Hilton Melbourne Beach OceanFront, Indialantic

My new wife and I spent our honeymoon in a Jr. Suite at the Hilton Melbourne Beach Oceanfront Hotel and it was marvelous! We booked with yahoo travel and everything was a smooth transaction from beginning to end! The view was breathtaking, the hotel room was "church" quiet, "operating room" clean and the bed was OMG-grade comfortable! The staff was friendly and courteous for the most part. (I'll get to the exception later.) The beach itself was unbelievable! Off-white sands, blue/green water and a shelf that goes out 300+ yards! In addition, at any given time, I'd wager there weren't 30 people in a 1/4 mile stretch of this beach Mid-July. Awesome! So, please note that if you're one of those people/families who like all the gawdy commercialization you find at most beaches nowdays, you won't find it here! Thankfully! All that's here is sun, sand and a few stores and restaurants. I wouldn't recommend this area for teenagers...best go north to Cocoa Beach. Overall, the hotel/beach was great and we'll definitely stay here again! As for the low notes, I've touched on them below. * We traveled with a small dog. ***Note***: To our surprise, we learned that dogs are not allowed on the area's beaches. In addition, the hotel's pet fee is a non-refundable $75, which is pretty steep. Should be lowered or refunded upon room inspection. Also, when I asked the staff where they preferred guests to walk their dogs, they showed me a map of the area and circled a park about a mile away!!! I don't think so! TIP: There's a nice patch of grass on the outside perimeter of the south tower adjoining the parking lot which served the purpose just fine! Not in front of everyone, but not a mile away, either! *A regular guest room has a mini-fridge, but a Jr. Suite doesn't?!? Whoever made this decision is either lacking some brains, or trying to milk every penny out of suite guests. There was enough room in our Suite for 100 mini-fridges, but instead, we had to use the ice machine and bucket. *Upon registering a credit card for "incidentals", the hotel instantly posts $30/night in advance for who-knows-what reason. We did get it back on our card after checkout, though. *The restaurant food quality is adequate, but wayyyyy too expensive for the type of food and dining experience. Plan on dropping $30+ for a burger, fries, and drinks + tip for two people at lunchtime. The "breakfast in bed" program was nice, though. Granted it cost us $40+ after tip, but we each got full, and didn't have to bother going out.