen and living room with a patio and a view of the beach. The room change ended up being cheaper then our original room because it was during the week instead of peak time during the weekend. The pool was very nice as well. 25 meters with a diving board! The location of this hotel was perfect as well. Being on 36th street you are right in the middle of everything. All in all this place was perfect!
(4)Matt M.
Stayed in a room over the weekend. Air conditioner broke and leaked water all over the floor. The room stunk and smelled like mildew. The hot and cold water in the shower was all out of wack too. I understand that shi* happens but I paid what over 200 a night for the room. To top things off I complained to management and never got a call or email back. Stay at the Hilton next door or find somewhere cheaper.
(2)A G.
The hotel is clean but, is outdated. So if you are looking for a more modern hotel..this is NOT the place. The rooms are big to accommodate four comfortably. Just based on the price and the outdated rooms, we will not be staying here in the future.
(3)Pete E.
The positives first, friendly people at the front desk. Unfortinately, the toilet did not work, the light in the bathroom did not work, and there were no blankets. I called the front desk, they sent up the maintensnce person and he coukd not install the flapper so the toilet would flush. We also was able to hear the tv all night from the next room both nights. The people are friendly, but for over $225 s night, we will look elsewhere. They also play a game on the internet, that say only one room left. When rented they add other rooms.
(2)Chris W.
Staying here AGAIN! I love it here. It's NOT the Hilton and it's NOT a dump. The pool is nice; the food is great; and beach access is awesome! Again, my only complaint is that the rear of my room facing the ocean doesn't have screen doors or windows. I would LOVE to hear the ocean at night. You cannot go wrong with this place if you are just looking for the basics and you want it clean. When I stayed here last, I forgot my expensive prescription sunglasses in the room. When I got home I called down there and mentioned that to them and the next day I got a phone call telling me that they found them and that they were going to ship them home to me! I got them back in less that 2 days and I was so happy. There service is top notch! Again, my only wish would be a screen door at the balcony door to hear the ocean at night.
(5)David L.
Really a great place. So much going for it. Unfortunately, their customer service in the bar area (Coconuts) is severely lacking. Once a mistake is made (these things happen) their ability to rectify the situation is sorely lacking. Bar manager could use a refresher course in customer relations. Completely incapable of solving minor discrepancies.
(1)Corinne H.
Staff is helpful and friendly room was clean Nice and we had a beach front view- i really like staying here close to everything and open during reach the beach- walking distance to convention center
(4)Lauren S.
If you're looking for a clean, quiet hotel this isn't for you. If you're looking for a great location on top of the best Oceanside bar in ocean city, you should stay here. Stayed Labor Day weekend in 2014, and got a great deal. It was so convenient that it was on top of a beach bar, and the hotel staff were all nice people. Wasn't the cleanest of places, but you get what you pay for.
(4)Justin S.
Great Hotel! Always stay here wherever I come to Ocean City! My mom comes every year here! The Staff was so friendly and answered any question I had for them especially Marissa! The room service lady Chevelle was so great and went above and beyond her duties to get me new towels, pillows and a hair dryer. She also made our beds also! Its a family owned properity that had 4 buildings and 4 cottages! Will always come back to this hotel! The only con was that the Wifi kept knocking me out sometimes so thats the only improvement needed!
(4)Sher Y.
Eh...floors are soaking wet.pool is big though! Edit: after calling in about there wet floor the front desk instantly switched out our rooms, the front desk person walked new keys our room!!! great service!
(4)Holly P.
we LOVED this place and will be returning. we had four young kids with us, the rooms were big enough, they were older but very well kept and super clean (and I'm picky about my clean!) the staff was friendly and helpful the beach access was great it's a short drive to the boardwalk which means your beach space is quieter it's not luxurious but it's still a great place. again, we'll be returning!
(5)Beth C.
For what I was expecting- this hotel was way better. Ocean City isn't known for glamorous resorts and hotels, most places are very worn and dated so don't come expecting anything *modern*. However, I was really pleasantly surprised by my stay here. I stayed for two nights in one of the guesthouses (not a hotel room, a separate building divided into 4). In our "section" we had a living room/dining room/kitchen complete with table, couch, coffee table, TV with cable and DVD player, oven and stovetop, microwave and refrigerator. We also had a bathroom with a shower and a bedroom with a (slightly small) double bed and vanity/dresser type thing. I was really impressed with how clean the room was, despite the decor being more suited to the 1970s, it was still kept in good condition. The shower wasn't bad either - just low flowing. The air conditioning worked perfectly, so the room was at a great temperature all day. I can't comment on any of the hotels amenities (pool, bar, breakfast etc) because we didn't use any of them, I wanted to check out the local restaurants so didn't bother eating at the hotel. Staff were extremely helpful and polite! My one con was that the wifi is only available in the main building and not in the cottages. The price was a little steep comparing to prices during beach week (early June) but reasonable for peak time in Ocean City (mid/late July). Parking was great, the lot was enclosed and only accessible with a gate card they give you upon check in. The beach was literally a 30 second walk from the hotel which was a bonus! The hotel bar also plays live music outside every night which is a plus if you're planning on hanging around the hotel for a little. The location on 37th street is also super convenient. Not too far from the boardwalk but not too close (away from a lot of the noise).
