Booking

We used two rapidly-expiring FNCs to book a 2Q “standard view” room. These rooms face the parking lot.

We have stayed here many times in the last 15 years, but not since 2021. We’ve had everything from 1-night getaways to 100+ person events here.

Pre-Arrival

We were automatically upgraded from a 2Q standard room to a 2Q beach view room. Hilton’s “automatic” algorithm for Diamond upgrades at T-72 hours has been spotty, but this was an unexpected surprise.

We called a couple of days before to inquire about cabana rental ($200 per day), parking (self parking $15/day, first come, first serve), and beach chairs ($55/day for 2 chairs and an umbrella).

Arrival

We were lucky to find a Diamond spot open within a few steps of the front door. Parking here is extremely limited. There are several spots with charging stations.

The front desk agent could not have been more pleasant. Easily one of the nicest FDAs I’ve ever encountered. We asked about a further upgrade for more space to spread out, knowing that every room type was still bookable/available online.

The FDA quickly moved us up to a 2 bedroom suite. This is probably our highest-value upgrade in 10+ years with Hilton. From a 2Q standard room (~$330/night) to the largest suite (~$900/night) was like hitting the Hilton lottery.

This property does not use keycards. They give everyone elastic wristbands with a small RFID tag. Photo below. I really liked this new program. When you're at the pool or beach, there's no worry about dropping your card. They also serve as a quick visual for employees to determine who is/isn't eligible for access.

Room

The room was excellent. One bedroom had two bunk beds, a large TV, and a closet. This bedroom had its own full bath, as well. The kitchen area included a full size refrigerator, stove, garbage disposal, washer/dryer, and dishwasher. The dining area had a table for 6. The master bedroom had a king bed, closet, bathroom with shower stall and jetted tub, and his/her vanities. The balcony wrapped around the room allowing 180-degree views up and down the beach.

Mechanical/Housekeeping Issues

Housekeeping is every other day. But, the room was stocked with ample linens and towels.

Upon arrival to the room, it was obvious the air conditioner was broken. It was set to 76 degrees and the display was showing 80. We called downstairs and someone was sent up. The engineer said it was a “known issue” due to recent power surges.

There were two remotes for the three TVs.

The coffee maker had a scoop of old wet grounds in an old filter.

The shower head leaked at the threads such that it sprayed water out over the door. We placed a washcloth on top to block the spray.

The hot handle on the jetted tub was broken. It would spin 360 degrees, so there was no control of the flow of the hot water.

The toilet seat would not stay up. It would slam down loudly when fully raised.

We’d booked a second room for family. Upon arrival, they found a large dehumidifier/blower in their room. They went back down to the front desk and were told it would be removed shortly. They returned 3 hours later and the humidifier was still there. They returned to the front desk and were told by another agent that the room had flooded recently. They were promptly moved to another room.

All of the outdoor drinking fountains were either broken or turned off. Not sure if this leftover from the pandemic, or just poor maintenance.

Amenities

At check-in, we asked about booking a cabana and were told that it can “only be done by the GM” and the GM was gone for the day. The FDA confirmed availability, but we were told to return the next morning.

We returned around 10AM the following morning to book a cabana. The FDA on duty said “I can’t do that. Come back in an hour or so when our GM is here.”

I returned about 90 minutes later. A third FDA agent said “Cabanas can only be booked by our GM who just stepped away.” I asked that the GM be called, as this was my 3rd attempt to reserve a cabana.

A supervisor appeared and said “are you the one that wants a cabana?” I confirmed, saying that this is the 3rd time I’ve taken time out of my vacation to come find someone to book a cabana.” The supervisor said “you know they’re $500, right?”. I said “I called earlier this week and was told $200.” The supervisor replied “No, we’re busy. Tomorrow, the cabanas are $500.” I said I would not pay $500 and I recommended the retrain their phone staff on the dynamic pricing.

By then, a manager overheard our conversation. He apologized for the poor communication and told the supervisor to reserve the cabana at the $200 price.” The supervisor appeared offended that she was overruled.

We ended up enjoying the cabana. The attendant was on top of her game, visiting about once every 20 minutes. Unfortunately, we found trash from a previous day under the couch and the TV was broken such that the right half of the screen was unusable.

Food

We experienced in-room breakfast, and breakfast at the main restaurant. Prices were on the upper end of fair. I’ve definitely seen more outrageous pricing elsewhere.

The $15/day F&B credit was applied correctly, despite not going very far!

The hot buffet is $24 for adults and $15 for kids. The cold buffet is $18 for adults and $13 for kids.

Poolside dining shown in the photos.

Pool

The pool was exceptionally busy. The hotel sells pool access to non-guests during the high season which drives additional traffic. There wasn’t an early-morning battle for poolside chairs that I’ve experienced at other properties.

There is little-to-no management of the pool in terms of conduct or housekeeping. Kids were doing cannonballs, throwing toys, etc. But, it’s a family/party atmosphere.

Overall

I’ve been hugely critical of Hilton’s stingy-ness with upgrades. Short of points earning, there’s no other tangible benefits anymore. Lounges are closed, the F&B credit is widely panned, etc. With that said, the colossal upgrade we received vastly outweighs the poor experience booking the cabana and all of the housekeeping/mechanical issues. Hotels like these (beachfront, busy, hot environs) are subject to wear and tear faster than typical locations. The on-site engineering/maintenance teams need to up their game before more serious issues arise.


The property sells access to non-guests for major events.


Lots of availability at T-24.

Suite kitchen

Master bath

East-facing half of the balcony

In-room dining

No keycards here! I like the wristbands.

West-facing view at night.

"Premium" wifi for Diamond members.