I was looking for a comfortable hotel right on the beach with a pool, where we would get a little pampering without feeling like we were in the way with kids.
\nOcean One delivered.<\/p>\n
Check out the gorgeous lobby:<\/p>\n
There is even a mini-art gallery off to one side with photographs appreciated by all four of us.:<\/p>\n Although the hotel was so beautiful, it still had a very welcoming and friendly feel and not once did I second guess my hotel choice.<\/p>\n When we went to our room, though, I was surprised by the lack of a view of the beach. I was under the impression that I had booked an ocean view room, but we had to lean back and stand on one side of the window to see it. The very polite bellman explained that they do have ocean front rooms, but there would be an up-charge for switching.<\/p>\n I contacted the front desk and decided to go ahead and spring for a balcony ocean front room and I am so glad I did. It cost us an extra $30 a night, and we really did enjoy the view.<\/p>\n While we were waiting for confirmation on our move, Curt, our personal docent, came by to show us the snacks and drinks which had already been placed in the room for us. He suggested we relax while the details of our move were sorted, so the kids celebrated our arrival with the Snickers bar, Sprite and waters left for us.<\/p>\n Once we moved down the hall, Curt explained that he was there to help in any way. He was happy to steam or iron clothes, shine shoes, bring coffee or tea or help with anything else. (The hotel doesn\u2019t place irons or coffee makers in the room, as they want the guests to be pampered while visiting.)<\/p>\n Curt also came back with a extra snacks and drinks to be sure we had all we would want. He even asked what types of juices the kids might like.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long before we were in our bathing suits and out the door, exploring the ocean. At dinnertime, we took Curt\u2019s advice and hit a local restaurant nearby.<\/p>\n Overall it was a great stay.<\/p>\n Ocean One Lowlights:<\/strong> Ocean One Highlights:<\/strong> Complimentary DVD players and a use of DVDs.<\/strong> Need I say more? And we ordered warm chocolate chip cookies and milk from room service while we watched the movies. Aaaaah.![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.momstoolbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/lobby1.jpg\" "\\"lobby\\"")
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\nAfter digging in the sand and jumping over waves for awhile we made our way to the pool and splashed around there for a bit.<\/p>\nHere are my lowlights and highlights of Ocean One:<\/h2>\n
\nTiny bathroom.<\/strong>The bathroom didn\u2019t have space to hang our bathing suits. Most beach hotels offer extra hooks or a string drying line but this one did not. (I did like the shower and its ledge, however. It made it easy to shave my legs. There was only a shower, though, no bathtub, which was fine with us, but might have been inconvenient with a baby.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.momstoolbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/bathroom-11.jpg\" "\\"bathroom-1\\"")
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\nNot enough towels. <\/strong>Although there were four of us, there were only three bath towels in our bathroom. On our second day we were only given two. I was surprised this detail was overlooked and we weren\u2019t stocked with 4 clean bath towels each day.
\nNot enough toiletries.<\/strong> Again housekeeping didn\u2019t take into account that there were four of us in the room and did not leave enough toiletries. They were quick to bring more when I requested them, though.<\/p>\n
\nGorgeous and interesting decor.<\/strong> The kids even commented on the artwork and architecture.
\nLocation.<\/strong> The hotel is right on the beach and within easy walking distance to restaurants and shops.
\nPool.<\/strong> The pool isn\u2019t huge, but it serves it purpose well and the lounge chairs around it are very comfortable. Plus, the pool is shaded the second half of the day which keeps the deck area from getting too hot in the summer.
\nKid-friendly food. <\/strong>They offer all the typical kid-friendly food. Unfortunately you have to ask for it, but I\u2019ll take that over not having the option any day! Plus, the prices for the food were quite reasonable for a hotel.
\nAzurea resturant.<\/strong> Azurea is a fine dining restaurant, so we opted to give it a try during lunch when it would be more casual. The food was fantastic and I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the prices. Plus it just feels cool in there.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.momstoolbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/One-Ocean-Restaurant-entry1.jpg\" "\\"One")
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\nSnacks and drinks. <\/strong>The resort fee covers more than enough snacks and drinks in the room which we took to the beach and enjoyed in our room. Perfect!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"..\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/stocked-with-snacks.jpg\" "\\"stocked")
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