Chincoteague Inn — Hotel in Chincoteague

We had a terrible experience at this inn. Upon initial check in, we had to fill out paperwork due to Covid-19 saying we would wear masks in all common areas and if we desired to have housekeeping come in or not; to which we checked no bc we didn’t want any unnecessary traffic into our room by unknown persons. Everything seemed fine at first and the staff was pleasant. On the second day we were in the room eating lunch, when someone knocked on the door. We had the “Do not disturb sign” hanging outside the door, they knocked again and when no response came to the door, a man entered our room with a key card and said “sorry” before backing out with no other explanation and we are unsure if he worked here or was another guest. We called the office and they said they would look into the matter, but did not seem overly concerned. As 2 young women a unknown grown man entering our room was a frightening experience; especially stopping and considering we were far from home with no one to call to help us. The very next day, same situation sign on the door and housekeeping entered without knocking or regarding the sign on the door saying that the office told them “we were not in” and backed out with only a small “sorry” in response. Fed up we went down to the office to make sure there wasn’t any issues with the papers such as a mismarked box. Nothing was wrong with the paper work and we were told that the issue would be addressed, this time with a little more concern because we had confronted them face-to-face. It is incredibly frustrating to have our wishes disregarded by an incompetent staff for ignoring simple signage such as “do not disturb signs” as it is a risk to our health right now and the safety of our valuable items. In addition I will add that there was no safe to lock up valuables and we had to creatively find hiding spaces.

I will also add that the staff was not seen wearing masks except in the front office and frequently smoking in front of the “non-smoking” rooms.

The room was as to be expected for a hotel/motel with a musty smell and a very small bath space; the walls and ceilings were like paper and you could hear every motion someone made in the room either above or next to you. It was lucky that we brought air freshener and other cleaning supplies to clean the room to our own standards due to the pandemic. All of the towels which were “clean” and left outside of the room were covered in long strands of black hair; in addition to this we also found hairs in the blankets on our third day in the room, same long dark stringy hair not matching either of our hair lengths or colors. We started refusing towels and using our sandy beach towels to dry off after showering to get...

THE ROOM

We stayed in a Premium Non Smoking King room for 6 days at the end of July/beginning of August. The room was clean and spacious with a king bed, two night stands, a pull-out couch, a coffee table, two dressers, a television, a small dining table with 2 chairs, a small microwave, a mini fridge with a small freezer section, and a coffee maker. The bathroom had a sink with cabinets in the vanity, a toilet, and a shower/tub combo. There was also an iron and ironing board, a place to hang up clothes, and a hair dryer.

Outside of the room was a plastic chair and a railing. Guests used this area to hang up beach towels, bathing suits, etc.

The AC unit inside the room was fairly loud, but we made do, and didn't need to keep it running all night to sleep comfortably. We were on the first floor, so we could hear the footsteps of those staying in the room above us, but that felt expected and didn't ruin our stay.

THE PROPERTY

There was a pool at the front of the property with lounge chairs, a grass area in the back with picnic tables and space for playing outdoor games (corn hole was available), and an outdoor enclosed kitchen/dining space for hotel guests to use. It offers a full-size fridge with freezer, an ice machine, a stove/oven, basic cookware, like pots and pans, and picnic tables. The kitchen area closes around 10 pm each night, and it was always open early enough the next morning to grab ice before heading to the beach.

Parking is available on both sides of the building with nearby auxiliary lots if you can't find a closer space.

THE LOCATION

You really can't beat this location! It is right next to a secondhand shop and a food truck, and right cross the street from a seafood restaurant. You can walk to Dollar General, a local pharmacy, Island Creamery, Mr. Whippy's, Sandy Pony Donuts, and several beach shops in 1-5 mins. You can easily walk a bit further to Pico Taqueria, Build Your Own Cookie, mini golf, and so many other shops. Bike rentals are available less than a 1-minute walk away as well. Plus, the beach is just a short drive away.

THE STAFF

The staff we interacted with at check-in and check-out were very polite and professional. Housekeeping is available each day starting at 9 am. You can hang a Do Not Disturb sign and then swap it for a Maid Service Requested sign if you want to sleep in but still have your room cleaned later when you're out.

OVERALL

This was a wonderful and affordable place to stay in Chincoteague. The room was clean, we always felt safe, and the location was fantastic. I loved being within walking distance of so many places to shop, eat, and...

This was our 3rd and final stay at Chincoteague Inn, unfortunately. We arrived on 7/22 and just left yesterday, 7/25.

Upon arrival everything looked great, no issues initially. The man at the front desk was very kind and helpful. I noticed a little later on that evening that there were long black hairs on the bedding and the fresh towels, not to mention stuck to the bathroom door and shower walls. We only had 4 bath towels, despite our booking stating there were 5 of us. My boyfriend went down to ask for an extra towel to which the lady there said "well did you tell us you had a 5th person?" Wow! Yes, we did..hence the cot we also requested (and received without issue).

We requested room service at check in, however, we had to call on Sunday to actually get it. Sunday around lunch time, to be more exact. So we'd already used our towels twice by then and had 2 full trash bags. When I called, they did send someone immediately who explained they are understaffed and she's very sorry. I understand that, however, to me it's unacceptable.

There was no plunger in the bedroom and so when our toilet overflowed onto the floor (they said they were having septic issues), we had to call and request a plunger be brought up.

There was no parking for us one of the evenings, we were instructed to park across the street in a dark wooded area.

There was chewed gum stuck in the lamp fixture which I noticed as I woke up one morning, as it was right in my face.

The refrigerator did not keep anything very cold and the freezer did not freeze anything we put in there.

The pool was just "okay". It was VERY green and warm, with a lot of dirt/bugs/sand in it.

There appeared to be black mold spots on the ceiling in the VERY small bathroom.

On our last night there, there was a family above us that sounded as if the circus was happening for hours overnight. I finally called the front desk at 4AM and he simply said "I'll give them a call" and hung up on me. We then noticed a family of 2 adults and 10 children leave from said room to go fishing (gear with them). I was surprised that many people could legally and safely be in one motel room.

Lastly, at checkout I expected a "how was your stay?" or basically any pleasantry. But I handed him the keys and he said "ok thanks you're good to go, bye"

I used to tell everyone that this is our go to stay in Chincoteague when looking for a cheaper option. I will never again stay there after...