(5)Christopher O.
I stayed here on my 2nd trip down to Ocean City this year.I was here for the H20i event. pretty decent hotel.the room I stayed in was pretty huge twin beds,small cube refrigirator and even a flatscreen tv with a dvd player.parking was ok there secure parking lot. but honestly if you park in the lot dont leave the lot.saturday night I returned from seacrets to find no parking I went to the office and the security was cool enough to let me park in a 15 min loading zone spot or else I would have been impounded.but overall it was a good stay hereI might repeat.
(4)Colleen H.
loved this hotel!!! great location, near everything!! we had a first floor suite which you could walk right out to the beach, it was fantasic!! the room was huge and had a perfect layout and the beds were quite comfortable (2 queens and a pull out in the common area).
(5)K E.
We stayed here for the better part of a week. Our room was nice upon arrival. It appeared clean and fresh. It's no Hilton, as expected, but it fitted our needs nicely. We stayed at the Waverley Castle, Oceanfront btw. We loved the private balcony. We also loved the kitchen was stocked with mugs, plates, pans, etc (we didn't expect that). Although we requested DO NOT DISTURB during our stay, the housekeepers were nice to give us whatever we needed if we asked for it. I noticed when I booked our stay it said this building was newly renovated for 2014. Ehhh, not everything was renovated. The furniture was new, bedding seemed new, wallpaper, etc. But the ceiling tiles in the bathroom were obviously reused. In certain spots they were peeling and the some old school (70's-80's??) bathroom heater was still in place and not working. Those things didn't affect our stay, just pointing it out. The front desk was very nice to us. Can't complain there. We'll most likely book again for next year. A couple of notes...the cable sucks. Minimal channels and most are not in HD. We only watched TV in the early AM so that doesn't matter much. And the WIFI stinks. :(
(4)Rob S.
"Best doors in OC! The doors are like a dungeon. Sexy. Bring your handcuffs, your main chick, and your side bitches!!"
(5)Anne L.
For the price u pay for double room it's not worth it , there was hair in the bath and black scum around bath faucet , very small rooms . Breakfast buffet only ok only good thing is your close to beach
(2)Kris B.
Terrible customer service. The room was just Ok - nothing worth coming back for, but the management and customer service are awful. This place is not worth your money.
(1)Kiki S.
I stayed at Castle in the Sand Aug. 9-11, 2014. The hotel is pretty good for an Ocean City hotel. However, most of the staff was borderline rude and unhelpful. We arrived at the hotel at around 7pm to check-in. When we got to our room, our door would not open. After explaining to the guy at the front desk our issue (which he assumed that we did not know how to work a key), he said he would try to open the door. Of course when he tried, the key did not work. Long story short we ended up waiting outside our room with all of our bags on the floor and us sitting on the floor for about an hour while the maintenance guy had to remove the door knob and lock. Once we finally got in the room we had to wait another hour for him to cover the door and provide us with a top lock key because the door knob and lock did not work. As a result of our inconvenience, the manager basically brushed the events aside and gave us two free drinks at the bar downstairs which equated to 12 dollars and some change. On Monday, when it was time to check-out, we checked out 30 mins late and rest assure they called our room to rush us despite the fact that we waited about two hrs to even get checked in. In comparison, I stayed a hotel in New York (Hotel BPM) the following week and had booked a one bedroom suite, they had to downgrade me to a regular room due to a lack of availability (apparently they overbooked). As a result they offered me a free night stay. I probably would not have even noticed or cared about the downgrade nor was I terribly inconvenienced but I appreciated how they handled the situation. Especially in comparison to how Castle in the Sand handle the situation when we were actually very inconvenienced.
(2)Kelly C.
Stayed here the week after Labor Day and could not have been more pleased. This was my first time in Ocean City. The front desk staff was very friendly and the room was very clean. A balcony overlooked Coconuts Beach Bar and had an ocean view. I reported a problem with the TV to the front desk and it was fixed (TV replaced) within minutes. The beach was beautiful. Coconuts Beach Bar was really fun and the "crush" drinks with the freshly-squeezed fruit were delicious! The live music each day at Coconuts was consistently great. I would definitely go back to this place.
