Crystal Cove Resort

WOW!
What a gem!
Found this online and took a chance.
Upon arrival they were most congenial and when there were issues, they gracefully handled everything.
The real surprise is the room. Spacious, clean and well maintained. The room had a refrigerator, microwave, and plenty of storage.
This should be the standard for such places. Nice folks doing their jobs, providing a needed service. Everything in good condition.
The associated marina makes for an enjoyable environment.
If you want to «get away», this place is highly recommended!

Looking through
to find a hotel to spend the Easter weekend, this was one of the first to pull up, and the cheapest. My friend was on board with the price ($ 55 a night, versus $ 100+, which seemed to otherwise be the norm at other hotels), and based on the photos as well, we decided to book 2 nights. It seemed too good to be true. Unfortunately,
misled us, because although it claims to be in St. Augustine, it is not. It’s actually in a remote hellish part of town called Palatka, 30 miles away. Because of this, we decided not to spend a second night, as driving back and forth was time-​consuming and wasteful, so we got a refund for the second night.
Palatka is a very obscure and economically depressed little town. Every house pretty much was falling apart (not just peeling paint, but literally, ceiling beams were caving in) and there were lots of mobile homes and acres of vacant land and cows. We immediately knew why the hotel prices were so low. In addition, pretty much every restaurant in town closes by 9 on the weekend, so that says it all. I cannot imagine what people in this town do, nor why anyone would want to visit. It’s quite depressing, and my friend, who has driven through many parts of South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia agreed, saying it was the poorest, saddest place he had ever seen, but I digress.
We arrived at the hotel, which is tucked away on a winding path in a remote area full of forest. It was a rainy, grey day. We checked in and noticed lots of the people around were true Southerners, they had accents from the south, something I am not used to hearing, living in Miami, where every accent is internationally foreign. I’m not sure what attracted them to Palatka, perhaps it was more of a stop on their way home from another trip, a place just to spend the night. The hotel actually is on the Saint Johns river, which looks pretty, but in order to get one of those waterfront rooms, you have to pay an extra $ 20 a night, which my friend did not want to do. Our room was toward the middle of the hotel, on the 2^nd floor, viewing the parking lot. Oh well, we were just planning to put our heads down and spend the rest of the day in St. Augustine, so that suited us just fine.
Although the hotel has been remodeled and is under new management, I guess they did not see a need for an elevator, so carrying luggage upstairs on slippery steps was a bit annoying. Next to our room was a coin-​operated washer and dryer, which although somewhat of an eyesore, was convenient, because not many hotels provide an on-​site machine. Our room looked pretty decent, the carpet was not filthy or torn up, 2 queen beds were provided, which was perfect as we did not want to share a bed, and the décor was tasteful. There was a TV with lots of cable channels, a fridge, hangers, and a microwave. It would have been nice to get a kitchenette, for aesthetic reasons rather than having a table in the closet with a microwave and mini-​fridge sitting on it, but we were not planning to eat there anyway. The bathroom was clean, and so was the vanity. Tissues had not been refilled, so none were provided. A hair dryer and coffee maker were also standard in the room. A hot breakfast was also provided — it consisted of grits, scrambled eggs, cereal, sausage, and orange juice. There is a restaurant on site, but it closes at 9, it seems highly rated but then again, considering this is just one of a handful of restaurants, it may just be the best option in town. There is also a pool and marina on site, neither of which we could enjoy due to weather, and I was looking forward to walking on the pier.
The beds were comfortable, as were the pillows. The bedside lamps did not work. They were unplugged, but there was no outlet to plug them in, so that was a big mystery, and seemed pointless. The sheets were clean, no bedbugs, and the towels were also clean. Breakfast could have used a bit more effort, but otherwise, it’s not a bad hotel at all, it exceeded my expectations considering the price. Would I return? Probably not, but it’s not the hotel’s fault, rather, it’s the remote location. I would never want to return to Palatka. This is a shame, because this hotel is otherwise a good value, and although I normally stay at more exclusive places, the room itself was comparable to La Quinta, a Holiday Inn or something mid-​scale like that, but for a much lesser price. If you’re looking for some destination type of resort with water slides, spas, etc., this is not your place. However, if you’re looking to save money while having a decent, clean room to sleep at night because you plan to be out all day, yet maybe fitting in a small walk to the marina (and maybe a boat rental too?) then this fits the bill.