I decided last minute to come over to the beach from Orlando with my husband and 2 children last minute for a weekend getaway and got a good deal from Hotwire.com. $115.00 a night with tax. On the way we stopped at Publix for some groceries as the rooms do have a small refridgerator and microwave which is great when traveling with kids for eating breakfast and snacks, even got cold cuts & PBJ & fruit for lunches! Parking was a breeze, the free valet for a tip was great, the valet guys are very friendly, informative, got our car unloaded for us, took bags to room, got our first bucket of ice, told us of the events for the weekend and was just great!! A tip well earned! Checkin was good, we got our sleep kit which Crowne Plazas feature now. (Always wanting the little perks!) We had a poolside room which was good for being close to the pool but no balcony which was a catch 22 considering we were at the beacha nd have a pool at home . The room was average size, colors bit too dark for a beach resort, made room feel small and closed in a bit but clean and modern. We were given a schedule at check in of the activites thru the resort for the week which was nice. Now this hotel isn't big but ALOT is packed into a compact resort. Our room was between the kids activity center and the small spa on the first floor. The pool is small but efficient and heated and a small hotub which was ALWAYS over crowded. The kids activity center was nice and they did have daily scheduled activities for the kids so parents could have some alone time and they also had poolside movies nightly we enjoyed! My only complaint to that was they have the ballrooms just off the pool area and several events going on all weekend, so you could hear the loud music and djs from each room competing and the disco ball from the weddings glaring off the movie screen by the pool. Hard to concentrate and hear the movie. The ideas and events for the guests are great but if you are staying during a busy weekend with lots of weddings or events, you will know its all going on right there, too cramped for so much in a small space. The next day there was a wedding in the gazebo courtyard which sounds nice... but the whole wedding party who was stressed, fighting and the wedding planner from the hotel running around was just chaos as it was parading thru the beach side restaurant and tiki bar. Even thru the whole inside restaurant which is not where the wedding reception was taking place. Just where the wedding planner has the wedding party gather so there was no room for patrons to sit or walk thru. The wedding reception to this wedding was parading in thru the restaurant so you had wedding guests standing around on the beachfront reception as you ate and if I was the marring couple, I would hate to spend so much money on a wedding to have my seated wedding dinner being watched by the whole restaurant and tiki bar of uninvited guests when they could very easily put up bamboo screens or other divider. There was just so much coming and going on in such a tight space. Its a decent nice little resort with great amenities and ideas but to be doing so much there needs to be more room, bigger property or a better lay out or scheduling. The wedding parading chaos thru the restaurant was just uncomfortable for everyone! And everyone enjoys a wedding... but as a guest we felt like we were intruding in the middle of their wedding on our own little vacation! Just a weird feeling! Lots of non-hotel guests drunk from all the events which got annoying til early morning hours several of the night we stayed. The beach front itself is very nice, we enjoyed evening beach walks but the east coast surf is harsh for little kids to swim, I recommend the west coast beaches for little kids. My kids opted for the pool as the waves do crach hard at that area because of the rocks in the water. The spa was small but did offer massages, manicures, pedicures, facials and other services. I would stay here again if I had a beachfront balcony room and find out in advance if there was an over booking of events. My understanding is the weekdays are much quieter. Bring with you anything you will need as the store at the hotel is a joke... small closet with chapstick, tylenol and overpriced water and peanuts and that's about it!

Best thing about the place is the staff. They are all very friendly and attentive. Were I hosting a business meeting or party I would recommend it. The lobby is lush. But the rooms are tiny. Clean, trying to be plush (and missing) but tiny. You can tell its a refit. The TV/Menu is pretty slow and awful. Microwave is teeny. Fridge is okay. When we were there the outside lights were low to protect the nesting sea turtles. It did not help the ambiance. All the rooms in the southern wing are accessed from out-of-doors. With ONLY the light from little party chain-lights along the railing, it felt like I was walking in the under-lit section of town my mother warned me to avoid. But save the sea-turtles and all that so I could live with it - creepy as it is. The Beach. What shocked me was the HUGE rocks in the water. I grew up in Florida and fished and swam every kind of shore. The rocks are massive and sharp and in such a location that you will NOT be able to climb or swim past them without slicing yourself to ribbons in the wave action. I was surprised at the warning sign and amazed at the lack of swimmers - which is to say NONE - until I waded out to check the situation. I found a break a couple of hundred yards South of the hotel. I'm not sure how far it extended. The entire time we were there, familiies with children kept their kids in the pool. Only one other couple was brave enough to join us in the ocean. So you have access to the beach, but you will have a crappy experience if you actually expect to enjoy swimming in the ocean. There were lots of business groups there. One was a huge pack of nursing students who were taking their nursing examine that week. I sensed the place REALLY catered to the business meeting types. Nothing was free. They nickel and dimed all the way. I was irritated that my phone did not say I would be charged 75 cents for local calls. There was a $3.00 "service charge" for room service on top of the fairly standard 18% they added. Overall, the staff was outstanding, but the beach was awful and general feel of the place was very second-class for the prices. Oh one more thing. CAREFUL booking through the internet. We left 4 days before our scheduled departure and went to Orlando - where we knew we would have fun. While my booking required a 24 hour cancellation notice (I called them after the first day and let them know we'd be leaving early) - at that time I was informed that had I prepaid for the entire stay via an online booking service (whatever that means) I would have had to pay them for the entire scheduled stay - regardless of whether I stayed the entire time or not. So. Watch out. We are beach people that like to walk from the beach to our hotel and back all day. I nice shaded place to catch a few drinks in between rocks. This place does not cut it. We will not be returning.

I got stuck at this hotel for business, making me the odd man out since 99% of the clientele is vactioners. As a business hotel this is decent enough - relatively clean, decent rooms, very nice staff, sort of like plopping a typical Hampton Inn by the beach. One entire side of the hotel sits above noisy roof AC units, so be advised to avoid this. In terms of a resort destination, however, I would say that this leaves very much to be desired for those with a modicum of sophistication. It seems to be a lot of young families, couples or singles in the 20s-40s range whose idea of a vacation is to bake on the little beach outside the hotel and hang out on the deck and listen to the band. There are no real ammenities within walking distance, the area is generally devoid of culture, and Melbourne is a hole in general.

We had seen some questionable reviews of this property and was wondering what we would find. From first arrival, complementary valet parking and help with our bags, to the smiling and helpful staff at the concierge desk and front desk at check in. To an unexpected free room upgrade to a full kitchen family suite with ocean view, this resort hotel has got it together. I couldn’t believe the value. All the hotel staff was genuinely nice and helpful with real smiles, they must love their jobs. All the other guest there seemed to be having a great time as well. Top notch resort hotel on a wonderful stretch of ocean front beach. I’m already plan next years vacation, and this hotel is on the top of my list. I’m not sure what the people experienced that had the negative reviews, but I seen none of it. There is some construction going on, but it appears to be the final touches of a beautiful renovation. Don’t hesitate to go there, I got my room on Hotwire for a bargain.

My husband and I spent 2 nights at this hotel over the Memorial Day weekend. Our room was very nice and clean and appeared recently renovated. We had a partial ocean view room on the 8th floor overlooking the pool area. We watched the sunrise both mornings and were greeted each time out on the deck by a server offering us a caraffe of Barnie's coffee. The breakfast buffet was good but not great. I went for a facial at the Ocean Reef Spa. The treatment was great but the facility left a lot to be desired. It was 2 hotel rooms joined together that fronted the pool area. Given that this is a family hotel, the noise level from the pool was too much for a spa-like environment. Skip the spa.