Surf 16 Motel

We were given a room without the full kitchen we had booked, but the staff were friendly and accommodating. They found us a room at their other property that suited our needs, and still let us use the pool at 16 and Surf. I appreciated that it's a family-owned business. The first room was cozy, very clean, and well organized, with smart use of the space. We stayed last summer and would definitely stay with them again.

The floor was so gritty that I couldn't take my shoes off without feeling like I was walking on a dirty beach, and the room had a sickening smell. Even with plenty of vacancies, I was put in the darkest, most closed-off part of the motel, like an underground walkway. The bed was right by the door, so I could have tripped over it walking in. I can appreciate retro, but this felt like a dingy closet. The tiny 50's bathroom was mostly clean, though there was nowhere to plug in a hair dryer or razor by the mirror. There was just one outlet by the bed. I don't know who usually stays here, but it won't be me or anyone I know. I couldn't get out fast enough.

The location is great, near the beach and boardwalk, but the management was the rudest I've dealt with in all my years going down the shore. We booked for three adults and were polite. On the first day, two friends stopped by to walk to the beach with us, and the woman at the front counter ran out yelling about how many people were in the room. She tried to charge our card for extra guests. The rest of the weekend, we were reprimanded and threatened by the owner, Rick, whenever we passed the front counter. He said our card would be charged if there was damage, though there wasn't any. On Sunday, the woman insisted on inspecting the room before checkout and again threatened a charge if she found damage. She found nothing, since we'd treated the room respectfully. Then she said she wanted to charge us for using too many towels. Buyer beware. I would think twice before trusting management with a debit or credit card. I'm sure we aren't the first guests they've tried this tactic on.

My stay last year was a good one. The owner remembered our phone conversation, even though the woman at the desk didn't know the rate I'd been quoted for five days and four nights. There wasn't a ground-floor efficiency with a kitchen available, but he somehow made it work for me, my daughter, and my disabled four-year-old son, who uses a wheelchair. All the rooms were clean, including the kitchen and bathroom, and the rooms my older kids had upstairs were clean too. The pool and its area were very clean, and my kids and I enjoyed it. The owners and other guests were friendly to me and all my kids. Nights were peaceful and quiet. I know everyone has their own experience and opinion, but mine was good.