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Sea Oats Motel – reviews, photos

3420 Scenic Highway 98, Destin, FL 32540
Hotel amenities
Sea Oats Motel
Ranked #10 of 41 hotels in Destin
4.0 of 5 stars 79 Reviews
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79 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
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Date Rating
Saint Louis, Missouri
1 review
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“Shady Business Practice Ruins Wedding Experience”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 February 2012
11
people found this review helpful

My family has been using Sea Oats for many years and have never had any problems and always enjoyed our stay with them. We always stayed in the Dolphin House which was perfect for family vacations. The staff was friendly for the most part and the house was well maintained. Then in 2011 my brother and his girlfriend got engaged and they thought what better place for a wedding than the place we have all loved visiting for years... Destin Florida. We immediately called Sea Oats to reserve the Dolphin house for the wedding party. We sent them our deposit in December of 2011 and started planning our trip. The rest of our family all booked houses close by so we could all celebrate together. Then this month (February 2012) we received a call from the owner stating that the owner of the Dolphin House wanted the house for the week we had reserved it and that they would have to move us to a different location. We were upset about this because of the sentimental value attached to our family vacation spot but they promised us a beach front home at the same price and told us not to worry so we left it at that. Then today my brother (the Groom) received a call from the owner of Sea Oats not only confirming we still would not get the Dolphin House but now they were returning our deposit because they are worried about our "party" making too much noise and disturbing the other guests. The wedding is May 15th of this year, our family has already locked into deposits at the houses near by. And now the bride and groom plus the wedding party have no place to stay! This is the worst way to run a business I have ever seen and i am in Property management myself! So now we have a little more than three months to find a place for a week for an entire wedding party thats not already taken. Please be cautious before you book anything from Sea Oats Management!! The Deposit means nothing. The owners word means nothing. I would hate to see another person have their dream trip ruined by these heartless people and be left hanging out to dry.

  • Stayed February 2012, travelled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
SuzyLovesDestin, Owner at Sea Oats Motel, responded to this review
10 February 2012
This reservation was made on December 27, 2011. The guest was informed of our policy that we would need to receive a deposit within 10 days or the reservation would be cancelled. A month later, after not receiving the deposit, the owner of the rental house elected to take the house off the rental program since there were no confirmed reservations. The end of January, Sea Oats Management Company received an unsigned, posted dated check from the guest. We contacted the guest immediately by phone and also email informing him of the situation, and mailed the check back. In spite of the fact that there was no wrong doing on our part, we offered him another property that was available. Even though the price was higher, we offered it at the same price he was quoted in December. We were informed that they needed an unattached house because they were celebrating and having parties till 3 a.m. In order to protect our other guests, we declined and provided him with another management company who manages several free standing houses in the same area. We always deal with our guests in an honest and professional way.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Mobile
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“Labor Day weekend trip”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 January 2012
5
people found this review helpful

This trip was the 2nd time we stayed at the Sea Oats Motel and although there was some confusion at the front desk we still enjoyed our stay very much. The confusion was that when we called 1 day before our arrival date to see if we could get a "rain check" due to the fact there was a Cat. 1 hurricane in the gulf which caused rain and high winds all weekend. We were told they do not do "rain checks", but once we drove to Destin we were told otherwise by the front desk. We ended up staying the weekend even with the rain and heavy winds. There was not even 5 minutes of sunshine the entire trip, but we spent the weekend shopping, eating..etc..etc..rather be on the beach though.

We plan on booking a summer trip as soon as it warms up. This place is still the best place in Destin to stay if you ask me. Give it a try.

Room Tip: We prefer bottom floor simply for beach access.
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  • Stayed September 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Abbeville, Louisiana
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
“A bargain and ON the beach”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 January 2012
6
people found this review helpful

My husband and I used trip advisor to make our final decision between this motel around $80. and another one down the beach that was around $200. a night. Trust me when I tell you I'm spoiled rotten when it comes to vacations, but for a couple during off season, not on a special occasion this is doable, We are not big on peak season vacations sorry.. :-(

This place while may not spoil you rotten was well worth the price you pay for it! There was nothing blocking our view from the beach in room 9A, the room was comfortable and updated. We had a King size bed, two nightstands with plenty of storage, one small closet, a table for two, smaller full size frig, stove/oven, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, small flat screen TV, medium size chest of drawers. The bathroom was small but updated and had a shower (no tub). You could hear a TV next door and people walking upstairs but nothing to keep you awake, for this price I'd take my chances again and bring something to help me sleep during peak season. We didn't see any children under 30... ;-) either in this motel so that should be taken into consideration! So get a room on the second floor and honestly there is nothing to block your view of this almost snow white beach. Next door a beach house and all down the beach were hotels and motels so I can only imagine how many people would be there during the summer! Bring your own beach chairs and umbrellas the price to rent them per day in my opinion was high... if my memory serves me well $30 per day. We saw two Wal Marts within a few miles of each other so you won't be without places to pick up forgotten items.

Room Tip: Pick an upstairs room and something at the end preferably on the right side (facing the beach). I fe...
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  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
San Luis Obispo, California
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Sweet with great sunsets”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 January 2012
5
people found this review helpful

We stopped at Sea Oats Motel for one night-out of season
Views were great-clean room-and quiet
Would stay there again

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Mesa, Arizona
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
26 helpful votes 26 helpful votes
“On the water”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 October 2011
10
people found this review helpful

We like places that are on the water and not across the street. This fits the bill, we had an upstairs unit overlooking the beach. The unit had been remodeled with a bedroom, kitchen area and bath. Having coffee on the balcony in the morning was great. The room was very clean and the price was very good. Restaurants down the street, we took the car but younger than we are may walk. Highly recommend.

  • Stayed September 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about Sea Oats Motel

  • Sea Oats Hotel
Address: 3420 Scenic Highway 98, Destin, FL 32540
Price range (per night):* INR6,632 - 7,802

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