Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites

Stayed one night with teens. Kids appreciated the complimentary cookies available at arrival. We all appreciated the ice cold water given the heat wave. ||Hotel and room were clean and comfortable. Air conditioning was effective. Decor was good. Very convenient location to sites and restaurants in Salem. Staff was pleasant and helpful. ||For families to be aware of: There are signs by the elevators on each floor asking guests to maintain a peaceful ambiance, but then I also saw younger kids than my teens staying.

Such an amazing hotel! The staff is so friendly, especially Adam the shuttle driver and the bartender! We had such an amazing experience, the hotel was immaculate, they have everything you need and the beds are so comfy! This is also the ideal location, a 2 minute walk from Essex street. Definitely coming back!

I stayed here recently for a birthday weekend getaway for my 8 year old daughter. Everything about our experience was lovely and seamless. We were warmly welcomed by the front desk staff and told our room was ready early. They greeted my daughter with a wonderful and generous birthday surprise, which she was thrilled with. We had a late lunch in Mainstay Social and our server Brianna was fantastic! The rooms were beautifully decorated and very comfortable and the girls loved the indoor pool. They offered a shuttle service to help us get around town which was helpful in the rain! We enjoyed a lovely breakfast the next morning at Mainstay Social with wonderful service. I can't say enough about how lovely our stay was and we will definitely be back!

This was a last-minute booking for our trip to Salem, and it was the only hotel left 😅. The price was okay but the rooms were spacious and very CLEAN! The room was decorated with a nautical theme. The front desk staff are kind and welcoming. There is a restaurant and pool on site, but we did not use those facilities. There is a lot for parking. Check-in and out was smooth. Bed/bedding is very comfortable. Shower took a while to figure out- you to twist and turn. Good location as we were able to walk to all of the attractions and restaurants. Will definitely stay here again if I ever return to Salem!

We had a wonderful experience at this hotel. The staff was friendly and helpful. The room was clean and comfortable. The location was a convenient base location for us to explore the city as everything was very walkable. They had infused water available in the lobby, which was a welcomed refreshment both in the morning before we started our exploration for the day and in the evening after a long day of wandering.

I’ve always wanted to visit Salem as a bucket list city and was super excited to do so this year! I wanted to stay in a nice hotel that was in the heart of Salem that was in walking distance to lots of the main attractions and Salem Waterfront delivered in spades! Excellent front desk attendants, room was really nice and clean and the bed was super comfy as well. Highly recommend staying here if you’re coming to Salem anytime soon.

My husband and I just stayed overnight and as always, we had a wonderful time! We have stayed here about 5 different times and have never been disappointed. The hotel is clean and smells really good. The updated room was beautiful! Bed was comfortable and we slept like rocks! The shower was fabulous and we both really loved the bath products. We also ate dinner in the hotel restaurant/bar and it was wonderful! Highly recommend the French onion soup! Delicious. Our server, Sal, was friendly and gave us great recommendations! Awesome service!

My sister and I just returned from a fun filled couple of days celebrating our shared birthday. I can't say enough about what a fantastic time we had! Everyone we met was great. I feel like we made friends with the entire staff! An unforgettable birthday made even more special by the kind attention of the hotel staff. Beautiful accomodations, delicious food and perfect location. We may have to make it an annual event! Thanks everyone ☺️💜

Great hotel located waterfront right in old Salem near many historic homes and the National Park Service maritime historic park. Very walkable to many places of interest. They also have a shuttle that is available weekdays- which is great for a ride to dinner! The hotel is very well maintained and updated. They have a bar with both indoor and outdoor seating available. We listened to live music there on a Friday evening. Our room was decorated in a trendy nautical theme, with comfortable furnishings. The room was very clean. The staff was always friendly. And yes, I have read other reviews, but our experience was great. The only slight drawback I could see is there is not a refrigerator in the room. However, they do offer complimentary bags of ice on the floor near the elevators. Would definitely stay here again.

This hotel is lovely and I would especially like to thank Brianna ( server) in the Main Stay restaurant for her excellent care of my grandson and our family. The chef specifically made some noodles and butter for him. He is a toddler. I was greeted every day with my coffee and my kids said the breakfasts were the best they had ever eaten. We will definitely go back.