(5)Roxyandlewis A.
This place was just gross. I will let me my pictures speak for themselves. Do yourself a favor and don't stay there.
(1)Susan C.
We got married here last October and plan to spend every anniversary here! This was a quaint resort, very quiet and family style. We loved our stay here and can't wait to visit again.
(5)Lisa N.
This place is filthy! Paid $380 a night on the weekend for a room with 2 queen size beds.... For this amount of money I expected much more! This establishment needs updating and cleaning!!!!!! Never again!
(1)Ken M.
This is the second time I've stayed here when I've come down for the Maryland Association of Realtors Annual Conference. First, the pluses: 1. It's on the ocean 2. It's "midtown" which makes it convenient 3. It's reasonably priced 4. It has an onsite outdoor bar and indoor restaurant (both so-so but onsite) The downside: 1. Wi-fi is free but horribly slow. 2. I had a "suite" which was plenty roomy but was configured so the beds were in the front near the public walk and the sitting room and kitchen were in the back closest to the ocean. It would have been a lot nicer if it was the other way around. Sleeping with people walking by and the lighting streaming into the room was a little annoying. 3. Getting hot water to come out of the shower one morning took forever. Because of the price and location I give it three stars. If this were bay side or farther uptown it would get two stars. OK...but nothing to write home about.
(3)Angela R.
Castle in the sands hotel was a great place to stay at! It was in a good location that was close to everything around. We stayed in the Waverly building. The room was a nice size but was outdated. The pull out couch was very large and the beds were comfortable. The buffet breakfast was very good with a nice selection of different breakfast items. It was located right on the beach and had a great view from our balcony. We will be back if we visit ocean city again. Just don't visit halls, a restaurant nearby!
(5)David P.
I stayed at the Castles in the Sand Hotel from from 8/20 - 8/24. I went with my sister and some very good family friends of ours. Overall we had a great time. The location of Castles in the Sand is ideal. The hotel itself is comprised of three buildings and some cottages. The property is located right on the beach. My sister and I stayed in a room in the Castle North on the 4th floor. We were the second to last room on the floor and we had an ocean view. The view was amazing as you could see the entire beach. A couple of our friends had a room on the first floor and they did not have a view of the beach as the sand dunes were there. The difference between their room and our is that they had a patio outside of there room. The second floor rooms have balconies and then 3rd and 4th floor rooms do not have balconies. The windows on the 3rd and 4th floors also do not open. The elevator in the Castle North is outdated and run slower than a turtle going through peanut butter, but then again I only used it for when we checked in and checked out. They also have free wi-fi here which works practically everywhere except for on the beach. As for the room I stayed it I have to say that it was very clean and well maintained. It had a small fridge (think college sized), but it was decent enough for my sister and I. The room had two queen beds. The bathroom, even though it was clean, was small. The only downside to the bathroom was the awkward location of the toilet paper (located behind the toilet under the sink counter). All in all though I was happy with the room. The cleaning staff was also on point with cleaning the room daily and making sure the beds had fresh sheets and new towels were left in the bathroom. The hotel staff at check-in was also very welcoming and very friendly. They were very informative and get us checking in quickly right away. The hotel has a restaurant in the basement of the Castle North which serves breakfast everyday and then ice cream after breakfast until 9pm. I had breakfast there on the first day and I enjoyed it. It was a standard breakfast buffet, but they also supposedly have an a la carte menu for breakfast. I went with the all you can eat buffet option though (for $10.95 I don't think that's a bad deal). We also had a coupon that gave us $1 off per person and kids 4 and under eat fro free (we had a 4 year old and 5 month old in our group). Our waiter Nelson was very friendly. The hotel also has a restaurant onsite, Coconuts Bar & Grill. They offer waitress service, for food and drinks, on the beach and pool side. Although I didn't really eat much, my friends said the food they ordered was great. The one thing I tried was the wasabi crab cakes which were really good. The waitresses were also very friendly and provided good service. Our waitress on the beach was Tawny (sp.) and our waitress poolside was Edina (sp.). Coconuts also has a 2 for 1 happy hour every day from 5pm to 6pm and from my understanding it is the best happy hour in town. If you stay at the hotel you can go there 15 minutes earlier before the town rush comes. Happy Hour does get crowded, but it's a good crowd, nobody got out of hand. One bartender there (wish I got his name) remembered my name after the first happy hour and my drink of choice which made the following days at happy hour easier. Another added bonus of the Coconuts Bar & Grill is the fact they have live music every day from basically 12pm to 9pm daily. As a fan of music I really enjoyed the local cover bands that played there. I also ended up trying two signature drinks from Coconuts which were the Tipsy Turtle Rum Punch and the Coconuts Crush which is a rum based drink. They have various flavors for the Crush drinks, but I tried the Orange Crush and the Pineapple rush, both of which were good. They also offer 32oz. buckets of the crush drinks (definitely well worth it). The pool area was also very well maintained and was very big. The sun equally shines on the pool all day as it does on the beach. They also have a cabana by the pool in case if you need to go to the bathroom so you don't have to go back to your room. The pool also features a diving board which is really cool. There is a lifeguard on duty at al times (as there are on the beach as well). There was one life guard though who saw us trying to blow up an inflatable alligator floaty for my friends 4 year old. Only after we finished blowing that up and put it in the water did he come up to us and tell us we couldn't use it because it was too big (he could have told us when he saw us starting to blow it up). All in all though I really enjoyed my stay at Castles in the Sand and my friends and I are already planning a trip to go back next year. I would definitely recommend staying here as I said because of the location and convenience of everything.
