Visiting Myrtle Beach South Carolina? Still, deciding on where to stay? I’m currently visiting the Coral Beach Resort on my first visit to Myrtle Beach. Find out the pros and cons of staying at this family beach resort. Should you stay at the Coral Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach South Carolina? Let’s find out with this Coral Beach Resort review in July 2022.
I love traveling with my kids. I have a son aged 4 and a daughter aged 8. This summer we decided to take a trip to Myrtle Beach South Carolina. I’ve never been before but after speaking with friends and family and doing hours of research online it looked like a fun family destination. They have entertainment, pools, shopping, dining, and of course the beach. Sounds like everything I want in a family getaway.
This is an honest review of the Coral Beach Resort, from my visit this July. In fact, I’m writing this article from the balcony of my room while enjoying the view on the last day of my trip.
The Coral Beach Resort advertises as being the Travel Channels’ top pick for families in Myrtle Beach. That sounded great however, the Resort received mixed reviews online which made me wonder if this is the best pick for my family. I also read reviews from other local resorts and most have similar or worse reviews so I decided to give Coral Beach a try and I booked my stay for 5 nights starting July 11th.
Hotel accommodations are important to me. If I’m going on vacation I want to stay somewhere where I feel like I’m on vacation. After doing hours of research online I decided to try the Coral Beach Resort.
Prior to arrival
About one week prior to my arrival I received an email from the resort about check-in. You can complete a form ahead of time to make check-in easier. I completed the form and was given a phone number that I can use during my trip to text hotel staff if I needed anything. I text Coral Beach Resort several times during my stay and received a prompt response. In my opinion, all resorts should offer a texting service.
Booking Myrtle Beach Activities
Prior to my arrival, I booked several activities including Pirates Voyage Dinner Show, Ripleys Aquarium tickets with Breakfast with a mermaid, Pirates Adventure in Murrells Inlet, Alligator Adventure, and Wonderworks.
If you are planning on visiting Myrtle Beach South Carolina, I recommend booking activities and show prior to your arrival.
Arrival Day
When pulling up to the hotel the building looked nice, the grounds were kept clean. There is a parking area in the front that is used for check-in. Once you are checked in you can move your car to another location in that same lot or they offer two additional parking garages. There was ample parking at all hours of the day.
When entering the lobby it was small but well kept. The employees were warm and welcoming. Once you check in they give you a splash card which is your room key. It can also be used to charge food and other items to your room. You must have your splash card with you at all times because you need it to order food whether you are using it as payment or not. You also need it to work the elevators and open doors around the resort. Only people staying at the hotel are allowed to be onsite which made me feel safe and secure. I traveled alone with my children ages 8 and 4 and felt safe at all times. You also received a coupon for 1/2 price bowling and a coupon for a free gift at the gift shop.
The check-in process was quick and easy. I arrived around 12 pm and my room was ready. I reserved a partial ocean view room and to my surprise when I entered my room I have a beautiful full view of the ocean and the pools below. The view was gorgeous.
Room
When reading reviews online I noticed that the accommodations had some bad reviews. I was really nervous about this when I first booked the hotel.
When I entered my room, my nerves subsided. I was happy with my room. I thought it was very nice and quite large. My children had plenty of room to run around.
The view alone was worth every penny. That being said it was a little outdated. But it was clean and smelled nice.
Some reviews I read mentioned mold in the rooms. I didn’t have any mold.
When I walked in there were two queen beds. I always check my beds for bed bugs. I saw no evidence of any bugs. There was also a closet and t.v.
After the beds, there was a kitchen that had a nice size fridge and stove. The kitchen was outdated but clean. I don’t cook on vacation so the outdated look of the kitchen didn’t bother me. I did use the fridge to store milk. It kept the milk nice and cold. The hotel provided a small container of dish soap which I thought was nice. I used it to clean my son’s water bottle.
The bathroom is small. There is an area with a sink where we brushed our teeth. Then you enter a tiny area to use the toilet and shower. The toilet and shower area was tiny. We kept that door open and closed the door to the sink area when using the bathroom.
Once you left the bathroom area there was a living room with a table and chairs and also a two-cushion sofa. There was also a pull-down Murphy bed and a t.v. The living room also had sliding doors that led to the balcony. The balcony had two chairs and a tiny table. We spent a lot of time on the balcony watching the waves and action below.
I can’t emphasize enough how beautiful the views from the balcony were. See the images below.
Pool
I thought the pool area was great. There was one large pool inside with three additional jacuzzis. Outside there was one large pool two small kiddie pools, one hot tub, one small lazy river, and one area that was a kiddie pool/splash park area. This area was perfect for young children. They also offer in-water lounge chairs for parents.
