Cliff Lodge

We were here for work, but the comfortable, clean bedrooms and delicious breakfast still made it feel like a nice vacation spot. The manager and staff were very welcoming, and I'd definitely recommend it.

We arrived at 8:30 pm and nobody was there to give us a room. A small card in the lobby had an attendant's number; I called, left a message, and waited. We eventually panicked about not getting a room and left. Cliff Lodge called later with apologies and said they wouldn't charge us, but we're still trying to get our $259 back. I guess that's what it cost to leave a bad review. I'll take this down if I receive a refund.

After more than a month, management said they'd sent the message about refunding the night's stay to the wrong person. That fits our experience: from my limited perspective, Cliff Lodge says one thing and does another, so I'm giving it one star. I believe people should mean what they say and do what they promise. We first found the lodge online around the Christmas/New Year's holiday, but its website was down, so I called and Maria was friendly while booking two rooms for two nights. A few days later we needed to shorten it to one night. I called Maria again; she said it was no problem since it was slow season, and thanked us for calling ahead. Check-in went smoothly, with only a slight language barrier. The older B&B was acceptable, and breakfast the next morning was okay, just a snack to get us to lunch. We checked out as arranged. While waiting for the ferry, I got a call from the staff member who'd checked us in, asking how things were. I said everything was fine and that we had left. A few minutes later, I received a bill for two rooms for two nights. I texted Maria about the incorrect charge and she assured me we'd been charged for only one night, but the bank showed two rooms for two nights. In the next few days, onsite staff sent us back to Maria about the refund, then she stopped responding. Staff said she was on vacation. Eventually she replied that she wouldn't refund us because of a cancellation policy. That policy had never come up before then. The site had been down, and Maria hadn't mentioned it when we called, even though she'd thanked us for calling ahead to cancel the extra night.

I used to love this hotel under its previous management. The couple who ran it were lovely, and the husband cooked amazing food. Now the management seems hands-off, leaving much of the daily work to on-site staff who were very unfriendly. I felt uncomfortable through my stay. The breakfast was like a continental spread at a Hampton Inn, and the small rooms feel like another drawback now that the food and staff aren't what they used to be. The hotel itself is cute and just a five-minute walk from town, but that's the main benefit. The woman I emailed about my booking was nice, though I don't think she was ever there in person. Sorry, I really did used to love this place.