I traveled to Salem for Halloween in October and stayed at this beautiful hotel. This was my 3rd time staying at this hotel and I plan on staying again. Perfect location to all activities. Walking distance to the witch house and all the cute shops. Behind the hotel are more shops and restaurants. I had the pleasure of meeting the General Manager Mitch. He was the nicest guy I have ever met and very personable. He took me and my gf for a ride in the mini taxi cart showing us around the Salem area so we could enjoy the scenery instead of walking. He is very professional and gave great advice on other restaurants I was unaware about. I have never experienced this kind of hospitality while visiting. Mitch even took the time to show us the new suites that were remodeled and I was very impressed. More hotels need this type of leadership and hospitality.

Myself and some friends stayed here (in 2 rooms) on the Saturday and Sunday of President's day weekend in Feb 2024. First off, I have to say I was very concerned about staying here based on the reviews I had read - and based on what I saw and experienced I do think they were accurate (Yelp does a much better job than Trip Advisor and Google at weeding out the fakes-which is why I try hard to keep my reviews fair/accurate and I don't even look at other reviews other than for pictures even then I look with a suspicious eye). I also try and keep in mind, most 1 or 5 star reviews could be the extreme...now having said that, I almost gave this place 5 stars based on my experience...almost. First off, check in was very easy and whoever checked me in on Sat let me check in early, was kind and made me feel welcome. That's a huge start-and that sets the tone for a whole visit. Because of the reviews-I didn't get my bags-I went up to my room to check for problems. I had room 426 which was a newly renovated room-and it was gorgeous. Someone decided to go heavy on the nautical theme, but that was fine...maybe even a little cute. Now keep in mind - THERE IS NO FRIDGE/NO MICROWAVE!!! I read that upfront, so I wasn't suprised...but in 2024 you have to be a moron to not include a fridge...but they rent them and have a restaurant. To be frank, the location here is amazing, but everyone in my group of friends thought this was a huge mistake on part of management and just plain lazy. Other than that though, my biggest gripe was that there were no plugs on the desk/bureau area to charge stuff or plug in a computer. There are good amount of plugs elsewhere but I'd bring some extensions if you are planning on working at the desk. We were here for 2 nights of concerts in Beverly and I don't think many other people stayed here for the concert-but Salem is def cooler than Beverly so overall I am happy I stayed here...but I asked the night manager, Garrett if I could get a 1pm checkout. He obliged, and I was so happy...untill I got the pounding on the door (Do not Disturb) sign on the door just before noon then multiple calls to the room. When I answered just after noon I explained I had till noon the lady basically threatened me with "Checkouts after noon will be charged extra". The poor communication between staff and the rudeness towards customers is beyond me. I had a business for 20 years and I wouldn't accept that from staff. The lady I dealt with on that Monday was rude and unapologetic - which to me reinforces all that I have read. I do think once the renovation is done and the staff sorted this place could be a real gem, but right now two floors are being renovated and customer service has to be worked on. For the record, when I left all the housekeepers were cleaning other rooms so you basically left me with a bad experience for nothing.

I love everything thing about this Hotel I love the room. Love the view love the beds but there was 1 thing that wasn't the hotels fault but when we were trying to sleep the people next door were in the hallway screaming

Staff is amazing ! Noelle in the pub downstairs was above and beyond and I hope I see her again when we come back. Loved the robes the pool the housekeeping and, the front staff.

The hotel is in a great location, near the historic warfs, museums, restaurants and shops The room was a decent size and comfortable. It did look like it could use some touch up(bathroom doors). They have an indoor pool, which we did not use. Free coffee and tea is offered in the lobby in the am.

Honestly, for the price, I found this hotel a bit of a disappointment. The staff was very nice, but couldn't answer questions about the hotel itself, and the rooms need to be modernized a bit. Even cheap hotel chains these days have upgraded rooms to allow for today's technology with USB ports in the rooms...not a single one to be found here and with as busy as this hotel is, they can afford to upgrade. They do seem to try to make up for this with nice robes, and plenty of nice toiletry products though. And, if you want a central place to stay in Salem, that has parking and a comfortable bed, this is a good option. Would I return? Yes...but definitely plan head. Make sure to take plug chargers for your devices.

