Ocean Breeze B&B

The one real plus was how close the B&B was to the ferry. Beyond that, I found it poor value. The food was mediocre at best, and the neighborhood was so-so. The room downstairs was dark and cluttered, with barely enough room for our suitcases. Its makeshift trundle sagged and was awful. The tiny shower had narrow steps that became slippery when wet, so getting in and out felt dangerous. The towels were worn, and cleaning supplies were scattered around the sill and floor. Tacky. I also didn't appreciate the hostess's humor. She made fun of my husband's hearing impairment and complained about other guests. The place was definitely overpriced for what you get. In my husband's review, the host replied that we had never stayed there. I guess that's her way of trying to neutralize his bad review.

The view wasn't the ocean we expected. It was of a large refinery, with noisy trains passing day and night, and Margaret's dog barked late when we were trying to sleep. I like dogs, but she could have kept it quieter. Margaret herself struck me as overbearing and annoying, and I couldn't wait to leave this less-than-charming place. I wish I'd read the other reviews before booking. Our room was so cramped we could hardly move around the bed, and there was no common sitting area, just that small room and a crowded kitchen table. Furniture was falling apart in both the room and dining area, the carpet was old and dirty, and the kitchen was filthy. When I plugged in the provided tea kettle, the power went out. The shower felt unsafe too, especially stepping with wet feet onto the ledge. We ate breakfast on the first day and thought it was mediocre. We wanted to eat at around 8 the next morning before heading out, but Margaret didn't want to get up until 9:30, so we went to a nearby coffee shop instead. Breakfast should have been included. The photos make the place look nice, but it's overpriced, and a lot of maintenance and upgrading is needed before it feels like a nice B&B. Our stay in late May was awful.

The guest house was nice for our family of four, and the TV could swivel so we could watch from the bed or the kitchen table. It was a little cramped, but worked well. The owner was kind and helpful with directions around the area and across the harbor. She gave us pasties when we met her near the guest house, which was appreciated. She seemed a bit tired of it all, though. We arrived late one night with only two of the four people in our party because of passport issues, and it was really hard to find the place in the dark. Breakfast was free on the first morning. After that, it's not really a bed and breakfast: you have to ask the morning or night before and pay for it. We stayed in July 2023 before a cruise. I'm writing this for my parents, so my name wasn't on the rental information.

The breakfasts were nice, though there wasn't much food, and Margaret didn't mention they only start at 9 a.m., which is late if you're an early riser. We booked a room for four for two nights. It was spotless and spacious, with a kitchen and a big bathroom, so the place was above average, though nothing extraordinary. A couple of things bothered us: a $25 CAD per night pet fee was built into the room price and couldn't be negotiated. I'm not sure that's even legal. Also, using the locked washing machine cost $20 for one load.