Wild Dunes Resort - Residences at Sweetgrass

We travel here annually and I like to leave a review to see how things compare year to year. There are many different options to stay in when coming to this resort but the beauty of it is that no matter where you stay you can use the amenities at all the others. The range of amenities is far too long to mention but suffice it to say you really will never be bored. Even the day we had clouds and temps that were a little cooler than normal we kept busy( bike rentals, beach walk’s etc). You can typically tell how well an employer treats their employees based on their longevity with that employer. It is no different at Wild Dunes. This resort was purchased by Hyatt a number of years ago and they still retain employees with some over 20 years. Treating employees right has resulted in employees treating their guests right! Richard, Bobby and Tye are on the Valet staff and have been there for years ( yes parking cars and lugging bags everyday and they’re still there for years and years)! Bobby at Hudson’s ( coffee shop) has been there for years and Carol at the Boardwalk front desk has been there over 20 years! Even their newest employees seem to excel at customer service right from the start. Boipelo is a young lady at the front desk of Sweetgrass. She excels at customer service and has been there less than a year! I could go on and on but the message is no matter where at the resort the employees excel at customer service. Employee retention based on treating employees right in this case results in great customer service for guests.

There were so many disappointing experiences on this our first trip with another couple to this resort in a double King room each with an en suite bathroom (these were reported to management): 1. The heater in the only jacuzzi at the resort was broken during our entire stay. 2. Both of our bathrooms were very slow to flush on our arrival. They sent someone up promptly; he had to snake both of them out and said that the housekeepers threw used soap bars down the toilets often and said that it was poor training of them. 3. The main bedroom had a ceiling fan however the 2nd King room did not and the windows don’t open. There was no ventilation in the room and it was very hot during the night despite the A/C being set at 68 degrees. 4. The filter in the A/C unit was filthy and probably hadn’t been changed in years. 5. The Range hood was set too high above the range. When we cooked steaks, the range hood couldn’t pull the smoke upwards and it filled our room. 6. Every room door in the unit stuck and had to be pulled strongly in order to open them. 7. Every thing (and I mean everything) was exceedingly overpriced. We have stayed at other expensive resorts, however this one just seemed like they were gouging the visitors who are truly a captive audience because Valet parking is pretty much mandatory and it takes a long time to leave the island to go anywhere. 8. Although the on site restaurants had pretty good service, the overpriced food was just acceptable, but not exceptional. Our last breakfast there was a disaster. One of us ordered a la carte scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage. He received sausage, avocado, and a very small piece of toast (that was $4!). The rest of us had finished our meals when he finally received his eggs. Then the bill came and they had charged him for the avocado that he had not ordered! This delayed all of us and was unacceptable. We just wanted to leave at this point. Breakfast for four of us was $100 and not worth the hassle. 9. And finally, we had originally asked for an Ocean View room when we booked a year ago for our reservation in October. Because one of us was hospitalized in October, we needed to rebook for April. We called in December and had to pay more money for the reservation; we assumed that we re-booked for the ocean view room. We were not given the ocean view room. Overall, the resort seems like it would be good for families who have a lot of money to spend. We are retirees on fixed incomes and this resort was not worth the hassle of all of the problems we encountered.

While there are plenty of family-friendly resorts on the Pacific Coast and Gulf of America coast, Wild Dunes Resort is the only one we have found on the Atlantic coast outside of the Florida Keys. As an oceanfront family resort, Wild Dunes checks all the boxes: guard gated, multiple heated pools, plenty of restaurants, beachfront access, games, activities, and an ice cream parlor. The grounds are beautiful, tranquil, relaxing and nicely laid out. The limited access provides a feeling of safety to let older kids roam about on their own. Globalist are given vouchers for complimentary breakfast at three of the onsite food and beverage outlets, so one can switch it up each morning for variety. We were there to celebrate the birthday of a family member who raved about the top notch treatment and amenities in the Sweetgrass Spa during our visit. Given the previous disastrous TA reviews, the accommodations far exceeded expectations. Our family had two two-bedroom two bath suites and one studio suite. Both floor plans had washer, dryer, and dishwashers ensuite. The two-bedroom units have full kitchens while the studios have a kitchenette. All three units we had were nicely renovated. The studio had plenty of bathroom lighting but had low illumination, which made the bathroom darker than it should have been. Ok, for guys but possibly problematic for women putting on make up. The studio bath also had what looked like an original vanity that was well worn an out of place with the refreshed aesthetic. The two bedroom suites are more thoroughly remodeled with large, bright bathrooms; generously sized kitchens, and large dining tables. Bedrooms are spacious with smallish TVs. These suites are comfortably suited for families on vacation who want to prepare meals, or grab takeout and dine in. Although the rooms have been recently updated, the TV in the living room of our 2 BR suite did not work nor did the dishwasher. More significantly, the Residences at Sweetgrass doesn’t have a proper cleaning program for the rugs in the rooms. All of the rugs had stains or were soiled to some degree. Moreover, signs of mold and mildew in the shower are indicative shoddy housekeeping. Razorblade needed to ***** out the old caulk, thorough cleaning with bleach, then recaulking with silicon. Service here is solid! Expect near Four Seasons level hospitality. The folks here really try hard to ensure you have an enjoyable experience. Valet and bell staff are prompt and courteous as were the shuttle drivers. There were some real standouts that deserve mentioning by name: Thomas in the Oystercatcher Restaurant for insuring oatmeal was specially prepared for my son each morning although it is not on the menu; and Bojpelo at the front desk for making sure we were well cared for during our stay. I would surely put Wild Dunes Residences at Sweetgrass on regular resort rotation if we lived on the east coast. It is so relaxing! Unfortunately, with no direct f

A new favorite spot Everything was so clean, beautiful, and nice. Customer service was wonderful. We loved that you didn’t even have to leave the resort for anything if you didn’t want to. Great food, lots of pools, and the spa! The ocean access and view were amazing too! Will definitely go back again.

Disappointed in undisclosed charges at check-out The resort was great for families-however, it is VERY expensive, and although we paid up front, there was a $900 charge at checkout for add-ons like using the pool towels ($100), parking fees that I was unaware of until they emailed me my confirmation AFTER paying for the stay, and other random cleaning fees, state fees, taxes, housekeeping fees (I had to ask for a broom as we cannot clean up ourselves) etc. I don't like unexpected charges after the fact, and so will NOT return here again.

Rooms need to be updated, but overall clean. Hotel lobby & bar are very nice. Tom & Jeremy are great bartenders! Pizza & ice cream shop…great little spots to eat on site.