A couple of months ago, I had the irresistible urge to get to the ocean. This seems to happen every year in the winter. I must get to a place where I can see the sun rise over the horizon, hear the waves and feel the sand. It doesn’t matter if the ocean temperature is freezing and the wind is cutting.
A friend of mine had just returned from Myrtle Beach, SC, and having never been before, I thought that sounded like a place for us to try. Last year, we ventured to Jekyll Island in order to visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. While I really enjoyed it, Jekyll was way too isolated for us. We had no kitchen in the hotel, the hotel *gasp* didn’t have wi-fi, and no vegetarian friendly restaurants were open. I was reduced to making instant mac and cheese in the coffee machine. Really.
So, when my friend describe the Embassy Suites in Myrtle Beach, I was excited to try something new. We had a blast. So much so that we returned for three nights this week.
Our foray to Myrtle Beach proper in February did not leave me with lots of love for the “strip;” I saw too many low riding pickups for my taste. But the Embassy Suites is separated from the strip, in the “Kingston Plantation.” Moreover, one of the amenities that had us wanting to head back to that particular hotel complex was the “waterpark” that was not open in February.
The two downsides of the hotel for me are that the wi-fi was not very strong in our room and the indoor pool is on the other side of the complex, necessitating a car or bus ride or a long walk.
Other than that, we were so thrilled with the hotel itself and the staff too. Where do I start?
I love the “east facing” oceanfront room (each floor has two oceanfront rooms — all rooms are ocean view). On my reservation I requested the “east” room and they had that noted and complied with my request. The suites are fabulous for a family — an oceanview living room with sleeper couch and dining room with fridge/micro/sink separated from the oceanfront bedroom by a door, with a wraparound deck connecting the two as well. The kids could watch Disney in one room while I read in another.
The complimentary breakfast buffet is nothing fancy, but really the same as what we had at the Doubletree in Philly, except for less attention to presentation details. There is a hot bar with scrambled eggs, meat products, pancakes alternated with French toast, potatoes, etc. Juice, coffee, cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, toast, mufffins, etc. They will also make omelets and waffles to order, but that was too slow to make it worth it.
The Manager’s Happy Hour was also fun, even, or especially, with kids. The bartenders know how to make nice drinks for kids (the girls loved the suggested Blue Smurfs), snacks are kid friendly. Moreover, the karaoke lady was happy to let the girls pick out a song and sing.
Room service brought us fabulous grilled cheese sandwiches and fries — pizza and other things for kids are available on the menu as well.
BUT, the main reason we returned to the hotel was the waterpark, SPLASH! It wasn’t open in February (too cold, obviously), but it was scheduled to be open certain days in May. Trued to the website promise, it was. The waterpark has a big pool with a huge play structure with two long water slides and other fun water fun. There is also a “Lazy River” which is a heated loop that you can float around in a circle.
The girls LOVED it! As the kids go in, they are given a color-coded bracelet. Orange for kids three and under (adult at all times). A yellow for kids that are under 40in tall at the shoulder. They can swim in the pool without an adult in the pool, but need an adult in the Lazy River. A blue band is for kids over 40″ at the shoulder. These kids can be without an adult, though supervision is recommended. There are lifeguards at the waterpark pool. Towels are available for guests.
The pool area, which also leads to the beach, also includes a snack bar, drinks bar, activities for kids and multiple pools and hot tubs. The beach has lifeguards and ocean conditions are flagged. Chairs are available to rent; we brought our own. Shell collecting is pretty good; shark teeth are plentiful. There was very little seaweed and no jellyfish.
As we were there during the week in May, the pool and beach were not crowded at all, but I expect that during prime season, they might be fairly crowded.
We did not leave the hotel/pool the whole time, except for a quick trip on our first night to the Kroger that is about a mile away to pick up food for lunch, dinner and snacks.
Overall, I highly recommend this hotel as a great place for a beach escape with kids.
