Sail Inn B&B

We appreciated having a small kitchen with everything needed to prepare a meal, and the suite was very clean. It had a harbour view, the grocery store was a short walk away, and everything was close by. The staff person was lovely. It was a nice stay, though the free parking is limited to about two spaces, so you need to arrive before others. I wish we'd known in advance about the staff member's severe shellfish allergy, since we had leftover lobster and planned to make lobster rolls the next day. We had to eat it on arrival and then throw away the wrapper and other packaging. We enjoyed Lunenburg, and the museum is definitely worth a visit.

The room was spacious and clean, and the location is excellent with a beautiful harbour view. But the lack of staff, information, breakfast, and recommendations was a problem, especially since the building sign and website call this a bed and breakfast. There aren't many breakfast options in Lunenberg because many places include it, so nearby you can get coffee and a pastry but not much of a full breakfast. There are a few brochures, including one for Newfoundland that was about a year old, which wasn't much use in Nova Scotia. Communication with the host was horrible. We booked directly eight months ahead and got an online confirmation. A few months later I emailed to add a night to the same reservation, but never heard back. After a few weeks, I booked the fourth night through the website and got its automatic confirmation. Then the owner sent a confused email about switching rooms and seemed not to understand my question or read the dates I’d sent. At check-in, I hadn’t received any instructions and didn’t think much of it. I didn’t know it was effectively a ghost property with an absentee owner. Finding a locked door with only a keypad to enter was a shock, and I panicked. I called the number and he got us inside, but seemed confused and disoriented again. He asked for my credit card number even though there was no prepayment when booking and I hadn’t been offered that option. A few days into the stay, he called and emailed to say the card didn’t work. I had to call back despite the very spotty service in Lunenburg. He was confused again and said the expiry date I gave him was 2021, which was four years earlier. It all worked out, but the whole thing was stressful and not what we expected.

The bathroom was really nice, and the room was great and clean. We could hear everything from the room above, so it could use some soundproofing. We had no contact with staff and there wasn’t much service. Despite the sign on the building, there was definitely no breakfast.

Parking was tight for our charger: there are only three spaces for four cars. We worked it out with the other guests and got all four cars on site, and there’s free street parking after hours. The location in Lunenburg is great and the harbour view fantastic. Rooms are clean and cozy, with an updated, clean bathroom. The air conditioner worked well but was noisy. I was disappointed there was no breakfast, even though TripAdvisor advertises one. The owner could have posted an update about that. It was mentioned on the Sail Inn site, and there are restaurants across the street for breakfast.