OverviewLocated on the beach in Myrtle Beach's Arcadian Shores area and a 5-minute drive off Highway #17, the Sands Beach Club Resort is popular with travellers who prefer an all-suite beachfront hotel with extended kitchen amenities and easy highway access.
This hotel has 99 air-conditioned one- or two-bedroom suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a kitchen, a balcony, a living room with a sofabed, a dining area, two full bathrooms and a hair dryer. Pets are not permitted and the hotel is not wheelchair accessible. One-bedroom suites have a side view of the ocean, while two-bedroom suites have a full and direct view of the ocean.
Hotel amenities include indoor and outdoor pools, a hot tub, barbecue facilities, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, guest laundry, meeting space and free parking. Organized activities for kids are available seasonally.
On-site dining is provided by Toppers at the Pointe Bar and Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner..
A free airport shuttle is also offered (please contact the hotel for details).
Guests of the hotel are also offered free admission to Wild Water & Wheels, Ocean Drive Pavilion Amusement Park and Sands Resorts Waterpark (please contact the hotel for details; access may be seasonal).
Myrtle Beach Mall is about an 11-minute drive from the hotel, while Dunes Golf Course is a 12-minute drive away. Broadway at the Beach is roughly an 18-minute drive away and Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) is a 25-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets not permitted, not wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: August 17, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's location and rooms.
Many reviewers praised the hotel's location. They described it as beachfront, relaxing and safe, as well as close to shopping, attractions, Tanger Mall, golf and restaurants. One lodger remarked, "Oceanfront, private beach, and being in the Grand Strand we were within 7 miles of all the nightlife of Myrtle Beach, but not in the center of the crowds".
The hotel's rooms were enjoyed by several guests of the hotel. They were described as clean, well maintained, well equipped, spacious and quiet, with beautiful ocean views. It should be noted, however, that some patrons had complaints about their accommodations (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about the rooms and staff.
Although several reviewers were pleased with their spacious and well-equipped rooms, some guests were disappointed with their lodgings. They reported dated decor, broken or worn fixtures, slow Wi-Fi, uncomfortable beds and cleaning issues.
While some lodgers found the hotel's staff to be friendly and accommodating, some guests complained about the level of customer service they received. They found the staff to be unresponsive, inefficient and not always on site or available.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #142 of 225 Myrtle Beach hotels with an average rating of 3 out of 5 from 141 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 3.7 out of 5 with a 76% recommendation rate from 100 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviews rated the hotel 3 out of 5 from 34 reviews.
The author called the hotel on August 17, 2013 to verify some information.
