Surfside Inn Chatham — Hotel in Chatham

Came here for a wedding weekend during which the Surfside Inn did not have a deal for us, but was listed within walking distance of Chatham Bars Inn where the wedding was held. While in theory it is walking distance, the area closer to CBI did not have sidewalks, so would not actually recommend walking. However, ubers were about $10. We were able to walk into town fully on sidewalks, but decided not to at night because we have heard cars are known for speeding in the area and the streets are quite narrow. Better safe than sorry.

Back to Surfside...we absolutely loved it. We truly felt like we were staying with family. Chris provided thoughtful suggestions, always asked how our outings were and chatted to us about where we were headed out to. Everything was explained super thoroughly. We felt very safe and welcome.

Breakfast (continental) was provided, which most hotels didn't seem to do - had basics like coffee and tea, oatmeal, hot chocolate, pastries, fruit, bagels and english muffins. They also always had granola bars around which ended up being super helpful to hold us over when we needed a snack during the day. They had a "vending machine" with a few alcoholic beverages available, as well as water, all reasonably priced.

The Inn had more amenities than we expected - although not fancy, super helpful stuff like a fridge for everyone to use (we brought home leftover wine and food one night and were able to store it), beach towels, beach wagons, beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers and more all to borrow.

There were two outdoor showers, a fire pit and nice porch, where happy hour was held each evening where they offered wine and cheese, which was so thoughtful! There was a business area and plenty of tables if you needed to do work.

Our room had everything we needed - the only thing we would have liked is a full length mirror (hard to get ready for a wedding without one!) some type of closet (or just more wall hooks) and a few more drawers to put things away. Other than that, the bed was comfortable and clean, bathroom was standard and also clean, basic toiletries were provided and we had a table with chairs, hangers, night stands with big drawers and laps and working AC! Truly almost everything we needed. Would also love a pool, but I know that's asking a bit much! Something to consider down the line maybe.

You could definitely hear other guests (for example, a baby crying in the next room), but people were definitely respectful of quiet time and there was no rowdiness.

Something to keep in mind is that it's listed as 2-2.5 stars, which many people think reflects things like cleanliness and related aspects. Hotel star ratings rate what the hotel provides, from basic, no frills, a place to put your head down and shower to luxurious amenities. The Surfside Inn provided more than enough for our stay and the vibe was very Cape Cod! Would 100% come back - Thank you Chris for...

If you are looking for a simple establishment as a home base for your walks to the beach and into Chatham, this quaint Motor Inn will work beautifully. However, we were disappointed in the rooms. First, the walls are paper thin, so we heard every word from the TV and phone calls and conversations in the rooms beside and above us. We were kept up several nights by those with later bedtimes than us and woke up when the first guests took their showers. Our toilet tank leaked into the bowl, so we had to turn off the water to it at night to fall asleep since housekeeping was unable to fix it. We were exhausted in the morning.

Secondly, there are several easy things that could be done for better safety around the property such as hotel locks on the doors (they had a simple twist lock), locked doors to the hallways, pavers to the back stairs, etc. Other thoughtful things, such as an email confirmation the day before with front desk hours or a note that there are no closets or hairdryers, could have set our expectations better. What was helpful were signs such as ‘don’t run the AC at the same time as the hairdryer’. Other things, like paint splattered on the bathroom art, reminded us of our low budget choice.

The linens and room were clean. The breakfast was advertised: coffee, store bought bagels and danishes, apples. We walked in to town and brought our own breakfast back to eat on their lovely porch. Their extras — beach supplies (wagons, umbrellas, chairs) and wine/cheese/fire pit — are adequate.

As a last minute getaway, we are grateful for the central location Surfside offered. We definitely took advantage of its proximity to the beach and town. Set your expectations appropriately and this place...

Our room was cheery and nicely made, about 16x12, clearly newly remodeled and unfortunately had a residual chemical smell which I think might have been made worse by the heat. There was no AC, only a fan, so we kept the windows open for fresh air and an occasional breeze. The lamps took up most of the night tables so there wasn't anywhere to put things except the bed or the top of the mini fridge. The closet was tiny but it had hangars, the washroom was also tiny but had nice fluffy towels and the requisite toiletries, but no trash bin and no way to hang up your wet towel. The large television hung on the wall didn't work but we never mentioned it since we aren't interested in watching anyway. There was wi-fi however. Breakfast was nothing fancy fresh fruit, bagels, instant oatmeal, coffee that sort of thing. The outside porch was nice to sit and relax but a picnic table would be a great addition. We were first shown to a very outdated room that had two beds. Since there were only two of us we asked for a different room and was told to speak to the manager but he was gone. When we did talk to another gentleman later on, he showed us the room we stayed in. No one gave us a tour of the property, offered any info or really made any effort at interacting with us. There were brochures in the lobby though. We were told that the property is under new management and just figured it's in the growing stage and that the new owners are not local. The location isn't bad, but I don't think the price is justified during the transition considering the abundance of other...