(4)Michael W.
Updates are sorely needed. The good: - Friendly front desk staff - Proximity to Coconuts (live music) and the beach The bad: - Finding a place to put your car while checking in was a nightmare - Had to wait until after 3pm for check-in and never received the promised text message indicating that our room was ready - The room (314) furnishings and decor felt dirty and incredibly dated - The toilet would not flush upon arrival(front desk staff had maintenance correct this while we were at dinner) - Shower head was disgusting.. Possibly black mold? - Flat screen televisions were tiny.. Maybe 19-22" and placed 10-12ft from closest seating - Wifi password nowhere to be found in room - Not worth the $279/per night charge for a weekday Overall: My wife and I will not be back until serious renovations and updates are made. They need to reinvest the money from high room rates and improve the customer experience. Until then, the only reason to venture to this property is to enjoy decent drinks and music from Coconuts Bar and Grill. I hope they see my review and make efforts to create a better stay for patrons.
(2)Robert K.
Hot a good deal and saw good reviews. Boy was I disappointed. Very old and in need of updates. Furniture and beds were very uncomfortable. Furniture and carpet very dirty looking. Bathroom was also nasty and in disrepair. Hot water was warm at best and very hard to control. Also we were here in early June so lots of kids. They were partying and screaming keeping us awake all night. Poor security. Ended up leaving 2 days early. I gave 2 stars cause the pool was very nice along with the live music. Would never stay there again even with a good price.
(2)Cheri B.
When I shell out $460 for two rooms off season, I expect an experience commensurate with that price. However, when we checked in we couldn't even park at the hotel. They do have overflow parking down the street from which we shlepped our luggage, etc. The refrigerator in the room was powered by a heavy-duty orange extension cord running through the room to the nearest outlet and the floor carpeting turned the bottoms of my husband's white socks filthy. Otherwise, the room was fine -- comfortable bed and adequate (though small) bathroom. Sanitary liners for the ice bucket would have been nice, as would a dirty laundry bag (both of which are standardly available in less expensive hotel chains). The musty smelling elevator and skunky smelling hallway were livable but the whole building seemed poorly maintained. No tray in the ice machine meant holding onto the filling ice bucket with one hand while holding down the fill button with the other. Broken up/down buttons in the elevator and a filthy-looking elevator floor left one wondering what the state of the things we couldn't see was! I will say that the staff was very, very helpful and accommodating. The $10.95 breakfast buffet was adequate, but nothing special. The free breakfast at nice chain hotels is just as adequate, and they don't charge an extra $2.50 for a cup of tea or coffee to go with it! All in all, it wasn't horrible but we have absolutely no desire to ever stay there again. Had we known that we wouldn't get to be with the family members we were meeting until Sunday, and that the Hilton was within walking distance, we would have stayed at the Hilton.
(2)Cassandra P.
This is a really great place to stay!! For the price, its a FANTASTIC location and is clean. The rooms are large and have all the amenities you would need!! The staff are very pleasant and respectful. We paid $15 more for the ocean view and boy was it worth it. The beach is literally RIGHT there, no need to drive! Also, mini golf and shopping is in walking distance (also a plus). There's a bar within the confines of the hotel that is out of this world! There's also volleyball courts and a pool. This place reminds me of the Caribbean a bit. This is now our every year spot. I gave it 4 stars and not 5 bc there was a college here and the staff were not helpful in quieting them. Otherwise, my husband and I totally enjoyed ourselves!!
(4)