We booked Holiday Isles Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida, through Expedia, trusting its 7.2 "Good" rating and the carefully selected photos on the site. However, the reality was nothing like what was advertised—it felt more like a motel in disrepair than a resort.
At $330 per night for three nights, we expected at least basic comfort, but the stay was awful. If we hadn't paid so much it was almost comical. The beds were extremely hard, and the shower never got hot, fluctuating between cold and lukewarm. The bathroom outlet had burn marks, and the outlet near the bed was coming out of the wall, which was a safety hazard. The bedding was stained, and both the bathroom and kitchen were dirty—none of which was shown in the online images. The room was never turned over during our stay, and the towels had iron stains, which added to the overall lack of cleanliness.
We understand that the area was affected by a hurricane and that many hotels were working to reopen. However, they should have ensured each room was in acceptable condition before moving on to fix others. Instead, it felt like they rushed to fill bookings without making sure the rooms were actually livable. The condition of the hotel seems to have changed significantly since then, so if you're researching hotels, make sure to check the most recent reviews instead of relying on outdated ratings.
Awful. Clearly, Expedia doesn't have quality control.