OverviewLocated on the beach along Highway 65, the Avista Resort is geared towards travellers who prefer beachfront condo-style accommodations with on-site dining, extended kitchen amenities and easy highway access.
Each of the hotel's one-, two- and three-bedroom condos offers air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, cable TV, an in-room safe, a coffeemaker, a full kitchen, a dining area, a living room with a sofabed or pulldown bed, an iron and ironing board and hair dryer. Units with a jetted tub and a washer and dryer are also available and the hotel is wheelchair accessible.
Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, a seasonal pool bar, two hot tubs, a lazy river, a fitness centre, meeting/banquet facilities, free parking and on-site dining at Just Off Main, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Pets are not permitted.
Surfwood Shopping Center is about a 2-minute drive from the hotel, while Surf Golf and Beach Club is 3 minutes away by car. Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade and Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) are both roughly a 30-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, no pets, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: January 2, 2014)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's staff, rooms and location.
Many reviewers praised the hotel's staff, characterizing them as friendly, accommodating and helpful with recommendations. One patron remarked, "I smiled my entire visit due to the personalized and friendly service from all employees. I had such a great experience with the servers in the restaurant which I visited for the breakfast buffet. I even exchanged hugs after every visit".
The hotel's accommodations were enjoyed by many lodgers. They described their rooms as clean, spacious, quiet, nicely furnished and well equipped, with great ocean views and comfortable beds. A few travellers had complaints about their lodgings, however (see below).
Several travellers were pleased with the hotel's location. They found it to be relaxing and close to the beach, shopping, restaurants and highway access.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about the parking and the rooms.
Some guests criticized the hotel's parking, which is located across the street. They described it as cramped, with small spaces, and found it inconvenient to have to walk across the street.
Although the majority of reviewers were pleased with their clean and well-equipped accommodations, a few lodgers had complaints. They reported dated decor, musty odours, low water pressure, uncomfortable beds and no washers and dryers in some rooms.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #3 of 53 Myrtle Beach hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 1,275 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.3 out of 5 with a 92% recommendation rate from 310 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.4 out of 10 from 57 reviews.
The author called the hotel on January 2, 2014 to verify some information.
