Millions of tourists make their way to Myrtle Beach each year.
That means most of them are looking for a place to stay while on vacation.
Generally, when booking a hotel or resort, there is the expectation of clean rooms, amenities that work and a safe environment. But in South Carolina who makes sure that those standards are met?
There is no state agency that regularly inspects lodging, leaving the responsibility of sorting out the good from the bad to consumers.
So how do you find out where is the best place to stay?
Largely, potential guests are left to conducting research about hotels and motels online, scouring reviews and by word of mouth.
“Our advice to visitors is to compare recent reviews and guest photos across more than one platform before booking, looking for patterns rather than one-off comments and noting how management responds,” Diane Charno with Visit Myrtle Beach said by email. “Call the property to confirm the total cost, cancellation terms, housekeeping arrangements and who to contact during your stay. For condos and vacation homes, booking through an established local rental management company means there’s a team on the ground if something isn’t right.”
Charno also suggests guests take a few minutes to check the room, including the bed, linens and upholstered furniture, before unpacking. “If something’s wrong, tell management right away and ask for a resolution, including a different room if needed. Reputable operators want the chance to make it right,” Charno said.
There are some places that can offer additional help with the search. Here’s where you can go to get information about where you are staying from those agencies that do conduct inspections.
What does South Carolina law require?
State law has certain safety requirements for hotels, motels and other lodgings, but the law does not specifically outline mandates for cleanliness or hygiene standards.
Safety requirements include:
How to review complaints filed
Probably one of the most helpful tools when searching for information about lodging or businesses is the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs website.
Here, people can search for a hotel or motel by name and find out what complaints have been filed against the business. Each complaint lists the date it was filed and what it was for.
Hotel restaurants are inspected
Hotels and motels are regularly inspected by the state for such things as food service and pools.
If a hotel has a restaurant or other food service, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture conducts inspections, providing a scoring system based on violations or other items.
Restaurants receive grades based on restaurants scoring between 88 and 100 points A grades, restaurants scoring 78-87 points B grades and restaurants scoring 77 points or fewer C grades.
Consumers can check the state Department of Agriculture’s site to look up any permitted restaurant along the Grand Strand, including those in hotels or motels.
The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services also conducts inspections on lodging pools, hot tubs or other water amenities such as lazy rivers to ensure safety, non contamination and proper chemical levels.
Local governments conduct safety checks
While local governments do not conduct room-to-room inspections for cleanliness or hygiene, some city offices, such as Myrtle Beach’s Construction Services Department, operate on a “complaint-driven basis,” said City of Myrtle Beach spokesperson Meredith Denari by email.
An example would be if the city received a complaint about property cleanliness, construction services staff would investigate the concern and determine if any action is warranted based on their findings, Denari said.
In addition, the city fire marshal’s office does routine inspections for safety issues, she said.
Where to find a list of hotels, motels
The Myrtle Beach area has 425 hotels with 157,000 room units, according to the Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitor Bureau.
The Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association web page, as well as the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce lodging directory provide a list of hotels, motels and other places to stay.