Wentworth by the Sea — Hotel in New Castle

Checked into this seemingly beautiful and historic property for a three night stay. Traveling from San Francisco with my husband, and we were looking for a comfortable property near the coastline to spend several nights relaxing after five days seeing friends and family and various places. ||A big storm was growing in the northeast, so we changed our plans to be up near Mount Washington and decided to stay here where we would have a full service restaurant, bar, room service, and resort amenities. We immediately spoke with the restaurant manager and made a 7 PM dinner reservation in the main dining room. We arrived shortly before 7 to find a long line of people literally queuing out the door and into part of the hotel lobby. Everyone seem baffled about the lack of communication from anyone regarding the wait, but we were confident that we were hotel guests (restaurant is open to the public) and that we had a reservation. We were mistaken. It took 45 minutes before anyone helped us to a table and instead of apologies or a glass of wine or anything while we waited, we were ignored. Once we were finally seated, we had to wait 45 minutes for the bottle of wine that we wanted to go with our dinner. Although our server was kind and personable, this was simply beyond inexcusable. The hostess was also the food and beverage manager, and she was hastily bussing tables and setting new places at tables, but this was beyond an excusable. I was so upset by the way the evening had progressed that I wanted to check out the next morning. However, our plans and our flight schedule were difficult to change and we decided that surely things would get better the next day.||Regarding the actual room itself, the hotel runs on some type of heat pump system so you cannot decide that you would like air conditioning or just the fan or heat. Rather, you choose a temperature and it will constantly work to try to either raise the temperature to that number or lower the temperature to that number, which meant we were sort of stuck in a bad middle ground where even 68° meant that the system was going to try to pump heat into our room. Working with engineering we were told many people have an issue with this situation and that we could just opt to have them cut the circuit breaker to our room. We had no choice as we cannot sleep with heat pumping into our bedroom. The sliding door was available for some fresh air, but of course there was no screen. Worse than the inability to put cool or warm air into the room at Will, the compressor that was in the wall near the foot of the bed vibrated and rumbled so much that the floor of the room and even the pillows upon which you were placing your head were vibrating such that it was impossible to ignore. Once our system had been deactivated by the circuit breaker, we could still feel the floor vibrating from the adjacent room on the other side of the wall. With the vibration in our pillow pillows all night long, sleep was terrible for me. I do understand that this is an older property, but people check into hotels in order to at some point get some rest.||Room service orders were all incorrect. Breakfast order somehow did not get put into the system and after an hour, a telephone call confirmed that somehow it had been missed. Apologies, apologies, and more apologies. All of the staff seemed kind and courteous, but they all seemed very young and inexperienced and it left us wondering repeatedly just exactly who is in charge? I honestly lost track of how many times I was told “I’m sorry.“.||Our little refrigerator in the room was not working so we had to call engineering. More apologies.||The shower pressure was good, but the towels were honestly what you would expect in a one star roadside Motel. I cannot imagine how anyone can think the towels at this hotel are remotely acceptable.||I think the last straw for me was when I dropped something from the night table and needed to retrieve it from slightly under the bed and saw all of the dust on the bed frame, floor and baseboards. Just disgusting.||I would give the hotel maybe two stars. Housekeeping seemed friendly and were trying to be helpful. All of the restaurant servers and front desk clerks were also kind and courteous, but it literally seemed that for any room or Restaurant issues there was simply not an adult in charge.||Sadly, I was anxious to leave and very much regretted spending over $1500 on three weekday nights at this property. I was certainly not expecting the Four Seasons, but they could do much,...

Not impressed.

