Hotel Holiday Inn Resort Beach House (Hilton Head Island, USA)

Everything is here for a great holiday break; including the hotel's own pool, Tiki Bar, fire pit and Porch Bar (with some fabulous Happy Hour deals). They all serve to set the scene perfectly. Then, just across the street, there are more restaurants and shops; plus, of course, just a few steps away, the beach itself. A perfect holiday setting.

Swimming is obviously a popular activity but, so too is cycling. The most convenient place to hire one is the hotel itself and the impressive and friendly staff will always assist. *However, if you want a smaller puncture in the holiday budget, go to the shop across the street. It's cheaper!

The public areas are attractive and welcoming. So too are the rooms. They tend to be quite spacious and attractively decorated, with comfortable beds.

There's a strange smell in the rooms, bathrooms in particular haven't been thoroughly cleaned since the departure of the previous guests. There's mold on the ceiling and the bed linen is old and suspect.

Forget about a romantic drink at the open air bar. First, there are flies in huge numbers attracted by the food you were trying to eat - although the pangs of hunger have strangely disappeared. Also strange is the drinks that are served. These consist of large amounts of ice and not much else.

Unless you specify the wish for a room with a view and unless you stick to your guns with front desk staff who have other plans for you, you are likely to finish up with views of neighboring rooftops and walls of adjacent buildings.