I needed to be in Myrtle Beach, SC the first weekend in January. I was visiting my mother and my aunt and because we can never seem to communicate clearly, I booked a hotel room (I thought my cousin and her husband were taking the guest room, and I’m too old to sleep on the floor or the couch). I decided to book a Starwood Property (shocker). I chose to stay at the Sheraton Broadway Plantation Resort Villas, just 10 minutes from where my family lives.

I usually don’t stay at Resort Villas. When I vacation, I am usually pretty active and these properties are often designed to keep you onsite, at least for a portion of your trip.  The Resort, was a 3 minute drive from Broadway at the Beach, an entertainment area in Myrtle Beach, with chain restaurants (Margaritaville, for example), traditional stores you’d find in Every Mall USA  (Sunglass Hut) and stores I never heard of (Man Cave….or something like that). There are lots of things for kids, like an aquarium, a topsy-turvy science house, a wax museum, etc. This is really a family vacation destination and not a place where I would spend my limited vacation time. Nothing wrong with it, but since I am childless, it doesn’t interest me.

The Resort is made up of several buildings each with a dozen or so rooms. The rooms all have outside doors (like a motel). The resort has pools, hot tubs, movie and board game rentals.

After a long day of travel (delayed flight, 2+ hour drive, family time), I checked into the resort around 19h30. I think I startled the employees as when I walked in the door, they all scurried off to their stations. Check-in was easy and the woman working reception couldn’t have been nicer. My favorite part, other than her genuine Southern Charm, was that she would ask if I wanted to hear about a part of the resort before she just went off on autopilot. I had no plans on using the pool or hot tub, so no need to hear how to get a towel. I wasn’t going to rent movies or a board game, so we skipped that too.

I didn’t realize it when I booked the room, but since it was off season, there was no place to eat on Property. That would have been nice to know when booking. It may have altered my decision on where to stay.

I was put in building 26, room 27. This one bedroom villa was an upgrade over the room I booked (I think it was slightly larger). From the main door you entered into the kitchen, which had all the amenities you would need for a family stay (stove, refrigerator, microwave and even a washer and dryer). There was a small dining table that sat four people between the kitchen and the living room.

The living room had a couch and two chairs facing the TV. A small balcony was off the living area – I failed to take a picture of this area because the weekend I stayed here it was unseasonably cold (-xx /20F), so I had need to spend any more time outside than absolutely necessary. The room looked out into the pool deck and at night it looked quite lovely, but my photos didn’t come out very good, so I trashed them.

The bedroom, had a very comfortable king sized bed with another TV and a small chair. There were a many outlets near the bed, I was in heaven!

The bathroom was huge and divided into a few different areas. Right off the bedroom there was a large bathtub with a single sink. Then through pocket doors you found the shower, another sink and the WC. The layout would be great if a family were to be staying there. So much space and a great layout which allowed for a little more privacy.

I went to bed early the night I stayed here and was up and out of the hotel  by 07h30. I didn’t hear a peep from other guests. While the resort was quite empty, the rooms near me were occupied. I don’t know if the insulation / soundproofing is that good, or if my neighbors were quite and respectful.

The only complaint I had at the resort was the amount of available hot water in the morning. I got half way though my shave before the water turned tepid. I showered after the shave and it was brisk. I assume that since the property had low occupancy levels, all the boilers weren’t on because if that is how the hot water works in peak season, I’d move to another property the first morning I froze in the shower.

Based on my limited experience at this Property, I would stay here again. The people were genuine and helpful. The room, while quite dated and a bit rough around the edges but served me well.  I think would be a great place for a small family you stay – you could expand this into a larger room by opening the connecting doors – scalability is great here.

What do you look for when staying at a resort property? Would you stay someplace if the bars and restaurants on site were closed? Where do you stay when visiting Myrtle Beach?