Flamingo Motel

Our family has stayed at the Flamingo over 20 times in the last 30 years. AWESOME location, and it was our 'OC home'! However, our recent visit in June '26 left us frustrated. The new ownership/management is definitely lacking. As not to be nothing but negative, I must point out a few improvements. The Adirondack chairs on the balconies are comfy and quality. The change to salt water in the outdoor pool is great, and the pool area was tidy overall (the pots of dead plants could have been disposed of, but not a big deal). The staff was polite but there were misunderstandings when we needed assistance. As for the issues, I have contacted The Flamingo two times via their contact link on their website since our visit 8 days ago to discuss and resolve them. No one has cared to respond. I was not going to post publicly - it's not my goal to hurt businesses. But, it's only fair I 'warn' others since the management is not doing their job.

Think 'unsanitary'. The carpet was beyond disgusting. We wore shoes most of the time. However, when changing/showering, our bare feet were on the carpet. I should have been more vigilant, as I've been soaking my feet in vinegar and Epsom salt since we're home - not sure what I got, but it's not good. The sink trap had thick slimy crud on the bottom; there was filth and garbage behind the dresser; the microwave was not clean; the fridge was broken, leaving us with one less door shelf in an already tiny fridge; the receptacles are loose and our plugs fell out; the bedding was damp; the outdoor bike rack is a heap of metal with a street sign lying on top - a dangerous pile of metal and ashame there's no where to secure bikes. No hand towels, no tissues, no bath mat. There was no ice bucket. When we asked, they immediately brought one for us. However, it was dirty inside, and no bag to line it. The next day I asked the maid for a clean one. She sorted through the 5 on her cart, pulling assorted items out of each one (as they were apparently being used for storage) and handing one to me. I asked her for a clean bag to line it. She did not understand what I needed. I gave up, took it in our room, only to discover it was no cleaner than the other one. I asked her for two hand towels. She gave me five washcloths. I asked for a bath mat, she gave me one that was very old, torn and worn, however, it was clean. I also told her that we would not need any service for the remainder of our stay (this was on Saturday morning, checking out on Monday). To reinforce this, I placed the do not disturb sign on the door. Needless to say, on Sunday after returning from the beach, they had been in our room, took and replaced towels. Does 'Do not disturb' mean anything?? We could have been showering, changing, sleeping or worse! Unreal!! No privacy? That was the clincher. Oh, and I wish I could post pictures. I have this all documented. Our family is very laid back - we are farm/country people. We're used to things not being perfect, and deal with dirt daily. But sanitation and privacy are are not to be compromised.

So sad that our years of The Flamingo have come to a close. I'm going to look into condo rentals. For the ridiculous price I paid for 3 nights, another $500 would get me a week in a condo.

Management - take this post seriously. I'm not alone. The parking lot was EMPTY over the Air Show weekend. We always had to look for a parking space on our visits, and to see 'No Vacancy' was common. Obviously it's not just the post covid economy affecting your business.

Run down and dirty hotel. The manager Susan is the worst manager I’ve ever dealt with in my life. Very rude! The hotel charged me twice for the full price and she would not give my wife and I a refund. Told us to tell the bank. We showed her our bank account showing two charges but then she said “ we are done here” and made us leave the office. While we were there, 9 people came in to complain with several issues… no hot water, no tv, water leaking from the ceiling above, wires hanging, no covers on the outlets. One person said their whole room was under construction and they had to check out because it wasn’t safe. DO NOT STAY HERE, YOU’LL REGRET IT and also THEY'LL CHARGE YOUR ACCOUNT DOUBLE!!!

I recently booked a room at your hotel for the Maryland Fire Convention. Before my stay, I discovered over 20 recent reviews detailing severe bed bug infestations, including guests whose children were bitten and visitors who brought live bugs into your office as proof.

When I raised my safety concerns and asked to cancel, your staff refused to provide a refund, showing a complete lack of care for their guests or first responders. I will not put my family in that situation.