My North Shore Boston go to hotel. As always, everything was perfect this trip. Ran into issues with my return flight & they bent over backwards to accommodate me. And the hotel restaurant is great. The dishes, prices & service were excellent. PS. Special shout out to Crystal at the front desk for her great service !

A good location with plenty of parking out front. A bit back from the busier side of Salem but still plenty of shops and places to eat. The room was very clean and comfortable. All the staff I met were friendly and helpful. Indoor is small but perfect for families with younger kids. Wifi was the only thing that was a problem. Constantly getting kicked off. A bit amused by the "waterfront" name. I think if you're on top floor and on one side you can see water. Other wise it's a parking lot or another building. Still, pleasant stay. The hotel restaurant was a bit hit or miss. Great waitresses but clearly understaffed. Breakfast dishes were tasty. Lunch and dinner were kind of basic. There are tons of other places. I recommend trying some others in the neighborhood.

PROS: This hotel had a nice location towards the center of the town. Nice staff, good food, and the rooms are nice CONS: They had mice by the front door near their hay and corn stalks decorations. The place seemed to be run down (carpets, scrapped up elevators, beat up gym). The restaurant service is slow because they only employed one guy to take care of everyone and the food was slow. OVERALL: I wouldn't recommend coming here until they fixed several aspects of this place, However, it wasn't that bad so if you do decide to come here it won't be a total let down

Our two night April 2023 stay at the hotel was very disappointing and far below the experience that was expected based on the reviews. I never would have stayed here had I known the extent of demolition and construction that was in process. Honestly, this is one of the worst hotel experiences I have had in 25 years of significant travel. The first morning we awoke to intense 4th floor construction in the room directly above our 3rd floor room - constant hammering, demolition and scraping on our ceiling. Then it returned later in the afternoon, and again the next morning. Taking the elevator up a floor revealed total demolition down to the concrete slab and the walls. There was no mention of any construction whatsoever at booking, and only a modest sign in the lobby indicating we are currently undergoing renovations. The front desk staff were friendly and pleasant, but powerless to do anything but offer me a pitiful $50 credit on a $450 bill at checkout. When not under construction, this is probably a wonderful hotel and the people are very nice. However, to me charging full rates with no advance notice of full scale demolition and construction are unacceptable business practices.

Keep in mind you are paying for the convenience of staying in Salem during their Halloween festivities. The room itself was nothing special, crappy view and no extras like complimentary breakfast in the morning. Not even a vending machine with drinks on site but they will give you bottled water if you ask. For a one night say (Thurs-Fri), our room with 2 full beds ended up costing almost $600. :( One perk, you can stay parked in their lot until 3pm the day you check out. Parking in Salem in October is a b*tch, so there's that.

Let me start by saying this hotel is overpriced. Other than that, it was nice. Our room had really comfortable beds and a big bathroom with nice soaps provided. There wasn't a view of anything from our room. The location wasn't bad though, on the water and walkable to everything. I'd stay again.

Not a bad place, but you're paying for the parking lot in my mind. The rooms are showing their age (peeling wallpaper, old fixtures, poorly anchored toilets). They're fine. Just fine. But to not have to worry about parking on the street was a big draw for this, since it seemed like most other hotels in the downtown area did not have lots. Decent little bar downstairs. Room service food does not arrive hot. Very nice staff - front desk was very accommodating. Its only a short walk to the major Salem attractions.

This hotel is very dated. I also don't understand why late checkout is so difficult to accommodate, especially since there is no breakfast, so you have to leave the property. It ain't no Hilton! And the Wi-Fi is like the early 2000's dial-up. Spend $$$ elsewhere!!

To the Xtreme!! This hotel was Xtremely nice. The worker at the front desk was Xtremely nice to us and very friendly. She even gave us an Xtreme room upgrade for no extra cost! Xtremely nice bed and big room with Xtremely good smelling soaps. The water pressure was not Xtreme, but that is okay because I do not shower a lot. To the Xtreme!!

Pros: -Clean room -Fantastic location -Live music at the Regatta Club Cons: -We checked into our room and they accidentally gave key card access to our room to another family... prompting the other family to waltz right into our room. Thank goodness we were in our room when it happened. This prompted safety concerns. -Due to the above mistake, our own key cards were deactivated -No grab bars in the bathroom... definitely not ADA compliant for those who need help getting in/out of the shower -The "makeup" towel was black... so no way of telling if it was clean or not so we definitely didn't use it -No microwave or refrigerator in the room Overall, I would stay here again simply due to the location. However, I would not choose this hotel if I was traveling with my disabled mother due to safety concerns.

