Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Escape to Island Vista, “The Crown Jewel” of the Golden Mile of Myrtle Beach. Nestled in an exclusive beachfront neighborhood, Island Vista Resort is the only oceanfront resort for nearly a mile in either direction, offering a unique blend of secluded luxury and convenient access to the vibrant heart of downtown Myrtle Beach. A true hidden gem, our resort boasts spacious oceanfront suites, unparalleled service, and endless amenities, ensuring a memorable stay for guests of all ages.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Island Vista Oceanfront Resort boasts rooms that are generally clean, spacious, and equipped with stunning ocean views, though a few guests consider them to be slightly outdated and cramped. The hotel's prime beachfront location garners acclaim for its scenic surroundings and easy access to local attractions.
Service at the resort is lauded for its professionalism and friendliness, with some visitors enjoying complimentary upgrades. While the ambiance, featuring a quaint and cozy setting with inviting outdoor amenities, is well-received, opinions on value and certain amenities like the lazy river are mixed, with some guests expecting more for their money.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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My husband and I just stayed there for the last 9 days. And we always love the hotel. It's very nice. We've stayed there many times. Pauline, that works at the front desk, is awesome. We were there this time for our 25th wedding anniversary. And she knew that when we checked in and she surprised us with fixing up our room and decorating the bed and giving us some chocolate covered strawberries and some really nice sparkling grape juice because we do not drink alcohol. Thank you so much, Pauline. You're fantastic! The only bad thing that we experienced this time, was every night some of our neighbors in the hotel were smoking pot and we could smell it even with the door shut. And security came up to our room once to look and see if they could figure it out. That would be our only negative comment.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Steven Penn, Guest Services / Front Office at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded Feb 15, 2025
Happy belated Anniversary to you all, and thank you for choosing to spend it with us! We're glad we were able to be a part of it. Pauline has certainly been a great addition to the team here on the property, and thank you for letting us know how special she was to your stay. We can't wait to see you again, and thank you for giving us the opportunity to make your celebrations special.
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This is my go to spot whenever I feel the need to escape the hustle and bustle of day to day life. My husband and I have been coming here off and on for over 10 years. My place of peace, relaxation, inspiration, and restoration. It’s where I finished my dissertation, grieve for my parents, shopped, experienced new restaurants, and enjoyed the sweet potato pancakes for breakfast. Staff is professional and friendly.
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Steven Penn, Guest Services / Front Office at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded Sep 5, 2024
Thank you all so much for coming back to see us. We're happy that we've become your home away from home, and that you all let us help provide peace if and when you need it. We hope to see you all again soon, and as always, let us know if you ever need anything!
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We traveled in January for 5 nights and arrived about 4pm, there were no lines and we were given a credit to use at the Cypress Room which we used the evening of our anniversary. We used the DVD rental (free) located in the lobby multiple times. Very good selection of movies. They staff were all very professional and friendly.
Our unit was on PH14. Extremely clean and well stocked with most things you would need. They do not provide paper towels but that's no biggie. The bed was comfortable with amble bedding. The unit was HUGE! I was not expecting so much room when booking a one bedroom, however it is clearly a 3 bedroom unit as the other bedrooms off the hall were locked and there were plenty of plates and utensils for a very large group. It was a pleasant surprise. In the hall closet there were beach chairs, a cooler and umbrella, however traveling in January we never used them.
The indoor pools and hot tub were amazing, we enjoyed going down daily starting our first night. Aside from one day we had the entire pool area to ourselves and even that one day it was only 4 other people. Very peaceful and relaxing which is what we were there for. I would suggest bringing your own beach towels, there is a rental system which requires a charge to your room for a deposit each time you take a towel (I think it was $15) and it's credited back once it's been returned.
The only down side and this was in no way the fault of the resort, we lost power twice. The first time was in the wee hours of the morning after midnight the night before the ice storm, I believe they must've been testing their emergency generator in preparation of the storm as the temperature outside was 40 degrees. It was out for several hours and came back on at 5am. Being on the top floor the generator must be on the roof as we could hear it running loudly all night.
The second time we lost power was the night of the storm which was our anniversary, we came prepared knowing it was a possibility and it was probably one of the most romantic Anniversaries we've ever had.
I highly recommend this resort especially in the off season when it's quiet, however this would've been a great place to bring our children when they were younger too.
We will be back!
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Date of stay: January 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Steven Penn, Guest Services / Front Office at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded Feb 11, 2022
Wow....Thank you all so much for taking your time to post such an outstanding review of the property. It looks like you all stayed in our Oceanfront 1 Bedroom Grand Suite, which is the perfect suite for a fantastic occasion like your anniversary. It's great to hear that everything went well, despite the storm, and that you all were able to enjoy your stay. Thank you so much for choosing us for your anniversary, and we look forward to having you all again in the future!
