Shoreham Hotel

We had a second-floor ocean-view room, and the view was great. The water stayed hot and the AC worked well, but the room itself was small, with a fridge beside the only sink. The bathroom and square shower were cramped. To get to the toilet, we had to step next to the shower to close the bathroom door. The TV picture was blurry. There's no early check-in, though they let us check out two hours early. Getting to the boardwalk meant going around the building, and carrying our luggage down the narrow stairs at checkout was difficult. The floors creaked and weren't level. Music from the bar below was loud on the first floor at night, but we couldn't hear it from the second floor.

Being right on the boardwalk made things really convenient for me and my kids, and I'd stay here again. Our room was clean and the AC was very cold. The staff were great and helpful, but there's no elevator, so the stairs were quite a workout. The hallways were also very hot.

The boardwalk is close, but that's about the only upside we found. Our first-floor room had thumping bass from the restaurant or shop below, at least until midnight, so sleeping was difficult. The online photos make the rooms look modern, which was misleading: ours was small and quite dated, with visible water damage in the bathroom. During five nights, housekeeping never came once. The price would be easier to accept if it were low, but this place is extremely overpriced. I'd book somewhere else.

Room 118 was tucked into a tiny alcove above Ocean Waves and Telescope Pictures. It was small, but clean, and the two windows faced the boardwalk and beach. They opened all the way, and with the lovely weather we kept them open. The bed was right by the windows, so we could look out from bed. The location is hard to beat. The noise ruined it for us. Bass and music from the business below went on until 11:30 PM Friday and 12:45 AM Saturday. Water pressure was awful, too. My hair is so thick I knew washing it would mean never getting the shampoo or conditioner rinsed out. Never again.