Ocean House Hotel at Bass Rocks

The waves crashing against the rocks all day and night were a highlight, and the fire pit was especially nice in September. Breakfast had the usual continental items, along with warm filled croissants, hard-boiled eggs, and fruit salad. We had to move our May reservation to September at the last minute, and the staff handled the change smoothly. Everyone was friendly and knew their stuff. The rooms were lovely overall, though the sliding doors in both rooms had swollen badly from dampness and were nearly impossible to open. That was our only problem. We'd love to come back.

The view is amazing, and that's really the reason to stay here. We had a great receptionist when we arrived, but service after that was second rate. In the middle of our five-day stay, we asked for a room refresh, but the sheets weren't changed, and they weren't very accommodating about towels. I know we were a party of five, but we had told them that. I was refused a late checkout, which is normal, but when I asked to speak with the manager, the receptionist laughed at me. I came in with high hopes, so that's on me.

The view was spectacular, and we really enjoyed the pool and hot tub. Breakfast was delicious, too. But we paid close to $500 a night for a four-star hotel to celebrate our 40th anniversary, and the stay didn't feel worth that price. Our room wasn't ready until an hour after check-in because, they said, a manager had to inspect it. We were promised 10% off the first night, but never got it. The manager clearly hadn't checked carefully: there was a pair of men's underwear on the floor behind the curtain. When we called the front desk to speak to a manager, that never happened. We also brought champagne to enjoy on the balcony and found no glasses, even plastic ones, only paper coffee cups. I'd rate this two stars at best, despite the hotel's four-star rating.

Great spot on the ocean, convenient to Gloucester, with a nice pool, fire pit, and breakfast. One room warning: our second-floor corner room in the north building had a big internet switch and UPS in the closet, and they were rather noisy.