So worth the price! Super clean, beautiful and classy. Convenient area and the beer garden was so fun!

Beautiful and clean, friendly staff. Great location. Nice pool. Comfy bed. Will will definitely stay again.

My husband and I love it here! Have spent many anniversary's here .. including this one our 25th. Clean , staff amazing .. shout out specifically to Ryan at front desk. Great pub downstairs to watch final 4 always on our weekend !! If I could give more then 5 stars I would.

This hotel is in a good downtown location and they offer parking. The front desk staff was friendly. We got a suite and for over $500 it was totally disappointing. The room was a good size, the bed was comfortable but, it was super dated and plain. The shower was OLD. The entire hotel needs to be remodeled badly. I would not stay there again.

Our stay at the Salem Waterfront Hotel was underwhelmIng at best. 1) Before the stay: Getting someone on the phone was impossible and when I did reach someone I felt that my call was an intrusion. Clearly the person who answered was multi tasking and very distracted. Just prior to our stay I phoned to confirm our reservation as the confirmation email I received was wrong. I left a voice message; never received a phone call back. I get it - staffing is a major challenge right now but it doesn't relieve the hotel staff from treating guests courteously. 2) The stay. Despite paying over $300 a night we were given a room with a broken air conditioner. In its place, a portable LG air conditioner that was extremely loud. When we addressed this with the front desk we were told we were lucky to have the LG unit as a few weeks ago there were a total of 15 rooms with non-working air conditioners and now they had only 3. Wow! We asked to be moved and that wasn't possible. And of course, no compensation was given for having to enduretwo sleepless nights due to the noise. 3) Parking: We drove around the parking lot and saw several available spaces blocked with cones. No one asked if we were guests of the hotel. We drove around, returned and flagged someone down who moved a cone for us after interrogating us for several minutes. Again, we felt that we were an inconvenience. The best part of the hotel is clearly its location. Walking distance to everywhere so that you don't need to take out the car. Not sure the trade off was worth it. I wont stay here again.

This was the worst hotel I stayed at on a two-week trip, despite being one of the more expensive. I was given a room with a broken air conditioner, a malfunctioning door latch, furniture with multiple holes, walls with several stains and strips of missing paint, etc. Instead of moving me immediately, the front desk sent workmen to fix the air conditioner. After 20 frustrating minutes, I asked again to be moved. They said they would see what they could do, but it was another 15-20 minutes before I was called back by the front desk. They told me they had managed to find another room for me, and that I could come down to get the key. So, my son and I lugged all of our stuff back down to the elevator, only to be given a key to a room two doors down from our first. It seems like the front desk staff could have brought it to us after so much inconvenience, rather than us bringing our luggage up and down repeatedly just to move a few feet down the hall. They were not friendly either- not openly rude but far from pleasant. The new room was in better shape, but still FAR from worthy of $400. And it was directly above the restaurant, with several events going on that resulted in blaring music until 11:00. I was given no warning to expect that, and no option for a quieter room. Room service/restaurant staff was very nice and helpful (unlike the front desk staff) but the food was very poor quality for dinner. So much so that we sought breakfast elsewhere despite originally planning to order room service again. Also, after calling to inquire about the loud music blaring from below I expressed to the front desk staff how unhappy I was with the whole experience, and requested a manager call me the next day. they never did.

Maybe if they hired some employees and actually paid they would have some decent service. But instead they want you to pay premium prices for subpar service. Go to the hawthorne.

Not a bad stay. A bit dated and our room looked out on the restaurant dumpster. However, the regatta pub was surprisingly good. Great stay over thanksgiving with local relatives.

Staying here for wedding. Daniel the manager was rude. I called to book and was quoted $169 each night and was told I had a refrigerator when I got confirmation was charged $169 and $239 the next night. I also was not given a refrigerator. They wanted to charge me $25 a night for the refrigerator When I asked Daniel if he would compensate me with a refrigerator he said no. Very bad business

No response or attempt to address the failure to apply the promised 20% discount for lack of hot water.