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We recently stayed at Island Vista Resort for our annual family vacation, first time traveling to Myrtle Beach. One reason I chose the resort was because it's marked as a 4 star resort. Upon arriving late at night, it was not a 4 star first impression. The lobby is very small, more like a quaint boutique hotel. It has 1970's decor and popcorn ceilings in the suites. The restaurant is very small and we were asked to wait one morning to be seated for breakfast as they were overwhelmed. We had a 2 bedroom suite and the balcony is very small, the master bath had only 1 sink and a very small counter top. The 2nd bedroom didn't have an adjoining bathroom as it was down the hall. The parking garage is super tight with a one-way ramp. Parking spots are so tight even the experienced have difficulty parking in them. The reservations do not include beach lounge chairs, which typically there are 2 for each reservation, and we didn't care to spend and additional $50/day for chairs on the beach. There isn't a full service spa onsite and the cabana on the beach didn't have a professional vibe about it. On the positive side the property seemed very clean, the staff was friendly. It was nice having the restaurant onsite for breakfast and we enjoyed the food. The easy access to the beach is nice. There are a couple of pool areas to lounge; however, the lazy river that is advertised is not a full blown lazy river but really just a little area in the childrens pool/play area so that was disappointing. I would maybe stay there again because it was in a less busy area of Myrtle Beach with easy access to grocery store, restaurants and attractions but for a 4-star resort, it is not.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â The parking garage is awful
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Steven Penn, Guest Services / Front Office at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded Sep 5, 2024
First and foremost, thank you all for taking your time to write such a well thought out and pointed review. There's certainly a lot to unpack, but I wanted to let you know that each and every review of the property goes past our management's eyes, so we appreciate any and all feedback at the property. Though in some places the property is listed with a star rating, it's tough to provide an accurate one. The property consists of individually owned condos that are operated under by the on-site management company, though some of those condos are rented separately. When booking through some alternatives, you will receive alternative product. As stated, however, we are a smaller property for the area and are much more a boutique style condo-tel than a large corporate product. It allows for a much more intimate experience, and we like to make sure those experiences go well with our customer service. Our goal is to provide the best service possible, to each of our guests, to ensure that while there are differences in the product, everyone is able to enjoy themselves and have a great time. Master baths on the property in units at or larger than a 3 bedroom with have Jack and Jill sinks in the master bath with a walk in shower and a single person jetted tub. Rooms smaller than 3 bedrooms, as you noted, do not. Parking is tight in both parking garages, but we do offer options for oversized vehicles on a first come first serve basis in our oversized parking for vehicles that have a hard time fitting into the garage. During the Summer months, this is obviously more difficult, but is an option for guests with larger vehicles. Unfortunately, because the beaches out front of the property are public, we aren't able to offer our own chair services outside of those provided by the City of Myrtle Beach. The spa services are also contracted, though they are contracted through the property and do have an on-site cabana that they can use for our guests outside on the dunes facing the ocean. As you mentioned, it is all about location. We're able to provide a nice, quiet experience for each of our guests, in what can be a really busy place during the Summer. If you do decide to give us another opportunity, let us know! We love to take care of each and every one of our guests, and we'd love for you to experience everything that the property has to offer.
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We rented a 1 bedroom grand suite in an off week in mid-December between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We requested a quiet room and they put us on the top floor in a room on the end (room 1402). Perfect! I don't think I've had a quieter condo/hotel stay. If you catch warm weather, it's a great time to be at Myrtle Beach. One of the outdoor pools was heated nicely and swimmable in December (we're from Florida, so fairly wimpy when it comes to pool temp). There is also an outdoor hot tub. There is also a nice indoor pool with a small lazy river, a splash pool, and a second hot tub. Since it's COVID times, we thought we wouldn't get to use the indoor facilities, but it was completely empty, so we gave it a shot. The staff mostly wears masks. There are signs saying that masks must be worn in public areas, but honestly, I didn't see a lot of guests wearing them. The restaurant does have good outdoor seating options, and there are plenty of outdoor loungers in the pool and beach area if you are concerned about good ventilation. Highly recommend springing a little extra for the "grand suite" for the high floor and large living space (dining seating for 8 and ample living room seating). We had a full, well-equipped kitchen, full washer dryer and two full bathrooms for a one bedroom (It's really a three-bedroom condo, with two of the bedrooms locked). The only room for improvement was one of the drains in the kitchen ran a little slow, and the living room carpet could stand to be deep cleaned. Other than that, we has a blast!
