I've stayed at the Impala for many years now. Since I have my kids now, we enjoy going down and staying there as well. It's clean, well-maintained and close to the action--the beach, the boards, the rides. We love everything about it!

Took a trip the weekend of 10/8-10/11 for the Indian Craft Festival, fireworks and the closing of the amusement rides. The hotel is conveniently located right next to Castaway Cove (amusement pier) which was great for the kids. However, the rides were open till 11pm on Saturday night and I could hear all the noise from them. The hotel itself was clean and the rooms were nice. I would recommend and I will stay here again. I will trade the noise of the rides for the convience of the boardwalk and amusement pier. We also received free breakfast at their restaraunt - The Black Tulip. It was not very good.

I've never booked a hotel in which it was so difficult to transfer a reservation. The cancellation needs to be done by fax and fax only. They will not accept a phone or e-mail cancellation. When I explained I didn't have access to a fax (I have to use a billing code for my work fax), I was told to go find a FedEx-Kinkos, or I would have to pay for the reservation. Rude and unhelpful. I can't imagine how bad the service must be when you do stay here, if they are that terrible on the phone.

A couple of family members and I recently visited Ocean City and stayed at the Impala Island Inn mid-week. Know before you reserve a room that this motel is basic. If you're looking for ambiance, a great deal of comfort, room service, etc., look elsewhere. If you're looking for a simple place to sleep near the beach and boardwalk, this place is suitable.

Pros: Upon arrival, I discovered the air conditioning in my room was broken and a family member decided they wanted to stay in a room on a different level. The front office staff was very friendly and more than accomodating in switching both of our rooms. The rooms seemed generally clean. The location is great - one block from the boardwalk and beach. It's near the 11th Street beach, which is nice. There are also good restaurants close by, like Spadafora's. The room is large and the television is large and nice.

Cons: The room smelled musty and mildewy, and the shower had mold in it. Sheets were not changed once during my three night stay, which isn't a big deal usually, but when you're staying more than a couple of nights and you're at the beach (sand inevitably gets back to the room), it would be nice if the sheets were changed at least once. The rollar coaster noise and screams of riders didn't bother me, but did bother light sleepers in my group and I imagine would be a problem for parents trying to put children to bed before 10 p.m. The decor was very dated.

In some ways I actually prefer the Impala over a b & b I stayed in last year in Ocean City for its convenience, room size, nice TV, location, and the beach that it is close to. But, I missed the comfortable sitting area, the porch, and fresh breakfasts that the b & b offered.