First off, I can't say enough about the staff at this hotel. They were incredibly friendly and accommodating. We arrived a bit early, but they had a room ready for us (more on that below.) and we were able to get settled into our room before check in time. Location-wise, this place can't be beat. It's somewhat centrally located to everything you'll want to see in Salem, and can pretty much walk anywhere, including the small downtown area and the wharf area, where there are some small shops & restaurants. The rooms are a decent size, and they of course, have free wifi, which is always great. Any hotel that charges for this service doesn't deserve my business and its great to see this be more and more of a freebie at most hotels. The indoor pool was great for my kids. In the age of Covid, you do have to reserve an hour time slot, just to maintain social distancing. Make sure you reserve some slots when you check in to avoid any disappointment. They do have an onsite restaurant that others seemed to enjoy, but we preferred to venture out, as there are many choices nearby to dine for any of the day's meals. The only bummer was that our hotel room faced the back alley. We were on the second floor, and on the first morning we were there, a delivery truck was making a delivery at 6am, and it made a lot of noise. The second morning, the trash truck came at 6am, and it made a lot of noise. It wasn't for very long, but it still woke me up, and I wasn't pleased. So, if you're allowed to request a room, get one that faces the FRONT of the hotel, not the back. Additionally, we booked three nights here initially, and found that two nights was plenty, so we decided to see if we could check out early (we had already paid), and the hotel allowed us to leave early and refunded us the final day. We ended up spending our final day in the city of Boston. I highly recommend this hotel and want to say thank you to their staff for being so friendly and attentive. Just remember to ask for a room in the front or on a higher floor so that deliveries & trash trucks don't disturb your beauty sleep!! ;-)

They didn't mention at check-in nor does it say on the web site that there aren't as many parking spaces as there are rooms. After a long day walking around town, we decided to drive to pick up food. When we got back the lot was full. It was only then that the front desk told us (and not very nicely) that we had to park in another lot about 5 minutes away. This should have been mentioned at check-in.

I'd rate this hotel about 3.5... Pros: Staff at the front desk were friendly, funny and matched a last minute rate we'd seen online (the evening staff were more friendly than the check-out staff). Location is perfect, on the waterfront near some great restaurants and shops. Parking wasn't a problem for us (I've heard weekends can be harder though). Walking distance to all the main Salem attractions. Cons: Breakfast was not offered in the room rate, which was a shame given the price of the room. We were woken up early by what I'm assuming was a delivery or garbage truck. The noise woke us both up at the same time and continued for about 20 minutes. This definitely ruined the experience for us as it's the only morning we didn't have to be up at the crack of dawn. Overall great location but overpriced for the quality.

They understand that the details make the difference to have a memorable experience. From fresh flowers in the lobby to top amenities pack in the bathroom and robes in the room. Quaint , great service, we were agreeably surprised. And definitely go for the breakfast, their potatoes and omelette were wonderful.

I was really happy with my room. The hotel was very nice compared to what I'm used to which is holiday express type of places. They had bath salts and robes. The bed was very comfortable. I spent more time in the hotel than I expected.

Pros: location, room quality and size (deluxe), no street or guest noise Cons: unfortunately there are a few. First, I had noted in the online booking that we were coming for my husbands 50th birthday and asked if there was anything I should or could do/know to make the night more enjoyable and memorable. I got NO reply at all. Upon check in, his birthday wasn't even mentioned. The clerk did not point out any hotel or local features, very transactional approach. He seemed uneasy and awkward in asking for a credit card for incidentals. I asked if they had any rooms available for the next night in case we decided to stay, and was told that there were some but no deluxe rooms so it would be a downgrade from what we booked and "you may not want that". The room was nice, but the a/c is loud and inefficient. The drapes were hanging down on one side allowing a lot of light in from the neighboring buildings/parking area all night.

Great hotel, very centrally located and kind staff. They offer a breakfast express option where you choose your breakfast and time of delivery the night before for the next morning. Only stayed one night so we didn't get to use all of the amenities.

