This is the 5th year I have stayed at the Driftwood. I've always come for the low key atmosphere and the gorgeous beachside location, and I've spread the good word to several friends who have subsequently come with their families and enjoyed it. The rooms are dingy and out of date and for most other locations would be terribly overpriced, but this is the hamptons and its one of the best deals around. Usually the place has a homey, charming, out of the way feel to it. This time however the front desk staff were at best lackadaisical and at worst sarcastic and rude. Every question you asked them was met with a nasty, short, unhelpful answer. Our shower did not work when we first tried it. No one at the front desk seemed the least bit surprised or perturbed by this fact and even when I directly asked them if they thought it was OK for the shower to not work, I got a shrug of the shoulders and nary an apology even though I had to go shower in the communal shower in order to get to a party on time. Similar attitude was dispensed when we asked whether we could use the grills that are along the beachside even though our room was back by the pool. (No one else was using any of those grills). One word answers ("No") were all we got. It was like a game of 20 questions to get any information from these people. "OK, is there somewhere else we can grill?" "Yes". "OK, where would that be?" "Over there". "Where is 'over there'" "Behind the pool house" "So, do you provide the grill supplies or should we buy our own?" "We have some" "What exactly do you have?" -- and so on. In years past the staff has been cheerful and when you walk through the front office you were greeted with a smile and "good day". this trip, all we got were scowls. We will not be back.

Lovely clean oceanfront resort. Being on a tight budget, I booked the cheapest room I could find in the area and ended up with what I expected. No surprises - a small room with tiny bathroom and comfortable beds. Our room was clean, but in sore need of professional renovation - it looked like they tried to spruce it up - but the paint and repair jobs were done quite sloppily and some spots were unfinished. The air conditioning, hot water, and ceiling fan worked fine. The pool and grounds were very well maintained.

I saw 3 service staff who smiled. The others, including cabana guys, pool guy, cleaning staff, etc. seemed either sad, bored, depressed or stressed. I felt so sorry for them. .

Coffee is not available in the lobby until 9am and you do not get a starter supply of coffee in the room, so make sure you have a car to go shopping or bring some with you. On the same note, keys to tennis court, workout room, etc. are not available until the office opens at 9am. So if you're an early bird, plan ahead.

You NEED A CAR at this resort. It is not near the downtown area. There is a restaurant across the street, but very dangerous to cross that highway on foot. I would be afraid to do that with young children in tow. There is no life guard at the beach or pool. Swim at your own risk.

The location is gorgeous and the beach is beautiful. No need to bring towels, chairs or umbrellas - they provide for you (tipping is appreciated).

All in all, a good value as compared to similar properties. We enjoyed our stay and would stay here again, but next time go for a "renovated" room.

Was uncertain whether to take our only week-long trip of the year to Driftwood, but I feel I've been away at a spa, completely rejuvenated by five sun-drenched days, an appetite satisfied by fresh seafood, and the lull of constant ocean breezes. My husband and I swam in the stunning, clear Atlantic, ate well, walked for miles, swam, ate, walked some more. Loved adult swim in the gorgeous, well-kept pool, from 9 - 10 AM every morning. No deadlines. No distractions. Only miles and miles and miles and miles of gorgeous, unpopulated, unspoiled, pristine, wide beach - LI's best-kept secret. Chair/towel service at the beach and pool were excellent. Each staff member sought to please and was exceptionally friendly and accommodating. Best lunch and dinner at the nearby Clam Bar. Best desserts ever at nearby Lunch. The casual Montauk vibe, thankfully, hasn't changed since my husband and I were married in 1984 at the once nifty, now-hodgepodge Gurney's Inn, a lovely destination 25 years ago. Driftwood is a bargain compared to its neighbors, the Seacrest and Hermitage, also Dune properties, and equally pleasing. We stayed in two rooms, each of which were renovated, with complete kitchens, bathrooms, and air conditioning. Be sure to stipulate "renovated" when reserving. Stay away from lodging in downtown Montauk, where the noisy, unwashed teenage crowd hangs!

I stayed at The Driftwood for the July 4th Holiday 2010 weekend. The beach and the pool were memorable...the room was definitely not. I stayed in Rm #53, it had a great view but the interior of the room looked like it was donated or right from a garage sale. The powder blue bathroom motif and the efficiency kitchen is about 30-40 years old. An array of mismatched silverware, dishware and old pots are included with the room. The last painter rolled the same white wall paint onto the furniture and onto the lamp, making it more unappealing. The room had meaningless sketches of Paris scattered on the walls, why not purchase a simple nautical poster like the ones sold at Home Goods Store to make the room look decorated? More problematic, there were apparently mold spores or mildew in the foam in the couch and in the mattress, it may have been like that for years, but it was just unacceptable to us. Now don't get me wrong, I really was not expecting the room to appear in 'Coastal Living'. However, for over $400 per night, there is absolutely no reason this property can not offer an updated clean room, something more like the Holiday Inn Express or a Fairfield Inn (yes, even in Montauk). It appears to me that the shareowners are just exploiting its great beach location, nothing more.