Hotel Wave Rehoboth Beach

When we got to the hotel I noticed the hallway carpet is stained going from the main lobby to either side of the hotel. The “hot tub” was/is breaking apart as well as the jets not working. Switched our room on us after a third party, messed up our dates. When we got in the room, it was nothing we asked for. The tub had a crack in the bottom corner and when I let staff know they said “since you reported it we won’t keep your deposit, since it was most likely already like that”. When we went to eat, we tried putting the TV on. TV was not programmed and when I asked for someone to come look at it, 30 minutes went by and still did not get any assistance. The staff was very nice but not concerned about guests needs.

EDIT: PLEASE READ THE REVIEWS. THE PROOF SHOWS FOR ITSELF. As far as the “owner” responding to everyone, please stop acting like you care and that you are deeply sorry. fix your problems and stop commenting until you do. Never seen anything like it.

Update: We were finally able to check in two hours after arriving, but unfortunately the experience only deteriorated from there. Good customer service can cover a multitude of sins. Poor customer service can turn even minor inconveniences into a train-wreck. This story is about the latter.

The manager was the least professional hospitality employee I have ever encountered. Rather than listening to legitimate, rational concerns from paying guests, he was dismissive, snappish, interrupted repeatedly, raised his voice, made the customer the “problem”, even scolding us repeatedly, rolled his eyes, and seemed far more interested in explaining his management problems than addressing our stay and the money we lost.

The moment we tried to explain our experience since walking through the door, he cut us off and announced that he was “not going to have this conversation.” His tone and demeanor were disrespectful and aggressive. He even chose to lecture us in front of other guests, making an already frustrating situation unnecessarily humiliating.

Here’s a newsflash: Hospitality is not about the manager. It’s about the guest.

When travelers arrive after a long drive, exhausted and looking forward to the vacation they’ve paid for, they should not be expected to listen to excuses for twenty minutes about staffing or operational problems. Those are management issues—not customer issues.

Listen first.
Solve the problem second.
Talk less, or in his case,
Don’t talk AT ALL.

The condition of the property reflects the same lack of care. The carpets throughout the building are worn and filthy, giving the entire hotel a neglected appearance. There are luggage dollies available in the lobby, yet there is no elevator to reach the second floor, forcing guests to carry everything upstairs themselves.

This review actually began while I was still sitting in the lobby waiting for a room that should have been available at 3:00 p.m. We arrived at 3:05 p.m. and were told the room “might be ready within the hour.” No apology beyond that. No proactive solution. No offer of compensation. No late checkout. Nothing.

I had to be the one to point out that we had paid for a 3:00 p.m. check-in and an 11:00 a.m. checkout, meaning we were losing vacation time that we had already purchased. I even had to suggest extending our checkout to noon because no one at the front desk thought to offer it.

This was a one-night beach trip. Every hour mattered. Instead of enjoying the beach, we spent the afternoon sitting in a hotel lobby watching our vacation disappear while traffic built and our evening plans unraveled. Missing those hours cannot simply be given back.

I’ve stayed in countless hotels over many years of travel. Delays happen, normally 15-30 minutes, but TWO HOURS?!

What separates a well-run hotel from a poorly run one is how management responds. Good hotels listen first and apologize, acknowledge the inconvenience, communicate clearly, offer solutions, and make guests feel valued.

That did not happen here.

Instead, we were met first with silence, then scolding, excuses, interruptions, and ultimately open hostility from management.

I requested compensation from hotels.com because the service failure was significant, and frankly, it was warranted.

The room itself became almost irrelevant. By the time we were finally checked in, the experience had already overshadowed the entire trip. My husband and I haven’t had a chance to rest for a year and a half because we’ve been caregiving for two parents with dementia, and one of them is a guardianship with a hoarding house. We’ve barely slept for a year, let alone had a vacation.

Many reviews describe this property as “fine.” I don’t believe enough people are being candid about what they’re experiencing here. If you’re looking for a hotel where professionalism, communication, and customer service are priorities, I would strongly encourage you to book elsewhere.

Moreover, there is no closet, no drawers for your clothes, only two towels, no iron and no hair dryer.

One word... Cockroaches.

This place is the epitomy of lipstick on a pig. Don't be fooled but updated decore. The first think you notice is the insane chlorine smell from their pool. Then the filthy carpet. It's not just kind of dirty or highly trafficked, it should be ripped up and replaced due to the level of filthy. The room wasn't cleaned, there was used towels, hair, and dirt in the bathroom. They didn't have extra towels, there was only 2 in the room and 3 of us. So we had to share. The last straw was the giant cockroach. Once we saw that we packed up and left. Spend a little more for an overall better hotel.