I am going to Galveston with my husband and four kids. Has anyone stayed at the Hawthorne Suites (Victorian) or the Casa del Mar and how do they compare? Any other suggestions for a big family even though a lot are sold out in August? Thanks.

Hi - I stayed in the Hawthorne Suites Victorian about 2 months ago with my family, brother's fam and parents. We had 3 different units (2 one bedroom units and a two bedroom unit). Please be aware that the units are individually owned, so the condition varies by unit. My unit was a little worn, but the other 2 were in good condition. There are 2 pools, but we only visited one, and the kids liked it. Breakfast is served each morning - not too bad.

FYI - they charge you a $5 HOA fee in addition to the nightly rate. Plus, they charged us a rate higher than we were quoted. However, we had our confirmation from the internet, so they gladly adjusted it to the correct amount.

Truthfully, I didn't have high expectations before our stay, but I was pleasantly suprised.

IF you have any specific questions, let me know.

Thanks so much. I now have another hotel to add to the mix. Has anyone stayed at the Dawn Condominiums? Do they have a nice pool and is it in a safe location?

Casa del Mar is seeming less appealing to me, but maybe I'm wrong.

I do have reservations at San Luis Resort condos, but they are about $350/night which seems crazy. Are they really that nice? I need to make a decision today in order to cancel my reservation. Thanks.

Hi, g and K, I answered you in your other post, but will repost here. We've stayed at the San Luis and really liked it a lot; it's kind of a swanky upscale property. We stayed in the hotel though, not in the condo. area, so that may be different. If you want a historic hotel, you can check out the Galvez. Also Moody Gardens has added a hotel onto its property, so that might be another option for you.

Be sure to take the kids to Moody Gardens and to the Schlitterbahn water park if you have time; they would love them.

Thanks so much for all your helpful info.