Sandcastles - MIRAMAR BEACH

First, we decided to have breakfast at Sandcastles, mistakenly believing it was included with our room rate. We were surprised by a $60 bill at the end of our meal. While that was an oversight on my part, it’s worth noting that as vegetarians, we found most of the buffet unappealing, making it feel like a waste of money. Later that evening, we chose to have dinner in the sushi area since Sandcastles was closed. After standing around for a few minutes, we had to ask a staff member whether we could seat ourselves, which we ultimately did. After waiting for about 15 minutes, we realized we'd need to find our own menus. Another ten minutes passed before we finally got the attention of another staff member to request a server. It took over 30 minutes after we were seated to receive our drinks. Our four dishes were brought out one by one, with barely enough time for each person to finish their meal before the next dish arrived. By the time my sushi finally came, my entire family was already done eating, and there was no soy sauce provided. The server mentioned she'd bring some, but first she cleared a table, chatted with a coworker, and entered some information into the computer while I sat there, hungry and waiting to enjoy my meal, which ultimately turned out to be quite disappointing. It seems people eat at the on-site restaurants mostly for convenience; however, the service was terrible, disorganized, and the food was mediocre at best.

Ate breakfast here everyday during our stay at the resort and they had wonderful options. Some days I stuck with the continental breakfast which was cereal, fruit, pastries and bagels/toast. One day I did the hot continental breakfast which included an omelet and waffle station, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, grits, hash and scrambled eggs. Everything was clean and organized and the staff were lovely.

Floridian 75 drink was good and the nachos were good AFTER I asked for a side of nacho cheese because there wasn?t any cheese on them. The fries were good too. That brought the rating to two stars. The fried shrimp, grouper and hush puppies were burned and it was obvious the oil they are using is old. We got a tiny piece of corn on the cob and it did not taste good. Really disappointing because we were looking forward to the shrimp and chips. We will definitely not return. Our waitress was very nice.

Sandcastle at night serves sushi! I loved the Spider roll. My parents shared the seafood platter. My husband enjoyed the Cuban sandwich. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet. It was again good, but not amazing. For the price 28 per person, I believe it should be amazing. Our server brought our check after only 20 minutes. I had ask for refills of the coffee. I am accustomed to Hilton having exceptional service.

Unlike the outdoor grill at the Hilton, Sandcastles truly deserves a five-star rating. The quality of the breakfast buffet was surprisingly high, especially considering the large number of guests present. There was always a generous selection of fresh fruit and a variety of other dishes, plus a station where you could order omelets or waffles as part of the buffet. For a table of four, with drinks and an all-you-can-eat brunch, the total came to about $60. Our server was exceptional, and we tipped her $20, bringing our overall total to $80. I haven't eaten here at any other times besides breakfast, but if you're looking for a great way to start your day at the Hilton, I highly recommend Sandcastles.