Fun Family Vacation at Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach #Review

For the last couple of summers my side of the extended family has vacationed together at the beach- all 19/20 of us in one house.  This year we decided to head to Canada instead.  While it is a beautiful place to get away, my kiddos were sad about not going to the beach.  So when I was contacted by Crown Reef Resort to visit their property on Myrtle Beach, I jumped at the opportunity!

Crown Reef is a 514 room resort on popular Myrtle Beach in SC.  Recently the 20 year old property gained new ownership and started a $7.5 million dollar renovation.  Rooms (including kitchenettes, headboards, tables and more), Town Center (with dining and fun) and water park (3 slides and splash pad area) were all on the list for this first wave of renovation.

The rooms are all “beach front” so you can enjoy the view and be minutes from the waves.  We loved being able to just walk right down and be on the beach.  But another awesome thing is the pool deck area.  After a morning filled with boogie boarding in the waves, my kiddos were ready for a change of pace.  So we could float around in the lazy river (one of the longest rivers I’ve ever been on- 575 feet!), swim in one of the many pools or check out the new waterpark.

The water slides and kiddie play area that make up the Crown Reef Waterpark are brand new (July 2014).  And I have to admit- they were fun for the “big kids” (aka- hubs and I) too!  The water park includes a tube slide, body slide and kiddie playground/splash pad with kid sized slide from the treehouse and a fun submarine to explore too.

Monday- Fridays Crown Reef also provides fun activities for family and kids.  From crafts to poolside games and a DJ- all right on the pool deck or beach.  One evening we also got to see King Kamu’s Fire and Hula Show.  His “wahines” showed us traditional Hawaiian and Tahitian dances.  Unfortunately it was too windy but there is also a Fire portion of the show.  Most of these activity (except for some of the crafts like tie-dying shirts) are free to resort guests.

Another part of the Crown Reef updates are the addition of the Loco Gecko Restaurant and Town Center.  The Loco Gecko is a laid back bar and grill- perfect for a casual beach side dinner or pizza at lunch (I will say, because it is a “bar” as well, there were a couple signs and pictures that were a little much for our conservative taste.  Nothing vulgar, just a little inappropriate for 7-10 yr olds, IMO.)  The Town Center contains a fun arcade, ice cream shoppe and Grab n Go cafe (perfect for a quick morning coffee).

For our family of 5, we loved the Suite room set up.  Almost all the rooms (Suites and Efficiencies) have a kitchenette with full fridge, microwave and stove.  We ran over to the Food Lion (yes I checked Favado to see if there were any deals first) and bought some milk and cereal.  Because of the kitchenette, we were able to save on breakfast and lunch eating out- and use our “savings” toward a dinner splurge (read about that amazing dining experience here).  Also, the suites have a Murphy Bed as well as 2 Queens and a pull out.  First of all the kiddos were very intrigued by the Murphy Bed- “it comes out of the wall mom!”.  Second, the 10 yr old was very happy he didn’t have to share a bed or sleep on an uncomfortable roll away.

Overall, I was impressed with the renovations Crown Reef has made in such a short amount of time.  It is obvious they want to take this property to the next level and create a fun destination for families.  I know they have more on their “to do” list and in the next few years. Crown Reef Resort is definitely establishing themselves as one of the best properties on Myrtle Beach!

A big thank you to Crown Reef Resort and Vacation Myrtle Beach for hosting my family for this visit.  We had a wonderful time and I am happy to report our experience.