The Beaufort Inn — Hotel in Beaufort

After our recent stay at The Beaufort Inn I was fully prepared to write a scathing review of the less then stellar accommodations but I first want to fully acknowledge John. I’m not sure if he was a front desk attendant or a manager but if he’s not a manager he should be. When we initially arrived at check in we were greeted by another attendant who took us to a dark, dusty, two bedroom suite in what I think is the Fisher Cottage. The first thing I noticed was the musty, stale smell of the room, the worn furniture, filthy fireplace and dirty walls. We tried to ignore these shortcomings since we knew it was an older property but historic doesn’t excuse inadequate cleaning. From there our evening went from bad to worst once we discovered the air conditioning was inoperable and the room temperature was 80 degrees and rising. In addition to the broken air conditioner the bed frame on the king bed was broken which caused the bed to droop to one side and the numerous area rugs looked as if they hadn’t been shampooed in years. Furniture overall in the entire room was old and wobbly, which caused the room to shake with every step. After seeing the bed was unstable we looked underneath and found a piece of plywood with nails sticking out laying under the bed. I have no idea what this was being used for but the fact that it was left under a wobbly unstable bed is more then concerning. After receiving no response from the supposed 24hr front desk we packed and fully intended to leave the next morning and find other accommodations. That’s when John showed up. John didn’t just call but he walked over to our suite and immediately apologized for what was a hot and miserable night of no sleep. After speaking briefly, John returned within minutes holding the keys to our new room in the Shepherd’s Cottage I believe, as well as providing us with a $75 credit on our bill. While we appreciate this gesture, at $200 a night, the adjustment should have covered a full nights stay. In closing I must say the new room was night and day from the former . It was bright, immaculately cleaned, with all updated fixtures and furniture and most importantly an icy cold fully functional air conditioner and comfy bed. While I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the issues with the Fisher house, we wholeheartedly appreciate the efforts and professionalism John displayed in making the rest of our stay pleasant. In conclusion, while I would like to say that I would gladly return to the Beaufort Inn on my next visit, unfortunately first impressions are lasting impressions. In the future, hopefully this review will ensure that a thorough quality check is completed prior to guests arriving and receiving less than optimal...

We stayed 2 nights in greyhound flats and then 4 nights at caretakers cottage. Greyhound flats room is massive, updated, smelled sparkling bleach clean, and well kept except one closet door that had rips in it. The shower is huge. Zero view but literally on the block to bay front / area to walk around. They have beach passes, bikes, chairs etc you can borrow. Passes for breakfast for two local places. Staff was always super friendly. Texted requests and very prompt. No room clean up etc. Have to ask. Location is great. I’d give greyhound flats a 3.5/4. That’s the good… til we moved to caretakers cottage. I’m surprised they can continue to rent this safely. I guess folks overlook issues for location? There were doors to a little back drive that had fallen off and were laying on the ground. Windows on one side had no paint — mostly scraped or worn off. Down to bare wood. The porch was nasty. The back porch had 2 different color deck boards. The whole left side of the house inside slants downward just off the living room. Guessing significant water damage. As in — the doors won’t open / close properly it’s so off kilter. The one toilet rarely flushed completely. The hvac vents are coffee in black dirt or mold or something. The stove has duct tape on a handle. The dining table has marks and water stains all over. Coffee pot was old and dirty. There was water damage at baseboards in bathroom and water damage in multiple places on ceiling. Pics missing in one bedroom as there were still plastic holes to hold them. The whole house smells of mold/ mildew. I have asthma and needed a rescue inhaler all week /daily and mold is a trigger. It’s surface clean just a ton of disrepair. Which is sad. It’s not even really “charming” from the outside just looks sad. A friend stayed in a queen room on second level in building next door and her room was very small but fresh paint, well appointed, old wood floors that were actually charming. We stayed a week which was just way too long for this tiny town with little to do and many businesses that close on Sunday / Monday and at 8/9 in evening. I advised of concerns at checkout (figured nothing they could do while we were there to fix so many issues), and they didn’t acknowledge. They had already taken $100 off our $1100 bill for caretakers cottage because of issues with hot water. I’d really check the reviews for the specific unit you are renting and ask staff about whether it has been updated. The pictures online don’t do the cottage Justice. A buyer...

I travel a lot. Everywhere I go, people told me I had to visit Beaufort. So, when a chance to spend a few days there with friends who were traveling through the area, I jumped.

Beaufort: amazing, beautiful, practically magical with its single-lane roads, water fronts, boutiques, restaurants, and ancient buildings.

Hotel Location: Took being in Beaufort up several notches - you can walk to practically everything in that wonderful city.

Hotel Itself: Is theoretically wonderful. It's a sprawling group of old houses and buildings. Physically it's beautiful.

The staff: Intelligent, out-going, friendly, really dedicated to the hotel.

My room: I stayed in the Greyhound Flats. The room was huge and very nicely laid out. But.....

Why this isn't a five-star review: Well, when I was there the room I was in was suffering from a severe case of deferred maintenance. The fridge did not work. And, they were sorry but there was nothing they could do about it on the weekend. For me, as a person who has severe food allergies, being able to store foods I could eat was a problem. I did buy an ice chest and that helped.

Then the handle on the front door, which automatically locks when the door is closed, intermittently stopped unlocking to the key. So, if I went out I sometimes couldn't get back in easily. Again, they were very sincerely sorry but, since it was a holiday weekend nothing could be done until next week. In the meantime, if I couldn't get in I could walk around the block to the hotel lobby and someone would come help me get into my room. My friend, when she arrived, suggested blocking the handle's lock with paper then always using the deadbolt to secure the room. That worked very well.

I don't mind things failing. Bleep happens. I am very concerned that the hotel was unable to repair those things pretty quickly.

They did apologize and did deduct a significant amount from my bill.

So, I don't know. So much is right about Beaufort and about this hotel. I may be back. Right now, they are doing extensive renovations to the hotel. Maybe I'll wait until those are complete then try it again. I'm torn. But...