Ocean House

Quite possibly the worst hotel I’ve ever - almost - stayed at. First of all $ 3000 for a room and in fairness 2600 plus 400 for tax but 3000 for a basic room and you had better get it right! And boy did they get it ALL WRONG! From the moment I arrived at 9:10 am there was nobody at the front entrance. A total ghost town. No bell staff to help me up the stairs with my bags. No greeting. No nothing. Go to the front desk and it was “distracted” at best. No room - totally get it- no map - no offer for a tour- no help with my bags - this was a total fail. Luckily I had an extra bag and shoved some extra stuff in my suitcase and packed a makeshift bag to go to the beach til my room was ready and I was assured they would keep me updated via text. No updates ever happened. I had to check back in at 3:00 pm but moving on. Asked where I could store my suitcase - told to just leave it there. I was like hmmm. Went to the restroom to change and it was dirty. I thought this would have never been the case in any of the other amazing hotels I have stayed at around the world. Went to get a coffee and there was no cups - people were furious. There was a plate of dried out stale croissants. I should have known I was in trouble . Went to the beach and it’s gorgeous. I understand why Taylor Swift bought a property next door. Service at the beach was hit or miss - more miss - and my lobster roll for lunch was a 6 out of 10. And inexcusable for 68.00. Never heard from the front desk on my room so I checked back in a little after 3 and was texted back about 20 Mins later saying it was ready. But I wasn’t ready for what I was about to discover. $ 3000 bought me a room with a view of the restaurant. And when I say a sliver of the ocean that’s all it was when I went to the end of my terrace and leaned over. My view was of the tables on the terrace that surrounded my room. Please see my photos. The room was obnoxiously Loud and not relaxing. A bar was my view. And outside my room was the maids closet. And all the attendants gathered there to chat. Beyond terrible! I packed up and went back to the front desk and said I’ll need another room and the way I was treated was abominable. So bad that I was told there was nothing they could do and I went back to the room and Olivia from guest services came to my room and apologized for how I was treated but I was informed nothing could be done. I said look at this view. She said I get it. Then they sent the “manager” Joe. Who Informed me that I didn’t read the website description carefully enough. I have never been so insulted ever! He offered me his card and I said no thanks. All I want it is to discuss this with the GM who I was I formed was not called a GM but a president. Ok fine, have the president call me. One of my first clients was Jack Vaughn the GM of the Opryland Hotel a titan of the hospitality industry. He would have been horrified at what I was put through. I remember coming up with a program for him called consider it done. They could use a little Jack Vaughn and consider it done at the Ocean House. I called another hotel informed them of what was going on and they said they had heard this before and to come on over and they would take care of me. And they did. The ocean house is iconic. And I can without a doubt say it is iconically terrible!

Clearly this is a wonderful hotel…it’s hard not to be impressed from the minute you arrive. The staff was very welcoming and the hotel is beautiful. We loved our room, 2nd floor grand deluxe ocean view with a huge balcony. Stunning. Housekeeping A+. Loved the nightly eye masks on our pillows and our room was always spotless and well appointed. Our favorite server was actually the bartender at The Bistro, Brad. Another A+. So attentive, so friendly, great drinks. We enjoyed eating our dinner at the bar one night. Beach staff was also A+ with a shout out to Sebastian and Tyler. Coast Restaurant? It gets a D- The servers were an odd bunch…it’s hard to say if it was them or just the program there in general, but there was never just one clear server, there was always someone different coming to our table and seemingly unclear of what the last guy had done. We ordered the 4 course tasting menu and there was so much time between courses it drove us crazy with one course getting brought to me twice. The “main course” portions were so tiny they seemed like canapés. Dessert choices were so eclectic (who really wants cheese for dessert??) there was really nothing we were even interested in but we had to pick one each. Neither was good. We honestly couldn’t wait for our meal to end. Way overpriced for the level of food and service. All in all we’d return to Ocean House. We loved it, but we’d skip Coast Restaurant.

It was truly an indulgent experience. Better than I imagined. The surrounding area was just as you’d imagine Watch Hill would be. It was serene and peaceful. The staff was exceptional and welcoming.

Can not say enough about how amazing our experience was at Ocean House. My daughter and I went to celebrate our birthdays and it was the best decision because we will have wonderful memories. The staff is extremely kind and professional and they pay attention to every single detail. The room was gorgeous and spotless with a large terrace with a view of the beach and sunset. So much to do on the property that we didn’t have enough time for. Wine tastings, lunch at the beach… calendar full of events. Brian at the concierge made sure our every need was attended to. Extremely gracious and professional and made us feel so at home we did not want to leave! Just a great vibe there. We are counting the days to go back!

Perfect destination for our honeymooon. We enjoyed our short stay at Ocean House and cannot wait to be back in Summer.