My mother and I decided to treat ourselves to an overnight on the seacoast. We promptly arrived for check-in and after dropping off our bags, we made our way to the spa where we had booked treatments. The treatments were enjoyable, however the waiting area, at least in this particular occasion, was quite full. They refer to this space, as the tea room. You wait here to be taken to your treatment and in between if you've booked multiple treatments. It's proximity to the pool, which is well attended by children, doesn't allow for the relaxed state you hope to maintain. It could stand to benefit from light music or a sound machine to drown out the background noise. After our treatments, we enjoyed a beverage at the bar and a light snack. We ordered the fallafel's. Be prepared to chew. A lot. We had dinner reservations at an offsite restaurant so were quite happy to hear they offered a complimentary shuttle service. The ride was smooth and prompt both to our destination and our return. The following morning we decided to order room service. A light fare of fruits, coffee, baked goods for one meal and a standard eggs, bacon and sides. The food was warm and enjoyable. However, during the consumption of this meal, which occurred around 9AM, we received a brisk knock on the door followed by our door opening. Before we could respond, a maid was in our room. They realized we were still in the room and apologized before closing the door. A mistake we thought? Miscommunication between the front desk and clean up crew on rooms that have checked out-perhaps? As we took in the meal we discussed how outdated we felt the decor and room itself was. We understand the historic element of this building but some upgrades would be prudent. We moved on to packing up and cleaning before we checked out for 11AM. Around 10:15AM, as I was finishing my shower, I had previously called down for more shampoo and conditioner, which by the way was never delivered, so I thought perhaps this was it. Nope. Another visit from the maids, knocking and quickly entering before we could get to the door. Listen, I get it. Mistakes happen. But this was disruptive, we felt rushed and not exactly the kind of service you expect when you pay upwards of $400 for a night.

Be prepared to pay ahead. The room fee was charged several days ahead of our stay. I agree with a deposit, but the whole fee, I thought that was odd. Throughout the day and night we stayed I received several texts, which were auto-generated, reminding me of my stay, checking in to see how my stay was going, and thanking me for my stay. What I never received was a print out or itemized invoice of the charges I incurred as a result of my stay. I received an additional charge which I couldn't quite pinpoint so I called the front desk a couple days after our stay to inquire. As I shared that I was looking to speak with someone regarding a charge I received, I was interrupted before I could finish and transferred to a team that handles these things. I thought ok, not her department, not her problem? I left a voicemail as no one answered. A week passed and I still had not heard back. I called again, received a bit more of a friendly response, left another voicemail as no one answered again. Within an hour I received an invoice outlining the charges which included the room fee, room sales tax, resort fee, resort fee sales tax, overnight valet parking charge and our breakfast. Lots of fees and a learning experience for sure.

Suffice to say we won't be returning. Do...

An Absolute Gem — Wentworth By the Sea is All Heart! 💛

From the moment we stepped foot on the grounds of Wentworth by the Sea, we knew we were in for something special—but nothing could have prepared us for just how deeply cared for we’d feel throughout our stay. It wasn’t just the cozy elegance of the space, or the breathtaking air that made this trip unforgettable—it was the people. This place doesn’t just offer luxury and comfort, it offers connection, warmth, and the kind of genuine hospitality that stays with you long after you’ve packed your bags.

Let me start with Jordan at the spa—what an incredible person! She greeted us like old friends and instantly made us feel right at home. Beyond just being welcoming, she took the time to share local gems and personal recommendations that transformed our trip.It wasn’t just a spa check-in—it was a thoughtful, wholehearted welcome!

And speaking of the spa—Lori and Lucas, our massage therapists, were beyond talented. Truly gifted in their craft, they both brought such presence and care to the experience. We left feeling completely renewed—like they’d released weeks of stress in just one session. You could feel how much care they put into what they do, and it made all the difference.

James at the front desk was another standout. When our key didn’t work, he didn’t just “handle it”—he went above and beyond to make sure everything was right, always with a kind smile and a sense of calm that was so reassuring. That moment could’ve been stressful, but he made it seamless and kind.

We had a small AC issue during our stay, and in came Michael from maintenance—a total legend! Not only did he fix the problem swiftly, but he did so with such care and kindness. You could tell he took pride in what he did, and it felt like he wasn’t just solving a maintenance issue—he was making sure we were okay. Above and beyond doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Now let’s talk about the pool—because Eric, the bartender, was truly the heart of it all. He had such an easy, joyful way of making everyone feel included. He created this warm, friendly energy around the pool. A genuinely great person with a great grip on how to bring people together and mentor the other employees by the pool.

The staff here? A+++. Every single interaction we had was thoughtful, intentional, and full of heart. It felt like each team member was personally invested in making our trip magical—and they succeeded beyond words.

We came for a peaceful getaway. We left with full hearts, loosened shoulders, and a deep sense of gratitude for the people who made it all happen. Thank you, Wentworth by the Sea, for the kind of stay that reminds you how fantastic the world—and the people in it—can be....