On our first day (Saturday) at Shephard's, we headed to the Tiki bar to enjoy drinks and food by the beach. Our family sat down to wait for the server, but we noticed Marlee (waitress) waiting on the table next to us. To our surprise, the tiki bar requires you to order your drinks/food at the bar, which no one mentioned to us. I had to write down our entire order and give it to the bartender, meaning any time I wanted a refill or more food, I had to go to the bar. This wasn't the experience I hoped for on my vacation. It was confusing to see Marlee waiting on other tables but not ours.
Two days before we checked out, our air conditioner stopped working, and we had to sleep in a room that was 78 degrees. I reported it to the front desk, and they sent a maintenance person who 'fixed' it, but the room remained warm. By then, I was over complaining about things.
On the bright side, the bartender Jared was the best I've ever met, attending to us with warmth and gratitude. The beach servers were also great, ensuring we always had water and drinks. Their new restaurant, Cove, was phenomenal with excellent hospitality from all staff.
Would I stay at Shephard's again? Maybe not. However I do highly recommend getting servers at the tiki bar on weekends, especially with the high volume of people checking in.