Parking - very limited. The main lot is small. They have an overflow lot located down the road which was an inconvenience. Checking in - the hotel front desk staff were miserable, rude, and check in took far too long. Location - the only thing this place has going for it is the location. It's located in the heart of downtown and bars, restaurants, experiences are within walking distance. Room - slightly outdated. There aren't any charging ports for USBs. There was NO mini fridge in our room. Even the hangers in the closet were old. The room was big which was probably the best part of our stay. The lighting was terrible. The room was so dark and made it tough to get ready. Bathroom does not have a fan. The bed comforter was stained in several places the walls were chipped and desperately needed to be cleaned. Other - There is only one ice machine located on the 4th floor and it was broken. The elevators were extremely slow. Shower water pressure was okay. I wouldn't stay here again. It is way too expensive for the lack of amenities. There are much better places to stay in the area and if you are considering staying in Salem I suggest looking elsewhere.

The hotel's four-star rating is much about the employees and cleanliness of the room. Outside of that, the hotel is lacking in its repair and maintenance. The window in our room didn't seal right so there was a whistling all night as the wind blew which kept us up all night. As it turns out, subpar seals is not unusual as there is a similar problem in the pub which was cold in the pub morning as the seals around the sliding glass doors where not effective. Moreover, a walk around the hotel you see a lot of scraps on the walls on the floors, likely do to luggage carts or room cleaning carts. Elevator doors had big marks on them as they did not slide properly. The room rates were $159 on Thursday (Thanksgiving) night and $219 on Friday. Perhaps because the hotel was nearly full the general manager doesn't feel he needs to focus on needed capital expenditures. Of course, there were staffing issues but perhaps that is the results of the understaffing problem common in the hospitality industry. Though when I stayed at the Hawthorn last year also during covid there were no such issues outlined above.

This hotel is really a -two star establishment. The rooms are well worn, better described would be; shabby. Mix matched furniture, dented and scratched. There was a large, but out dated bathroom. The room was Nothing like the on line pictures which must be decades old. The service is poor, front desk surly and never answered the phone until we found out the direct dial buttons was broken and had been for a long long time, we were told. Then, the front desk still were slow on the draw when called. We had a suite which was not inexpensive, however, I must admit, spacious. The Regatta restaurant is a joke, and room service never showed up the first morning. The lobby was in need of new decorating and really wasn't a cozy warm spot to linger. We asked for extra pillows (for health reasons we need to be elevated) and was told the hotel had no extra pillows! SEROUSLY? The in room coffee maker was broken. When we asked for them to make up the pull out in the living room, twice, it didn't happen. Eventually, A not so clean blanket and very wrinkled sheet was carelessly left on the open sofa. All in all the room did not feel clean and fresh. I suggest going elsewhere, like the historical hotel just down the road. We ate at that establishment and the facility appeared much better managed and cared for.

Charming staff wonderful attention to detail. Thick towels, first rate toiletries, spacious rooms. Recommend it

Worst customer service! Two unused shuttles and an available driver YET they will not give us a 10 minute ride to get our rental car. It is downpouring....otherwise we would walk. Very POOR customer service! Will never recommend this hotel!

We stayed here for a week so I have a few more details than average: Staff: confused and inefficient at check-in; later throughout the week they were disinterested and rarely looked up when you came and went (no have a nice day, see you soon, welcome back, etc) Conference Room: delicious food, nice staff for service, working LCD projector and pointer, nice space Lobby Computer: free and in working order, I needed to print a page and it was very convenient Room: hmmm, the dresser drawers didn't shut all the way; they kept opening about 4-5 inches as if on a slope???, therefore, I couldn't use two of them Shower curtain: short, it stopped within centimeters of the ledge of the tub??? Wine Opener: we asked for one at the front desk and was told they don't give them to people because they don't allow people to bring alcohol into their room??? Workout Room: good equipment and space, but it smelled like cigarette smoke??? This is a decent hotel (location and amenities), but there's some work to be done starting with the rude and unfriendly staff, old dressers, no refigerators, inconsistent shower curtain lengths, and weird bottle opener policy. I truly hope they can improve for their customer's sake.

I was willing to give the shabbiness of this hotel a pass. And I was willing to overlook the fact that it took 90 minutes between us sitting down for breakfast and getting our bill. A delay which made us late for the wedding for which we were in town. But then they charged my credit card for the stay when I had prepaid through Expedia. After being on hold for over 20 minutes they asked me to send them my credit card statement so they could look into it. Because they have no idea why they charged me and don't know how to fix it.