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Date of stay: December 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Room 1402 is on the top floor and on an end. Great room!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Steven Penn, Guest Services / Front Office at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded Jan 2, 2022
Thank you all for the well thought-out and in-depth review of the property and your stay. Guests like you all who take your time to let us know the ups and downs of your stay absolutely help us to better the experience here at the property, and we're greatly appreciative of you all taking the time to do so. Happy to hear that you all enjoyed your stay, and we thank you for choosing us here at Island Vista for your getaway!
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This was our third annual visit to Island Vista Resort. As in the past, we reserved a one bedroom oceanfront suite on an upper floor, but this visit we arrived to learn that we had been upgraded (without request or additional charge) to a huge three bedroom, three bath suite, with a full kitchen and XL balcony - a wonderful surprise. Undoubtedly this was possible because we visited Myrtle Beach this time in mid-May rather than in August, as we had the two previous visits. Myrtle Beach hotels have lower occupancy rates in May than in August, but Island Vista Resort management was under no obligation to upgrade us simply because larger suites were available. It demonstrates the guest orientated ethic practiced by all Island Vista Resort staff. The housekeeping and maintenance staff, front desk, restaurant and other staff are all friendly and professional. The property is clean and well maintained. We've made annual trips to Myrtle Beach for decades, and Island Vista Resort is definitely a cut above the rest.
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â It costs a bit more than the average Myrtle Beach hotel, but it is above average. The location...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Steven Penn, Guest Services / Front Office at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded May 26, 2024
Thank you all for the review, and for taking your time to let us know about your stay but also to spend it with us. We try to treat each and every one of our guests like family, even when we're busy, and we're happy that you all were able to enjoy your stay even with the change in plans (bigger plans, even). We look forward to having you all again!
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The resort is in a quiet area with easy beach access. The lobby is well decorated. The pool area is beautiful, just as it shows on the website. The rooms are very clean. The front desk people were extremely nice.
Upon check in at 9:00 at night, there were no carts to carry our things to the room. To say parking is tight is an understatement. Parking is beyond tight. There were people outside of their vehicles directing other drivers into their spots. There is no separate entering and exiting exit, so again parking is a nightmare.
The 1st bedroom had a window that looked out to the corridor. I'm used to views of the ocean. You also had to walk down the hall to a bathroom. The rooms overall were small with little to no room for extra things like beach chairs, towels, etc.
The pools were just mediocre. My family stayed in them about 10 minutes and headed back to the room.
This is a nice resort for some people, but after having stayed at a nearby resort on my last visit, I will not be coming back to this one.
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Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â There are no food places within walking distance of this resort. Per the front desk luggage carts...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Steven Penn, Guest Services / Front Office at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded Nov 17, 2024
We're certainly sorry to hear about your experience, but appreciate your feedback and the honest review. Just know that we always do our best to accommodate our guests and always make changes moving forward to make sure that everyone's experience is better time after time. Thank you for taking your time to review, and we hope you give us another chance in the future.
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It’s absolute heaven on earth! The property is big enough for everyone to be comfortable but small enough for it to feel like a personal experience. The property itself is beautifully kept and each and every staff member is so friendly and accommodating that it feels like we’re staying with family. We’ve visited a few times with 4 rooms of family and enjoyed ourselves so much that my husband and I visited in the spring and plan to add that our yearly summer trip! I’m already dreaming of my next visit!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: If you’re looking for more of a beach view ask for 4th floor or above.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Steven Penn, Guest Services / Front Office at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded Sep 7, 2023
Thank you all so much for coming back to see us! We absolutely love getting to know everyone and getting to treat each and every one of you like our family. We'll see you all again soon, and look forward to it as well!
