May 19, 2023
My whole family stayed at St Simon’s Grand several years back and we loved it. Everything was perfect. I am sad to say that our recent visit was a huge disappointment. We arrived and settled our things in the room and went out to explore. There are signs all around the pool that say you need a pool pass, but there was nothing in our packet like that. I spent significant time trying to figure out how to get a pool pass only to learn that they were not needed after all. Either take the signs down, or tell people in the welcome packet that the signs are no longer relevant. We went back to the room to discover that the 3rd bathroom had NO towels. It was after hours so hubby and I shared a washcloth and we used our beach towels for bath towels. Prior to arrival, I had called to ask what kind of coffee pot was in the unit so I could bring the right thing. I was told that all units were required to have drip coffee makers so I went out and bought filters and brought coffee. In the morning we were ready to start the day with a cup of coffee only to be disappointed. The drip coffee maker wasn’t functioning properly and coffee grounds and water overflowed all over the counter. We discovered that the opening for the water to drip thru, had a mechanism that was not operating properly, so…we went out to buy pods to go with the OTHER pot that was there. As it turns out…that pot was also not functional. The light would come on, but no water ever came thru. We looked in all of the cupboards and found a 3rd pot…brand new, opened it, and finally could brew coffee, but to be honest…by then…we didn’t care anymore. We wanted to put some ice in a thermos cup to take to the beach, but…the ice maker in the fridge wasn’t working. We went out for ice. That evening, my d-i-l wanted to take a bath in the jacuzzi. She filled the tub and got in and turned on the unit and the tub immediately filled with the most filthy, vile stuff you’ve ever seen because evidently…the jets haven’t been cleaned in ….forever. SO much for that. This morning as we were packing up, we looked on the patio, and a large rat was staring in at us. It is a miracle he didn’t come in and join us at some point, because the sliding screen doors are broken, so sometimes, the doors would stay open a little while as we entered and exited. Honestly, if we had seen the rat earlier on…we would have just left. I can deal with a lot, but NOT rats. Now I would have been happy to simply report all of this to Hodnett Cooper, but…they don’t seem to want to hear about problems. I called on the first night we were there but it was after hours so I didn’t leave a message thinking I’d just get them in the morning. Well…in the morning when it was business hours, I called twice and left 2 messages, and nobody ever called me back. That was Tues morning and this is Friday afternoon. SO the unit has things that are broken that need fixing, some things need cleaning, communication needs improvement, evidently pest control should be called, housekeeping needs to do a better job of stocking, and the people who should be answering phones and helping visitors…should answer the phone and return calls.
I’d suggest considering a different spot….
We were at St Simon’s Grand, unit 102
Darlene Betsill
