Benchmark International Arena

The room was nice, with kitchenette-sized appliances, a nice balcony, and a great view. The beach is about a 7-minute walk away. The beds were comfortable and the shower was good. Unfortunately, the extra fees really took away from the experience. The pool was not working during our stay, yet they still charged a $40-per-day resort fee. Parking was another $40 per day. If you bring a dog, the pet fee is $100 per day, not per stay. On top of that, they place a $300 incidental deposit hold on your card. For a 3-day stay, I ended up paying more in additional fees than I initially paid for the room itself. It also took 4 days after checkout for the incidental deposit to be released, and I had to follow up with the hotel to get the promised refund for the resort fee for the day the pool was unavailable. Overall, the hotel charges a lot of fees without offering many amenities in return. Aside from a very small pool, there really aren't many resort amenities to justify the resort fee. The room itself was nice, but the excessive fees and hassle with the refund would make me think twice about staying here again.

Great property with amazing views of the ocean. Staff were very attentive and respectful. Great energy and everyone was super helpful for any last minute needs/questions. Always answered quickly via the text messaging service. Always sent updates about the pool whether it was open or closed due to thunderstorm weather. Huge unit where 5 guests slept comfortably. The beds are very comfy. Nice quiet area even though it’s on the main road and there’s a walkable boardwalk behind the building. Both the pool and hot tub were warm and clean. Plenty of seating. Excellent touch of having a fountain head outside of the pool gate when coming back from the beach. Beach itself is a good walking distance of 10-15 minutes from the property. Looks further away from the balcony but necessarily isn’t. Sand on the beach is soft but hard enough to bring a wagon or cart with beach supplies. There is a beach chair and umbrella rental company on the beach, was told by the hotel they are cash based only. Beach itself is marvelous, beautifully clean, quiet, plenty of space and perfectly safe to have 4 beach days back to back. Police cruiser does drive on the beach time from time. Parking is limited on the property and to keep another vehicle overnight once (if there’s space available) you will pay a $26 fee. 10/10 recommend this property for staycation or vacations with friends, significant other and families.

2/5 stars — Avoid: False advertising, poor conditions, and dishonest billing We booked 5 nights at the Avalon but left after 3 due to a string of issues. The "beachfront" view advertised on their website was misleading — in reality, our room overlooked a public parking lot, with the actual beach a few hundred feet beyond that. Amenities weren't much better: the towels and pool/beach chairs were worn out and old, despite an extra $40/day charge to use them. The shower grout was visibly moldy and the sofa looked like they got it off of a curb. After complaining to Expedia about these issues, I received an email from the resort at 5am on day two saying they'd refund our stay, but that I needed to check out by noon that same day or be charged for an additional night. I was off-property in Orlando at the time and couldn't make that window. When I returned, I told the front desk I'd be checking out the next morning at 11am (making it 3 nights total), and they simply said "ok" — no objection, no mention that this would affect the refund. Despite that, I was billed for the full 5 nights. When I called to dispute it, they claimed that because I didn't check out on the exact day specified in their 5am email, they were no longer honoring the refund. Between the false advertising, dated amenities charged at a premium, and a resort that goes back on what its own staff acknowledged, I would not recommend staying here.