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In all honesty, we have mixed feelings about our stay at Island Vista. After much recommendation from friends who have gone to Island Vista for years, we decided to give it a try for a long weekend. On first arriving, the front desk was staffed by two female employees who were less than friendly. They looked annoyed to be bothered checking us in and all questions were answered with a short response. The hotel and grounds are beautifully kept. The beach itself is immaculate. The rooms itself are fair . Some rooms have a shared entrance with other guests. Unfortunately we paid very high price $600+ and were given one of these rooms. The room sharing our entrance was rowdy and loud and had many people staying in it- four times than the recommended amount of people . There were multiple members of that party without keys and we had to endure them banging on the entrance door all night as well as a revolving door of people coming and going until 4:30 in the morning. However, being from NY we should have been tipped off to what may transpire; an armed guard stationed in the main entrance to the hotel. Also a huge concern is the fact that the hotel does not enforce the POSTED no smoking/vaping policy as we had to smell marijuana all night through the wall. A room change was unavailable until the following day. The next morning, after being informed that we would be notified as soon as our room was available, a wait over five hours, we contacted the desk and were then told they “forgot” to notify us of the new room availability. We were surprised by a daily resort fee which was hefty in price on top of the rate we paid for the room. When checking out, Remember to ask for your $150 fee that they use as a room hold when you first check in to be refunded. After checking out we were told the $150 would be refunded once housekeeping did a check. Two days later we had to call to get our money refunded as the resort again, “ forgot” to refund it. Breakfast is great at the restaurant downstairs but dinner was sub par. Service was slow and our waiter had minimal Knowledge of anything on the menu. When our order did arrive, it was completely Inaccurate and having already been sitting for two hours, having it corrected was not an option. We used our $100 credit that the desk had given us at check in and the meal which consisted of a salad hamburger and steak still costs us an additional $100.00 to cover the remaining costs. Mind you, we did not drink alcohol during or coffee afterward. Overall Island Vista is probably the nicest place to stay down in Myrtle Beach in comparison to the other hotels. However, we are not sure we would travel there again.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marc A, General Manager at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded Jun 15, 2021
Thank you for choosing the Island Vista. When a guest’s experience does not match expectations, our entire team feels that disappointment and the issues you mentioned will not go unaddressed. Please know that we have pursued the no smoking policy for years now, and as you experienced, courtesy exists at a variety of levels these days. Most guests simply regard such a policy as that and not only just honor the policy because it is there but because they understand that everyone benefits from that policy. We provide a smoking area, but then it becomes a matter of regard toward others if one chooses to ignore the rules. There is a monetary penalty in place and even eviction could occur, but as you can see, there are still some that just do not adhere to the rules no matter how hard we try to enforce them. We will not stop trying, though. This would be a good time to mention our security team… our officers are fully qualified SC Law Enforcement trained and authorized to provide safety and security for our guests, and I cannot count the times we (and they) have been personally complimented and thanked for their presence at our property… not because of any impending danger but because it is the outstanding amenity that it is. Unlike New York and other states with recently changed laws, marijuana is illegal in South Carolina, and if a person is caught in the act, they will find themselves in a difficult set of circumstances. If a room switch is arranged in advance, it is only because a specific arrival date required it… these are not the best options for anyone, including both guests and staff. We would like to streamline that inconvenience in any way we can, but the guest in the destination room is entitled to stay until the check-out time at 11:00am, and only then can our staff begin to prepare it for the waiting guest. We cannot cut corners in these processes for the sake of speed, but we are much aware of our guests’ need to complete that change as early as possible so they can enjoy the day. To avoid the need to switch rooms, and especially to get the best rates available, it is always best to book early. The $150 is not an actual transaction but is a pre-authorization and typically appears back into your account as available funds the same afternoon you check out… if this did not occur, it was in error, and we apologize for any inconvenience. Restaurants throughout the area are all very busy, and for a variety of reasons are often understaffed while many people have not returned to work… we are well staffed for the needs of our guests, and while I have never heard of someone waiting for two hours to receive breakfast, that was without doubt not a good experience, especially if everything was wrong… the Cypress Room normally receives outstanding reviews for both service and cuisine. We can promise a better experience next time. Thank you again for choosing the Island Vista… we hope to see you again soon.
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This place is awesome. We stayed here 5 nights. Our room was very clean, and the beds were like sleeping in heaven. The room was stocked with everything needed. The furniture was comfortable and clean. The employees were friendly. I was given a gift card of $123 to eat at the on-site restaurant. My kids enjoyed the pools and lazy river. The tiki bar had some really delicious nachos and drinks. I'm in love with this place. Oh, we had rocking chairs on the balcony. The hotel is very clean and smells nice. They provide fruit infused water in the lobby that is refreshing coming in from the heat. The only con that comes to mind is the location of one ice machine. I recommend this resort to everyone!
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Parking is tight, but the resort lets you know before time. Some days, the restaurant doesn't...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Steven Penn, Guest Services / Front Office at Island Vista Oceanfront Resort
Responded Jul 25, 2024
Thank you all so much for taking your time to post a review and tell us about your stay! We certainly strive to make sure everyone is able to enjoy themselves and relax. Glad you found your enjoyment, and really do appreciate you sharing it with us. We hope to see you again and thank you for choosing us to be a part of your vacation!
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The one in our living room was a smart tv.. someone had actually left their netflix signed in. (doubt that will be the case this year). The bedrooms were not smart tvs but we did hookup a chromecast.
There are more places to choose from in the Myrtle Beach area.
PRICE RANGE
C$228 - C$464 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
island vista myrtle beach
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Sea Island Inn
LOCATION
United StatesSouth CarolinaCoastal South CarolinaMyrtle Beach
NUMBER OF ROOMS
171
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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