SUMMARY: Listen, I have stayed in a bunch of chain hotels and a bunch of B&Bs. I'm not a super picky traveler, but lately I've found that I have a preference for chains like Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn, because usually the quality's pretty good, and at least I'm pretty guaranteed to get a clean, comfortable room with wifi. Well, for this trip to Salem, I was part of a wedding, so the hotel was decided for me. I was absolutely blown away by the service at this place. The staff were professional, thoughtful, and went above and beyond multiple times (see below). Plus, the rooms were clean and comfortable (and had wifi!). I would definitely recommend this hotel, *especially* if you're considering it for a big event. DETAILS: -Early check in was... never going to happen. This wasn't the hotel's fault; they had a ton of big events going on, rooms to turn over, etc. Respect the check-in time, and if you're going to need to be in a room earlier, either get a key to your friend's room, or book a room for the night before. Don't bet on an early check in time, especially if it's a big weekend with lots of potential for other weddings. The staff was sympathetic but honest with us about this, and called us as soon as a room was available. -Not a TON of parking right there, so they directed us to their overflow lot. Which was... really just a two minute walk away. Not a big deal at all. -Someone in our room didn't put the shower curtain inside the bathtub, resulting in a flood on our floor. Extra towels? Delivered promptly and without question. -The bar/lounge has fire pits outside. FIRE. PITS. -When we realized we had extra flowers for the wedding (we were arranging them in the rooms, DIY style), but no vases, I called down to the front desk to ask if they could possibly lend us two vases. They were surprised by the request, but told us to come on down and take a look at what they had. They wound up lending us two big vases for our floral arrangements -- no big deal, even though our wedding wasn't happening inside the hotel! 10 points for trust and awesomeness. -You know how wedding weekends are, right? You always find yourself hanging around the lobby, waiting for someone. Every time we did this, we invariably found ourselves having pleasant conversations and laughing with the desk staff whenever they were between other customers. It's just nice when people are human with you. -There are snacks and a refreshing beverage every day (or maybe just weekends? not sure) around 3 pm ish. Delish and totally a lovely touch. (Oh, and we're talking made from scratch stuff, not boxed cookies.) -The big anecdote: The night of the wedding, we got back from the reception before the couple and wanted to decorate their room. Only problem: No one had bothered to steal a key. How to get in? Should we lie and pretend to be one of them and get a replacement key? In the end, we decided on honesty, and to our delight, the staff said they would be happy to let us in to decorate, but that they had to send a staff member to accompany us for security reasons. This was SO wonderful for many reasons: 1. We got our decorating done. 2. Their stuff was still secure and protected. (I mean, you wouldn't want someone to be able to just break into your room that easily!!) Oh but it gets better. We were in the process of sprinkling flower petals all over the bed (we were totally being ridiculously sappy and over-the-top romantic), and I said, "Hey, maybe I can make a heart out of towels!" Up pipes the hotel staff member: "I can do towel swans, if you want." I MEAN REALLY, WHAT?! Before we know it, this sweet guy (whose name I have since forgotten, as I am a terrible person), is twisting up two large towels into swans, which we arrange on the bed -- their necks bend together and their beaks touch and it forms a heart. RIDICULOUS. For having comfy beds, clean rooms, and good service, I give them four stars. But for lending us vases, helping us get into a bridal suite, and MAKING TOWEL SWANS, it's gotta be five stars.

I've stayed at the hotel a number of times. This last time -- early June was less than a stellar experience. First off we were put in a room that was in the process of being remodeled -- missing furniture, frig, no carpet. I don't get it. If the room isn't done, why put a guest in the room? No room service either - we opted for it since we had a hectic day the following morning. Got a call from front desk that morning that the kitchen was closed -- couldn't they have told us the night before when we dropped off the Room Service Form? I asked for the hotel's managers card when we checked out. I sent him (Ryan Miller) an email about my stay. No reply. I called an left a message for him to call me. Nothing! This hotel has a great location, but when you're spending hard earned money to stay there, it should be a far better experience. And, it's beyond me why someone in the hospitality business ignores customer. Big thumbs down!

