Crystal Beach Oceanfront Hotel

Like others have said, the only good thing about the place was the proximity to the boardwalk and having decent parking. I booked a Jacuzzi King suite for the two of us for our first vacation in years thinking it'd be nice and worthwhile to spend the extra money. Upon entering the room (401) there were no lights when I turned on the switch. Finally after a few seconds they blinked half a dozen times before staying on. Closing the door the security lock hits the wall and the deadbolt doesn't always work. The peeling drywall tape and chunks of missing drywall are hard to miss in bright yellow. I turn on the bathroom lights and after about 5 seconds of blinking the lights come on to see black mold/mildew spots around the shower. The fan sounds like a single engine Cessna has crashed through the ceiling! Apparently the mangled drop ceiling and the loose fan aren't cooperating with each other. Aside from the bathroom the place was pretty clean. Until the next night when we decided to try out the "Jacuzzi" tub. The slime and hair coming out of the pump was definitely a mood killer. (The water spout flopping around didn't help) We decided to stay an additional night elsewhere. A little time and a few bucks could make this a decent place to stay.

The only pro to this hotel is the location. Oceanfront property steps from the beach, Plenty of parking which is included.

However, the rooms are terribly dated and in need of repair/deep cleaning. For the price I had a few simple expectations... like a functioning door handle on the balcony door and lights that remain on without constant flickering.

Cleanliness was lacking. The hallways stink! Musty odors are very strong. Between the odors and the dated yellow walls, It feels like we are walking through the halls of the movie "The Shining". I wouldn't be surprised to see the ghost twins at the end of the hall.

Our room was dated and dirty. The furniture is newer, beds were comfortable and appeared clean. The carpet however was disgusting. Multiple embedded mystery stains all over the floor. The curtains were black out only, so your only option is open with full view of your room or closed with zero light, no sheer curtain in between. The curtain was also full of multiple dark colored stains. The handle to the balcony door was destroyed. We had to pry it open every time we went outside. There was no handle to grab making it very difficult to open and close. Unfortunately we will not be coming back to this hotel despite the great location. 😕

Don't listen to the negative reviews. My wife and I almost didn't book because of them and we would have missed out on a great beachfront vacation. The rooms were very clean, customer service was excellent, balcony with ocean view 👌, just walk across the boardwalk and you're on the beach!, and the perfect boardwalk location for a family, the cherry on top is the bar/restaurant, Barracuda's, on the second floor with elevated pool deck. The food at Barracuda's was the best of anywhere we ate while we were here and it is family owned with attentive and kind servers. Atmosphere at Barracuda's is the perfect beach vibe after a long day at the beach. Just book it! My family will be staying here next year for sure!