Several weeks ago, we decided we REALLY needed a change of scenery from our home and a few local adventures.
We opted for the Florida Space Coast as it’s only a few hours drive straight across the state. Both The Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex and Brevard Zoo were both mainly outside adventures, posted great COVID safety precautions and required masks.
Choosing a Hotel During COVID
Our big obstacle was deciding on a place to stay.
We looked for something on the ocean, reasonably priced, and a location that listed all of their precautions on their website. Additionally, we were looking for something with a suite type set up where we could get takeout meals and relax in the room if we chose.
Our thought process was that if a location did not take the time to post their precautions or guidelines on their website that they night not take things seriously.
Trust us; there were plenty of locations that mentioned nothing.
Double Tree Suites by Hilton Melbourne Beach Oceanfront
One of the significant factors for our stay was the prominent “Hilton Clean Stay” banner and information on their website.
While their main indoor restaurant was closed, they were offering food and cocktails poolside. More importantly was the oceanfront property, suites, a reasonable price, and contactless check-in through their app.
The app provides a fair bit of information on checking-in as well as local restaurants. The check-in though the had just a few flaws.
– while it offers you your room assignment, if you have never been to the hotel, you have no way of knowing whether the room is in the North or South wing.
– if you have multiple family members, you can log into the same account on the app but not access the same digital key
So, you still have to come into the lobby.
The Good
The views from the hotel were beautiful. The walkway’s front view gave us beautiful sunsets across the river over Melbourne, and the views of the ocean from our terrace were beautiful.
The room seemed to have been relatively recently renovated and was modern, comfortable, and gave us room to spread out.
The Bad
Despite the Hilton Clean Safe precautions, we chose to bring our bleach wipes and disinfecting spray.
One of the items on their detailed cleaning list was the coffee maker. Ours was missing the slide-out tray that pods fit into. Not sure how you can wipe down the coffee maker and not notice the central piece is missing. Despite one visit to the front desk and once conversing via text on the app, we never got one replaced.
The UGLY
During one visit to the front desk and the morning complimentary (self-service) coffee station, we saw several people inside, not wearing masks. When I commented to the coffee station attendant, he laughed and walked away.
People without masks in the lobby and on the elevators seemed to be a common theme. We avoided both as much as possible. We reported a group of people sitting in the elevator lobby charging phones and playing games without masks.
With two separate outdoor entrances to the elevators, people frequently came and went without masks.
We also avoided the pool area as it appeared to be pretty crowded and not practicing social distancing.
While we were very disappointed with the enforcement of advertised precautions, overall, it suited our needs.
In a world without COVID, it would be an excellent place for a weekend getaway.