Inn by the Sea

Sadly, our arrival and check-in experience were among the worst parts of our most recent stay. We arrived shortly after 3pm and were told our room was not yet ready, and that no upgrades were available, even as a Titanium iPrefer member. The front desk associate seemed bothered by our presence and told us someone would call before 4pm when the room became available. No call ever came, so we returned to the desk around 4:15 and were then told the room was ready. If it had already been ready, it’s unclear why we were never contacted. After entering our room, we discovered the bedroom AC was not functioning properly. Although the thermostat was set to 68 degrees, the room temperature remained around 75. This should have been identified before the room was assigned to guests. It ultimately took multiple calls and visits to the front desk, along with more than three hours of maintenance work, to resolve the issue. The entire bedroom AC unit eventually had to be replaced. We even had to leave the maintenance staff alone in the room while we went to dinner. During our stay, housekeeping came only once, the day before our departure. We vacated our room well before noon every day, making sure the do not disturb sign was removed. We alerted the front desk who acknowledged the room should've been cleaned. The overall condition of the room was also somewhat disappointing, with several signs of wear and deferred maintenance. The rear screen door appeared to need repair or replacement, multiple floor planks looked damaged, and the bathroom shower glass seemed partially detached from the ceiling mount. In addition, the hair dryer and bathroom ceiling vents had a noticeable buildup of dust and dirt and could benefit from more thorough cleaning.

Wonderful experience at this hotel. Can’t say enough about the room, the staff, the food and the spa. The grounds were spectacular as well

This was our third visit there. Atmosphere and water view room is wonderful. So is their restaurant. It was chilly and we really enjoyed the fireplace.

Taking advantage of a generous off-season promotion, we enjoyed a two bedroom suite for 3 nights that allowed family members to visit us while there. Walking on the beach was a joy, the heated pool was briefly enjoyed by my husband and grandkids despite the ocean wind and the suite was beautiful. I enjoyed a scenic ride on one of the inn's bikes. The staff was welcoming and attentive. The inn's location is convenient to Portland but offers the peace of marsh and coastal views.

This stay was okay. I don't think I would complain, but I also wouldn't go there again. I am glad we got to use the Habitat for Humanity promotion and only paid half price. I think if I had paid full price I would have been pretty upset. Not because it was bad, but because it was unremarkable. Even half price the cost was double what we would have paid for a two bedroom suite at the residence inn. I would say that the decor was much nicer than the residence inn, but there was only one bathroom in the two bedroom suite which was surprising and inconvenient. Usually when we get a two bedroom suite at the Residence Inn it has two bathrooms and still has a full kitchen and living room. The location was top notch. I don't think there could have been a better location. The staff were mediocre. There was one waitress that was absolutely phenomenal in the whole place. The amenities were okay. They have a very small steam shower in the Spa area, but they close it very early so the late night steam isn't going to happen. My husband and I booked a very expensive spa treatment. It was decent. I feel like it was pretty good value for the money, but there weren't a lot of details there that spoke to the type of Resort that they are trying to portray themselves as. For instance they have water and tea available in the spa, but in most of the nicer spas in Boston when you stay they bring you champagne before your treatment or after. Generally there's sparkling or bottled water available, but this Spa didn't have either of those things. It was very small and unremarkable. The gym was also small and not very useful. I much prefer the gyms at other hotels. I would say this Resort is more like a three-star hotel and the pricing should be half of what they charge at best. They certainly shouldn't be charging as much as they do considering the amenities. If you're going to pay $1,000 a night I think it's reasonable to expect certain amenities like a bottle of wine in my room or turn down service or laundry service. Overall this day was fine. I don't know that I have a lot of complaints other than the flashing smoke detector in our bedroom and the very noisy air conditioning unit. They do allow dogs, and it's highly encouraged so that's probably nice for some dog owners, but there were some fairly ill behaved dogs in the lounge area which was a bit of a turnoff when you hear whining, panting and barking while trying to enjoy a cocktail. So just small things that weren't very disruptive, but certainly weren't worth $1,000 a night. As far as atmosphere, the hotel is more like a mom and pop cabin feel. Certainly nicer bathrooms than a lot of places, but pretty on par with a Hyatt place, if a little dated