The pools are open from 8:30 AM-11 PM. Each morning around 7 AM I watched the maintenance team clean the grounds and pool areas.
The Coral Beach Resort had towels available for guests. Towels are put out at 830AM. One morning towels were not out so I texted the front desk and they let me know towels were on their way.
The lounge chairs in the pool areas were clean and comfortable. I got to my chairs at 8:30 AM to get the best ones by the pool.
Hot tip
On hot sunny days, people wait by the pool until it opens at 830AM. If you want a nice lounge chair by the pool I suggest you come out early.
Amenities
Each morning I received an email from Coral Beach Resort about the day’s activities and food specials. There weren’t many activities usually just evening entertainment but I liked receiving the emails. I thought it was a nice way for the hotel to connect with guests.
In the indoor pool area, they have ping pong and two fuse ball tables. There is no additional charge for those games. On the 4th floor, they have a small bowling alley, pool tables, and a game room. There is an additional charge for these games. We played two games of bowling. My children enjoyed bowling and the music that was playing
Food
There aren’t many dining options at the hotel but what they offered was great.
We ate breakfast at Sea Level which is only open for breakfast. We thought it was good. For lunch, we usually ate poolside at Splash Bar. I enjoyed shrimp tacos daily, they were really good. They also had burgers, hot dogs, fish, salads, and daily specials whatever we ate there was great.
They have a full bar by the pool I ordered a non-alcohol banana strawberry daiquiri complete with whipped cream, it was delicious.
Beach
Myrtle Beach’s beach is amazing. The sand is soft and feels great between your toes. I’m from Long Island, our beaches usually have rough waves. These waves were mild. Since it is July the water was warm.
One of my favorite past times was looking for shark teeth on the beach. Thanks to some advice from one of the nice families we met, I was able to find some really nice shark teeth.
The Coral Beach Resort had easy beach access. The steps leading to the beach were right outside the pool area. The resort offered two outside showers to clean off after the beach. They also offered a hose to clean off any beach toys or boogy boards.
Top Reasons to Stay at Coral Beach Resort
Pros
Location
The Coral Beach Resort has an excellent location. It’s steps from the beach, It was a couple of minutes drive from the airport, 5 minutes from the Boardwalk, 13 minutes to Broadway at the Beach, 15 minutes from Barefoot Landing, and 25 minutes from Murray’s Inlet. Minutes from many restaurants, shopping, supermarket, and even Walmart.
View
The views of the ocean from your room are phenomenal. I loved sitting on the balcony relaxing and watching the ocean.
Pools
The pools were awesome, clean, and well-kept. My kids spent most of the day at the pool.
Beach
The Coral Beach Resort is located right on the beach. When my kids weren’t in the pools they were jumping waves and playing in the sand at the beach
Amenities
I thought the bowling alley, indoor pools, and games were a nice added touch. My children enjoyed playing while waiting for some of the rainy weather to pass.
Customer service
I thought the customer service was great. The staff were warm and friendly. I really liked the texting service. I feel this should be offered at all resorts.
Value
The Coral Beach Resort was a great value. I received a $125 resort credit when booking. I felt the resort was worth the price.
Cons
Although I loved the staff at the Coral Beach Resort and would definitely stay again I feel there are some things that need improvement.
Room: I loved the size of my room, the balcony, and the beautiful view however it was a little outdated. It could use a facelift but it wouldn’t stop me from staying again. In fact, I plan on staying again next summer.
Towels for the beach. The hotel does supply towels for the pool but not for the beach. I feel it would be a great addition if the hotel gave out towels for the beach or offered free chairs for the beach.
Evening entertainment– evening entertainment was OK. On a couple of nights during my stay, the evening music was canceled. I feel they can improve the evening music. I also feel that music entertainment during the day would be a wonderful addition.
Housekeeping
I’m not sure if it has to do with short staffing but your room doesn’t get a full cleaning every day. You get fresh towels (They give lots of towels which I loved) and they take out your garbage daily but, change your bed linens on the 4th night of your stay. I prefer daily cleanings however, it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would when I checked in.
Would I recommend the Coral Beach Resort Myrtle Beach?
Absolutely! We had a blast on our trip and I would definitely stay again. I loved the resort and the customer service. We plan on visiting Myrtle Beach South Carolina next summer and plan on booking at the Coral Beach Resort.
If you are on the fence about where to stay on your family trip to Myrtle Beach definitely give the Coral Beach Resort a try.
You know your children had a great vacation when they cry at check out. Yes, my children actually cried when we left. I was sad when leaving
My son age 4 said, “I don’t want to leave this life.” Unfortunately, Justin mommy has to go back to work.
Bye Coral Beach Resort, see you next year.
