Beach Plaza Hotel - Ocean City, MD

Written by Matt Rosenfeld
We have traveled all over the world and have stayed at many different types of hotels, both in their star ratings, as well as their target clientele.  The Beach Plaza Hotel in Ocean City, MD was by far our worst experience.

Upon first arriving on a stormy night, we found that most of the electricity was out in the hotel.  We understood that there was a big storm that knocked out the power and had no issue with that.  However, the next morning, we found that there was no hot water in our room.  When calling down to the front desk to inform them of this, they said that they were aware this was an issue affecting only a few guests and it should be back up and running within a few hours.  By the time we checked out 2 days later, there was still no hot water and this was apparently the case for the entire hotel.  We asked many times about a status on it, but the hotel would always say it'd be fixed shortly and people were working on it around the clock.  However, at one point, I spoke to the gentleman manning the front desk at night and he said it was probably going to be a few more days before it is fixed and no one was actively working on it that night.  This showed that the hotel was willing to lie to its guests to try to appease them.

Upon checkout, I did get to speak to the general manager on this issue, and her attitude apathetic.  Another person I spoke to that morning said "Well, what do you want me to do?  The boiler is over 50 years old!"  To a guest, that is not an acceptable answer and having a boiler that old and not maintained well is a problem.  That boiler should have been replaced long ago before it became a problem for guests.

Also, when reading the general manager's responses to reviews that are negative about this hotel on TripAdvisor, she always seems to put the blame for any issues on the guests and never takes accountability for the hotel's short comings.  This hotel has serious issues starting from the top.

To give a little more feedback on the room itself, it is very basic and feels very dated.  The bathroom has no shelving for putting any toiletries, which can be problematic for many.  The lobby and porch that overlooks the boardwalk looks quite nice and it seems the hotel spent a lot more effort and money in keeping up that appearance rather than the rooms themselves.  The location of the hotel is excellent and is a perfect spot, on the boardwalk at 13th Ave., to be close to all the action of Ocean City, MD.

Address: 1301 Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, MD

Wifi: Free

Parking: Free

Restaurant: Yes

Bar/Lounge: No

Smoking: Non-smoking

Hidden Fees: None

Breakfast: No

In-room safe: No