Blue - Inn on the Beach

"My only complaint…. Sand. All jokes aside, we decided to book in late September to visit Plum Island. The staff was able to accommodate a later check-in (after hours) and were kind enough to text me after I had mistakenly left my jacket in the closet. Although a little chilly during this time of year, the beach front property is still worth visiting and exploring."

"This is one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in, especially for the price point of $800 per night (we were here in a high season August 2023 weekend). The accommodations and staff’s treatment of guests are equivalent to a motel or Airbnb. The “luxury vacation cottage experience” mentioned on their website is totally misleading. There is nothing luxurious about the property. The website’s photos of the room are not an accurate depiction of what it actually looks like. We were beyond disappointed, given the price point and false advertising. The room is run down and was dirty upon our arrival. The furniture is in desperate need of a replacement. Full service housekeeping is not offered during the stay - only towels changes and garbage removal upon request. This would be understandable at a motel or airbnb, but again totally unacceptable at price we were paying. We were in the beachfront queen room, which had so many bugs. Crawling flies on our faces woke us up the first two mornings at 5am. There were also spiders all over the walls and dead bugs on the windowsill. This could in part be because our screen door was broken since we had arrived, which we asked multiple times to be fixed, and was finally taped together upon the third request. On the Saturday of our stay, the hotel ran out of beach chairs because other people who were not even guests at the hotel were using them. We waited for beach chairs to become available from 10am to 4pm - basically the whole day of sun. Given we were paying $800 per night to be on the beachfront and couldn’t even get a beach chair was ridiculous. Chris, the manager, was absolutely no help. He is the least attentive hotel manager I have ever met. When we tried to talk to him about the lack of beach chairs, he kept sending another employee to tell us to just wait until other people were done using them - other people that were not even guests at the hotel. Chris only agreed to speak to me once it was obvious that it was beyond just chairs at this point. After our conversation, we had to chase him down to follow up with us about our complaints, while he should have been following up with us. Overall, the staff here is not focused on any sort of hospitality or hospitable experience. No one even sits at the front desk, which is only attended between 9am-7pm. They try to only communicate with guests via the text message service and hide in the back office. This, to me, is all very reminiscent of a motel or Airbnb type of stay and does not at all justify the cost of the stay. The only redeemable quality about the hotel is the location. The beach is truly gorgeous. The surrounding towns are also cute with many restaurant options. But, the hotel accommodations are so bad that we left a day early, as we did not get much sleep with the bug situation. We luckily got a refund for the last night of our stay because they rebooked our room to someone else. But, Chris tried to get away with making us checkout early and not informing us that they rebooked the room, so that we wouldn’t get the refund. We would not have received it if we didn’t follow up with him about it every chance we could. I would not have these complaints if the price point were lower, but the experience we had for $800 per night was simply not justified. We were paying luxury hotel prices to be in a dingy, run down motel with no real services or full time staff. It was honestly mind boggling. We feel so mislead and disappointed. I am still waiting for Joe, the regional manager to get back to me regarding my stay. It has been 5 days since I have reached out. Beyond unprofessional."

"Pretty disappointing, trying to think of any positives . I read reviews, I watched videos of this place on chronicle and YouTube. We were excited, booked it for parents anniversary and moms 70th birthday. She wanted to go to Newburyport and Plum Island and this looked like a great place. We felt basically cat fished. The pictures online looked much nicer than what we experienced in person. We booked a 2 bedroom cottage and were very unimpressed. How this place gets 800 a night absolutely blows my mind. We stayed in cottage 16 which is across the street from the ocean(for reference). If you have adults with any mobility issues or young kids I would definitely stay somewhere else. The nicest part of the room was the bathroom, which was spacious updated and clean. The pullout couch with a metal frame I slept on at the hospital for 3 nights when my daughter was born 3 months ago was more comfortable then the beds. They have rooms above you so you hear every step, bang, noise due to it being an old cottage with probably zero insulation. There were lots of marks on the walls, the couch wasn't nice nor were the two chairs. I get it you are there to spend time at the beach but for close to a 1k a night, you expect some sort of comfort and luxury. The rooms had 2 queen beds with barely enough room to walk around. Opened the window to let air in and the window sills were completely black covered with dead bugs. 1. There is basically no lobby, there is a check in desk or what ever you want to call it in what is more of a basement. There are no restrooms so if by chance you get there before 4 pm check in you are most likely heading back to Newburyport or paying to get into parker wildlife preserve to use facilities on the same beach you are paying money to stay on. 2. You have to walk up stairs to get out to deck to get to the beach, there is no ground level access so if you have a stroller or older person in your party its not very accessible. 3. They put water in cardboard pouches on the counter in the kitchen that they try to sell you. You cant supply water at 800 a night? C'mon do better. 4. The grounds need some work, the little blue mancala stones all over are cute but overall lots of weeds, looks pretty run down. You are not selling Hampton beach, this is being sold as an upscale inn/ hotel and its far from it. A positive.. Breakfast delivered to the door at 8 am with some coffee Judging from the reviews I read before I am not sure if these people stayed at the same place or were paid for their reviews because everyone we stayed with is well traveled, far from cheap and loves a good value, which we found very little of at this Inn. Location is beautiful, I can see someone who loves biking/ bird watching etc. enjoying the property but I cant say that there was value at all . We were a young family and in-laws who are easy going people that like staying at nice places and have no problem spending money but you have to receive some value in return and this places was seriously lacking that."

"I had high hopes for this place, envisioning it as a charming boutique resort. However, it fell slightly short of my expectations. Maybe opting for an oceanfront accommodation would have made a difference, but I stayed in a cottage across the street with a partial ocean view. The aspects I enjoyed: 1. The location was excellent, providing easy beach access and a private area for guests. 2. The availability of beach towels was a nice touch. 3. I appreciated the morning coffee and breakfast delivery service. They were prompt and discreet, delivering a delightful assortment of items. 4. The availability of bikes and beach chairs for guests was a convenient perk. 5. The nearby town of Newburyport (about an 8 min drive) that was charming and had nice restaurant choices. As for the downsides: 1. The booking process was disappointing. I never received a confirmation email, and my attempts to contact them went unanswered, even after reaching out multiple times. 2. During check-in, there was a considerable wait for assistance. The reception was not as warm and welcoming as I had hoped, and there was a lack of clear explanations about the amenities and rules. 3. The lounge chairs didn't match the advertised quality in the pictures, lacking cushions, making them uncomfortable for use. 4. Basic amenities like water were not provided consistently, which is essential for guests, especially at this price point. 5. The absence of staff after 7 pm was problematic, as disruptive guests made the evening unpleasant with noise and disturbances. 6. Departure was marred by challenging parking, coupled with the inconvenience of navigating heavy suitcases through sandy surfaces and stairs. Overall, while the location and some amenities were appealing, certain aspects of customer service and amenities fell short, impacting my overall experience."

"What a beautiful view of the ocean. The inn was clean and provided everything needed to enjoy the stay. The breakfast and morning coffee was really good. I loved the fact that there was a refrigerator and microwave in the room to allow to gather up a couple of things to be able to enjoy much needed time on the beach. It was close to a couple of gems like Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Bob’s Lobster."