Chuck T.
Yelp
UTTERLY SUPERB... WITH A FEW CAVEATS
My friend and I stayed at the Avenue Inn for 3 nights the week before Memorial Day 2023. While there is much to love about this superbly run hotel, it has a few small "cracks in the mirror." Read on!
* The location of the Avenue Inn is perfection... You step out the front door and you're on Rehobeth Avenue, in the heart of the shops and restaurants, truly a couple blocks from the boardwalk. Public spaces--the lobby (with a fun chalkboard announcing weather and trivia) and separate sunny sitting room (no kids until 11am, hurrah!)--along with staff, cleanliness, the 5pm wine & cheese, and cookies & milk at 8pm, were all first-rate. Breakfast 7:30-10am, was average, with no sterno keeping eggs and meats hot, and rock hard biscuits. And the underground parking is a nail-biter; there are not enough spaces for all rooms and they're mighty narrow, so good luck with the hunt and getting your door open without tapping the car beside you (parking IS graciously free, so I should hush up).
* After paying a premium for a Shore Choice King Suite, my friend and I were perturbed with the room's heinous view, overlooking a closed in roofline and HVAC units (say no to room 208!). We politely asked if we could move and were told an alternative room would be available the next day... the front desk made things easy enough for us: Pack up by 11am and they'll take care of moving our luggage while we're out and about. All wonderfully professional and cordial. Aside from that view, the King Suite room was spectacular: sparkling clean, perfectly maintained and impeccably appointed, with a spacious closet, heavenly bedding, large bathroom, walk-in shower and additional seating in the "living" area. No balcony, but large windows.
* After moving to the second room on day two, we were surprised that, in fact, we'd been downgraded to a West Side Dunes King (room 204), a substantially smaller space with old, scarred furniture, a tiny bathroom (where the door hits the toilet), eensy closet and signs of neglect on the walls and baseboards. One nice upgrade: It DID include a balcony facing Wilmington Avenue, which we loved. Overall, we made the best of it, but I found it curious that while staff were kind enough to relocate us, no mention was made that it would be an inferior, smaller, markedly less expensive option, in need of significant upgrades.
* Finally, to end on a high, The Blue Hen on-site eatery is as good as any five-star destination restaurant I've indulged anywhere in the U.S., including NYC, Vegas and Palm Springs. The experience was superlative, from resplendent ambiance and efficient team service to the exquisite food. My pal and I started with a half-dozen East Coast oysters, which were petite but delicious; and for entrees, I had the rich and robust Mafaldine, with "pasta ribbons, bacon, artichokes, lemon, cream and pecorino," while he had seared diver scallops, which were enormous and exceptionally meaty. Utter perfection!