We rented 2 rooms here based on the rankings / comments on Trip Advisor for a family vacation with our kids and grandkids. They were more like mini-furnished-apartments, really, with a sleeper sofa / recliner / tv-dvd in the living room space, a separate bedroom with it's own television, and a full kitchen. Our 2nd room had a queen bed instead of a sofa bed (per our request) in the livingroom area.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the kitchens have everything you need to make meals in your room, right down to colanders, cheese graters, wine glasses, full set of pots & pans, even aluminum foil - and we saved a ton of money by utilizing it to the full. We'd eat yogurts, cereals, instant oatmeal, eggs, toast & juices before we left in the mornings, eat lunch out, then come back to our rooms in the evenings to watch movies (free DVD rentals at the front desk, hang with the kids, make pizza (or reheat leftovers) in the ovens, microwave popcorn, and just generally relax like we would if we were in our own homes.
The customer service here is outstanding. Michelle at the front desk couldn't possibly have been nicer or more helpful. Nothing was too much trouble, and every recommendation they made was spot-on. And the value - for what we paid - was fabulous.
The only thing keeping this review from being 5 stars was the comfort level of the furnishings. While I tend to like a firmer bed, these were so 'firm' as to be 'hard', and without enough cushioning to balance it out. Ditto with the sofa-bed for the little ones. And the recliners, while 'plush', were surprisingly uncomfortable for Chris and I, though the kids (and g-kids) seemed to think they were fine. Chris and I both have bad backs, and are no spring chickens, so perhaps we were just more sensitive than others might be. It pains me to even mention this, honestly, in light of how great everything else was, but I think one of the purposes of these reviews is for owners to see where improvements can be made. If I owned this place I know I'd purchase new furnishings every room, even if I had to buy it one room at a time and raise the rental rates a tad to pay for it. I myself am always willing to pay a bit more moolah for a better night's sleep.
- Ocean Hotel Brookings
