Isla Grand Beach Resort

We were excited about trying this new place. The location is great and their amenities are definitely something that was calling our attention. We decided here because it said pet friendly and my daughter recently had surgery to remove a tumor in her leg. She’s in a boot with some allowed movement on her leg. Jump to the importance of this review. Upon entering the pool area she had a miniature chihuahua that she had with her as an emotional support companion. Removing a tumor from a leg is very traumatic for someone of that age. Security gave us problem since day one even though the front have told us it would be ok as long as the dog does not get in the pool. We understood and never got close to the pool. The following day security decided to stop us again and we kindly explained the reason for her and he sarcastically said after I mentioned that she was her emotional support dog “for a broken leg?” I mentioned to him it’s not a broken leg she had a tumor. With her next to me this was totally unnecessary and definitely didn’t sit with me well as a parent. We will not be staying here again. On top of that there was gum in our bed frames. We were not going to say anything as we understand how truly this can affect a business and we would normally be passive of such small things. I hope they fix this in the future and treat their guest with greater support.

Such a beautiful and affordable place. Not going to lie, I was a bit nervous booking a 3 night stay at a beachfront resort for only around $580. I thought the pictures online would have been deceiving. However, everything was so amazing! They let us check in early, our room was just steps from the pool area which was so lovely. The heated pool and hot tub felt so nice. There was lots to do- pickleball, beach walks, a game room with pool, nightly entertainment, and so much more! The only complaint was limited food options for being gluten free. But there were a few great restaurants within walking distance to increase the variety. We would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a winter getaway. Traveling in the off season was great!

FALSE ADVERTISING at its finest. My husband and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary and decided to take a weekend trip. After looking at all photos and reviews we decided to book here. Pulling up to the hotel it looks like everything we thought we were getting until…we saw the motel-esque room they gave us. First off, their “King bed with an ocean view” is in a completely separate 2 story building completely away from the nice resort style hotel you think you are booking. It looks like something you could book for $39 off the side of the highway. The room is tiny and carpeted and reeks of year old smelly feet carpet. The balcony was ocean view with a huge palm tree in front of your actual view. Maybe if my husband sat on one side and I sat on the other we’d be able to view the ocean. The brown couch in the room was old and saggy and has definitely seen better days. The walkway to the room is crumbling and cracked. A complete let down. I returned to the front desk and told Vanessa nicely that I would like to cancel and was told since I booked through Expedia I would have to go through them. I called Expedia, who in turn called the property and they were put on hold and finally hung up on. After asking to speak with the manager, Imelda we were basically told we could take another crappy room in their motel building or pay another $185 for a 2bd 2bth condo on top of the $200 we already paid. I explained our side of the argument and told her google does not show anything like what they gave us and she explained that part has not been renovated. That would be great to know before booking. Unfortunately, I had to bite the bullet and take the non refundable cancellation fee and came to Holiday Inn where the rooms are cheaper, cleaner and more upgraded. I would NEVER recommend this hotel to any of our friends and family visiting South Padre. Beware before booking sight unseen.

If you’re reading reviews and thinking “some people are just complainers,” don’t be foolish like I was. This place is actually that bad. It honestly ruined our trip. First, kudos to the front desk staff — they were kind, helpful, and did everything they could to accommodate us. This is not their fault. They genuinely tried, and I appreciate that. Unfortunately, the issue is the building itself, the condition of the rooms, and likely ownership. Our first room had dirty sheets and paper-thin walls. The couple next door fought for hours with their kids screaming all night. While that isn’t the hotel’s fault, we asked to be moved. We were relocated to Room 112, which reeked of mold, had geckos inside, and wet, dirty towels everywhere. We later realized the towels were wet because the ceiling was actively leaking. Maintenance arrived and began working on it at 11:30 PM. We were moved yet again to Room 208, which was just as unacceptable — moldy carpet, a terrible smell, and a massive sugar ant infestation. All of our groceries were ruined. When we called to ask what could be done, spraying the room with pesticides was suggested. Given the time and the fact that we didn’t want to sleep in chemicals, we declined. The rooms have only one blackout curtain, meaning you’re either in complete darkness or fully exposed — there is zero privacy. At one point, someone was on our balcony, which was unsettling and unexplained. The photos and positive reviews must be coming from the condos, because if your reservation is for an ocean view or one room / one bed, this is not what you should expect. We ultimately left early just to salvage one peaceful day of our vacation, only to discover our luggage had been infested with sugar ants. Please save your money and stay elsewhere. A hotel has never brought me to tears before — this one did.

My wife and I went here for our honeymoon, we weren’t expecting anything super crazy just a nice get away. To begin, there was an issue with our 2nd floor, “beach-view” room when we arrived so they moved us to a 1st floor “beach-view” room which we were fine with until we got in. The room is very basic, however the only outside light comes from the exterior wall that is all glass, and with the blinds open passersby can see clearly into the room. Because of this and the bed situation we asked to move to another room with a king bed like we originally requested. They said there was one room available with the configuration we wanted so we took it. This is when we realized there is no elevator for the “beach-view” or “beach-front” rooms on the second floor… Before moving in we checked the room out, it was right across from the bar patio, because of this the same privacy issue was still present. The room also had a “skunky” smell to it….. I’m glad we went to check before carrying all of our things up stairs to say the least. When we went back to the front counter the ladies informed us this would be our last time “moving” even though the issues stemmed from their side. We settled for the next room they gave us. The patios on the second floor also lack privacy if the people on either side of you are out on their patios since the sides aren’t completely blocked off. At one point the neighbor looked over directly into our room while we had the blinds half open. Other than these issues, the rooms are very basic with some blemishes throughout but they’ll do, they also don’t have microwaves which is inconvenient for leftovers. The beach access is great, very short walk with showers to rinse yourself and your things off once you come back. The pool is nice, smaller than it looks in pictures and there are no personal coolers allowed (not a big deal there’s a bar). The poolside bar isn’t exactly “poolside” but it’s easy enough to get to. The onsite bar has a club vibe, which works if that’s what you’re into. The restaurant was good and the room service was quick and good as well. I also noticed a lack of security cameras around the side parking lots as well as around the general area. Overall I’d call this a beachfront hotel rather than a resort. When we checked out the staff was much more friendly. We ended up having to pay a cleaning fee for one of the rooms we “moved” into and immediately out of. In the end, this place definitely does not look like the pictures online. I would recommend it as long as you know what you’re getting into.