Ocean Sands Beach Boutique Inn - 1 Acre Private Beach♡

Hidden fees and decline of property maintenance and cleanliness.

4.0

Watch out for hidden fees. Their website clearly states " free parking" and they charged us 22.00 per day. I demanded a refund and once I provided a picture of their own website, I finally received a refund for the parking charge. Also upon checking in, I was told my credit card was declined. When I booked online, I chose the option to " pay at property ". When I called my bank, I was told a temporary hold was put on my card because Ocean Sands made several attempts to "manually charge" my card earlier that day. Thankfully, the bank suspected something suspicious and put a hold on my card. We returned to this property because we enjoyed our stay here last year. Unfortunately, we were extremely disappointed this time. The property appears to be run down. The carpet in our room was so dirty with several stains. The heated pool was not heated. Guest laundry was completely out of service. We paid for the upgraded ocean view only to discover major road construction going on. We mentioned that to the front desk and he lied to us saying they just started the construction 2 days ago. Turns out this construction has been and will continue to be long term. They certainly can not control this situation but I would hope that they would reduce the cost by a fraction. New this year is a virtual front dest staff member. It is uncomfortable knowing that he sits there and listens to all conversations. A couple of times he just started talking to us, interrupting a conversation he had no need to be a part of. We will not be returning and we will no longer recommend this property to anyone else.

Horrible view

2.0

The room was dirty. I paid for an ocean view but there was construction happening the whole time I was there. The view was terrible. The walls are very thin and I could hear everything my neighbors were saying. The couple next to me ended up leaving early because of their experience. I will say the beach access is nice. It was very peaceful and quiet besides when the construction was going on behind me.

Very disappointing experience. I travel every 3 weeks and I do not recommend this hotel.

4.0

Road construction in front of hotel. We purchased a second floor ocean view room at a premium price, no note from hotel that this was happening during our stay. Also, when I received the invoice at checkout $20.00 per day parking. This hotel is not really located near anything so how else would you get to the hotel. The parking fee I thought was for truck RV and boat towing vehicles. They do not ask you to acknowledge the parking fee. Unfortunately the rooms are over advertised. All the goodies mentioned in the ad like robes and chocolates there's a fee for. The 50 item breakfast is not even close. There's 30 rooms and they're seating at breakfast for probably 15 people. A little too much I would never stay at this hotel I don't recommend it. Spend a few dollars more somewhere else and enjoy yourself better.

Nothing more you need at this place!

10.0

Perfect Place to be at the Ocean, clean rooms, newly renovated. Nice breakfast and coffee the whole day! Just wondeful.

More bad than good - read ads and look at pictures before booking!

4.0

Truly a mixed bag. Call to check the status of construction on A1A before booking. We arrived to find a beautiful view....of heavy moving equipment. While this is not something in control of hotel management, I have stayed in other places where guests are notified of ongoing construction. There is no elevator to the second floor. While it's not a problem for some people, I'm sure it is for others. Private beach is on the other side of A1A. Had we realized this, we would have booked elsewhere. Our fault for not looking more carefully at the pictures. Welcomed by a remote worker on a kiosk. For the rates they charge, a human being or two might be nice. We were in line behind 2 other parties for quite a while. Security - We had 2 keys to our room. One was not working. We were able to go down and talk to the man in the kiosk and get 2 new keys with no verification of name or identity. Room was fine but rates are ridiculous for what you're getting. If you book with Trip Advisor or you leave a 5 star review, you get free parking. I have stayed in another small hotel in Vilano Beach for a fraction of the rate with the beach at the door. I'll not be returning to Ocean Sands.

Relaxing Getaway

10.0

Very Comfortable Oceanfront Stay at Ocean Sands Resort We really enjoyed our stay at Ocean Sands Resort in Vilano Beach. This is a small, intimate oceanfront property with a relaxed, beachy feel—perfect for a peaceful getaway by the water. The complimentary breakfast was a wonderful surprise and a definite highlight. The buffet included waffles, biscuits with sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and fantastic breakfast potatoes. It was a delicious and convenient way to start each morning. Our oceanfront room was clean, well maintained, and very comfortable, featuring a modern luxury shower. The water pressure and hot water did not disappoint, which made the shower experience even better. The bed was truly the star of the stay—extremely soft and comfortable. We’ve stayed here twice before under previous management, and the bedding is still just as amazing. It was honestly hard to get out of bed each day. The beds are a bit high, but once you’re in, you won’t want to leave. Check-in is handled via a kiosk with remote assistance. While everything worked smoothly, I personally prefer in-person interaction at a front desk, as it makes a stay feel more welcoming and personable. That said, the process itself was efficient. Ocean Sands is just a short drive from historic St Augustine and the GTM Reserves Beach parks where at Middle Beach, you can find all kinds of shells. There is a $20.00 per day parking fee which makes it feel like " nickled and dimed ", and there is currently road construction directly in front of the resort, with construction equipment parked right in front of the oceanview. While this affected the view, it did not take away from the overall comfort of the stay. I also asked for a late check out and was told it would be 59.95 for the extra 2 hours. Would we stay here again? Yes—purely because of how comfortable the bed is. I’ll just have to accept interacting with a computer screen instead of a front desk agent and swallow the parking fee.