Despite the fact that this Waterfront hotel is not actually on the water, my room was very comfortable and clean, as well as centrally located. The downstairs bar also served breakfast, which was always good, hot and served by very friendly staff. After checking out and driving an hour south toward home, I realized I had left my Yeti insulated cup with the expensive magnetically closing lid. I quickly called and the manager agreed to mail it to me at their cost, which I felt was above and beyond. It also comes with free parking.

Had made reservations for Easter Brunch, a month in advance, arrived with my family and was brushed off and given no communication about our reservation. The frustration ensued as We had to put a credit card on file for reservation. They explained in the event we no showed we would be charged for brunch. With timing and Easter traffic, we left a scheduled tour early, to arrive in time for reservation. To our surprise the attitude of the reception welcome team was unorganized and standoffish. Continuously we were told to hold on and just wait, with no confirmation if we were getting in or on the list. We finally asked firmly if were listed for a reservation, and told no. They told us a table would be available if we waited. After not knowing what was going on for 10-15 minutes and the unwelcoming and uncomfortable wait we let the reception team know we would not be joining for brunch. She didn't say anything but shook her head in disgust.

They have a great location here, they know it and will make you pay dearly for that privilege. Perfect for exploring Salem, stroll downtown or to the maritime historic district in just a few minutes. Waterfront is a slight exaggeration but just across the parking lot is a tiny inlet packed with a marina. We managed to stay in two different rooms (reservation issues). Both of our king beds were kind of hard and had only one kind of pillow: lumpy foam. Expected better when they're charging well over two bucks a night. My standard is the ubiquitous and comfortable H@mpt0n inns; this place is harder on both the wallet and the old back. Clean but low-tech rooms, they had HD TVs, old school clock radios and a Keurig machine but that was it, no charging stations etc. Plenty of thick towels in the clean bathrooms. A superior room = small. A deluxe room = large. Now good luck remembering that lol. Free parking and free wifi (which usually worked but not always). One minor issue was that the windows in our second room were screwed shut and the bath ventilation was poor, couldn't let in a breeze to fight the dead stinky air. Staff was fine. Our stay was a-ok but I'm not a fan bcos the price-quality ratio was not favorable: $767 for 3 nights, ouch. We drank some in the little pub, which is also the coffee shop in the morning. Is $9 for a shot of Jameson fair? Seemed high to me.

Beautifully appointed hotel in the Salem maritime harbor. Friendly service, attentive staff and nice eatery. We stayed here for one night to enjoy Salem's history. The room was spacious, free water bottles, orange smelling toiletries, and a plush robe. We had drinks and appetizers at the Regatta Pub, wonderful setting for an evening drink.

This would've been a 3 or 4 star rating if not for the way we were swindled for an extra $1050 with no explanation. Here we go... The pros: The hotel is within walking distance of everything, the front desk staff was excellent and helpful, and I found the rooms clean. My daughter loved the pool, and I was very comfortable here. Overall, pleasant experience. The cons: There is no refrigerator in the rooms, nor any drink vending machines in the building, which isn't a huge problem but I would think these perks are easy enough to install and really worth it. Also, housekeeping never serviced our room until 3:30 - 4 in the afternoon. I've stayed in dozens of hotels, and I'm from Vegas, a city whose level of service is its bread and butter, and I've never had my room cleaned so late in the day. I leave by 9 am and stay gone most of the day to allow them to do their thing. I like coming back to a tidied room, made bed, and fresh towels later in the afternoon, so I can relax, clean up, and shower before dinner without worrying about housekeeping walking in on me. I think that's understandable. Now, again, not a huge problem. Just a slight aggravation. The biggest problem came after we left and found an extra $1050 charge on our credit card. My 9 year old bought a quill and ink souvenir in Salem, and unfortunately dropped some drops on the chair. It's ink. I understand it might be permanent and fully expected a cleaning fee. Instead, our card was charged over a thousand dollars with no itemized receipt for how they came up with that amount. We called, we left messages for the manager, and we emailed...no one will call us back or provide the itemized receipt, which begs the question...Why can't they prove what they charged me for? Looking at the other reviews, this seems like common practice for this hotel. To make bogus charges on customer's credit cards. It's a shame, too. Great location, and I loved the women at the front desk. I can't risk another grand, though. We'll try The Hawthorne next time.