ScoutJacksonville North-St. Marys KOA
Not up to KOA standards
I have been a KOA member for more than 20 years and have generally had very good experiences. Unfortunately, this particular KOA was a major disappointment. My wife and I brought our two grandkids on an eight-day trip and specifically chose this campground because of several advertised amenities: a pool with a slide, a game room, and a DVD player in the deluxe cabin. We paid more than$900 for our stay. When I booked, the campground disclosed that it was undergoing water and sewer upgrades and warned guests to expect construction and possible“brief water/power interruptions.” That seemed reasonable, and I had no problem with it. Unfortunately, what we encountered went well beyond a brief interruption. The DVD player in our cabin did not work. I reported it to the office and was told the owner would be notified and someone would get back to me. No one ever did. We then received a text stating that the pool slide was not operating because of electrical upgrades. When we went to use the pool anyway, there was a considerable amount of debris that looked like dirt floating in the water, and the surface underneath the water was badly peeling. My grandkids didn't want to get in. We tried the game room next. It had no electricity, none of the games were operating, there was no air conditioning, and the room was extremely hot. At that point, we decided to leave and find a hotel that actually had the amenities we had expected. For a little over$100 per night, we found a very nice hotel and stayed there instead. We returned to the campground the following Saturday for our final night, and unfortunately, the same issues were still present. In the end, we used only three of the eight nights we paid for. I understand that construction and upgrades have to happen. What I don't think is reasonable is continuing to advertise amenities such as a pool slide and game room when they are going to be unavailable for an extended period, while still charging guests the full rate. A warning about possible“brief water/power interruptions” did not accurately describe what we experienced. After returning home, I contacted the KOA. I made it clear that I was not asking for a refund for the three nights we actually stayed there. Since one night was already planned for a hotel in Orlando, I simply requested a partial refund or other reasonable adjustment for the four unused nights after we left because the advertised amenities were unavailable or unusable. I even offered to provide our hotel receipts. I have received no response from the campground's management. That may be the most disappointing part of the experience. After more than 20 years as a KOA member, I expected at least the courtesy of a response. I chose this campground because I trusted the KOA name and wanted my grandkids to enjoy the amenities that were advertised. Unfortunately, they were probably the most disappointed of all. Hopefully this helps others considering staying here. Based on our experience, this campground did not meet the KOA standards I have come to expect over the past 20+ years.
