We stayed at the Sands many years ago and it was a great location but the rooms were dingy. This time, either we had a much better room, or it has been updated. The hotel itself is in a perfect location for going to the beach, and the fact that two chairs and an umbrella come with the price of the room is a huge plus. The restaurant is excellent, with great views. Overall it's a great place to stay, especially the full-ocean view rooms with balcony! The hotel was very crowded at least when we were there, and there was an elevator that was out, which meant that we had to walk up between 3 and six flights each time we entered and left the hotel. Of course that could happen to anyone, but we did have the thought that it would have been nice if they offered us some kind of compensation.