The Sparhawk Oceanfront Resort — Hotel in Ogunquit

This resort is old, dated, and unclean with unfriendly pretentious staff. It is not worth the price. A few years in a row, we were able to sneak in last minute and stayed for a week. The rooms are bare bones and dirty with dated furnishings and noisy ineffective AC. There is a really bad and sparse continental breakfast, there is no place to sit and enjoy the lawn overlooking the ocean (compared to the next door Anchorage’s lovely lawn with tons of chairs and large umbrellas), there’s a tiny fridge in the bathroom (disgusting), and the staff are exceptionally unfriendly and unhelpful. There’s also no laundry, which proves challenging on a beach trip. Room service was poor and often we didn’t receive the towels we requested and had to call the front desk. We were scolded for not having filled out the request sheet (even though we had).

Nonetheless, last summer their pool was a saving grace on the hottest days and we created some great memories so we decided to return. When we asked at checkout, we were told they use an old fashioned system of mailing out letters in January to notify if they can accommodate your request. We finally received a letter in January, which was quite strangely worded but seems to be saying that not only could they not accommodate our reservation request but they don’t want us to come back. There was something about wanting to meet and respect the needs of the staff and other guests in choosing who they welcome as guests. I am always going to be respectful of other guests and staff, but I didn’t realize I wasn’t “meeting the needs” of the staff and other guests during our stay, nor did I realize that was my responsibility while vacationing.

I’m just dumbfounded and trying to figure out if we somehow offended them or were bad guests. I suspect that they don’t like families with young children (they seem to pride themselves on having guests that have been coming for 25+ years so you can guess what demographic they’re serving). I also wonder if they didn’t like my phone call on our first day requesting that they come vacuum the room or if I could vacuum it myself. My kids were about to eat candy off the floor left behind by a previous guest. I also found sunglasses and a tennis ball under the couch, so clearly the room was barely cleaned and certainly not vacuumed before our arrival.

The Sparhawk seems to take pride in their old fashioned ways, including their system of sending out letters for reservations. They even demand a mailed check, rather than just letting one give a credit card over the phone to hold the spot. They constantly are saying “this is how we’ve always done it” as if this is be a point of pride. But honestly, it’s not quaint nor appealing, it’s just old, dated, and annoying. When people are paying that much money, they expect a little more.

It’s hard to believe the reviews are so positive because I can’t imagine we are the only ones who have had this experience.

Even the stone wall surrounding the property is reflective of how unwelcoming and stuck up this place is- full of pointy rocks sticking up presumably so passersby can’t sit down without being horribly uncomfortable. Well we all get the message Sparhawk- not everyone is welcome at your resort. Well no big loss- we deserve...

Once again, I just cannot say enough good things about this resort and its staff and how relaxing and refreshing it is to vacation at the Sparhawk. It is an oasis of quiet rest, "Far From the Madding Crowd." ||We enjoyed our 27th year at this wonderful resort in June of 2023 and, as always, we are glad we did. Further we stayed in June and again in the Fall of both '22 and of '23 so I have incorporated additional information from those Fall stays as well (I simply forgot to write a review for '22). ||As always, everyone on the staff is unfailingly friendly, happy and helpful. You feel welcome from the moment you step over the threshold. Be sure to ask the staff for their recommendations for attractions and most especially for dining. The housekeeping is prompt, detailed and superlative. Our room in the Barbara Dean was, as it always is, immaculate. As I have said before I say again, the level of cleanliness is absolutely equal to a Ritz-Carlton.||There is a lovely continental breakfast and coffee and tea all day. The pool is heated, really quite warm, and, especially if you get there when it first opens at eight AM, quiet and not at all crowded. The grounds and the flowers are unfailingly beautiful and well-kept. And the views of the Atlantic are always grand, from the grounds, the Marginal Way and the balconies of the rooms. It is remarkably peaceful and quiet even though it is on Shore Road and abuts Marginal Way - you can sit in a chair on the grounds or the balconies and read a book in peace, watching the clouds roll by. ||I do recommend that you stay early or late in The Season. Ogunquit is lovely and quiet in June, lazy Summer days, but by July or August is quite bustling, mind, not at all bad, it is just a lot busier and more crowded.||Finally we stayed for four or five days in '22 and again in '23, in early September and early October. The Sparhawk was just enjoyable and quiet as during June. Almost all of the restaurants and attractions are still open. Interestingly Ogunquit is still quite busy in those early Fall months, there were days that as, well, bustling as Ogunquit ever gets in June. Of course it was cooler than June but really not terribly much so; of course you'll need to bring a sweater and a warmer or lined parka but that being said the weather was really quite mild. So please consider a Fall long weekend at some point I think you will be...

We hit the jackpot with this resort! This was my husband’s and I first visit to Ogunquit, made the reservations rather late, and ended up with an oceanfront room at the Sparhawk. It was terrific - the balcony overlooked the ocean and beach area where we were able to view spectacular sunrises, and the tide rolling in and out. We stayed for an entire week and did not need to drive anywhere during our entire stay - the resort is situated nicely within a few steps to Marginal Way, and walking distance to Perkins cove, beaches, restaurants, downtown and shopping. The rooms are spacious and clean. Beds are comfortable. A great resort for couples and families. The market downtown was a hit for us - a wide range of food and beverages. Highlights of the trip and resort included the 2nd floor oceanfront room (Room 38), which was well worth the cost. The staff at the resort are friendly and helpful. A special shout-out to the woman who set up the daily continental breakfast, which is quite good - she had a work ethic that’s hard to beat these days. The front desk staff and housekeeping were friendly and helpful. There are beautiful flower beds on the property, and a pool and tennis courts - which we did not use. The resort was pleasant and quiet, with both indoor and outdoor areas for sitting and eating. We ate at several places downtown - the Brazilian steakhouse is worth a visit, although our favorite spot ended up being the Mexican restaurant down a bit across the street from the resort. My husband enjoyed a lobster at Barnacle Billy’s at Perkins Cove. We visited the Ogunquit museum, which was interesting and pleasant. We had great weather for the week (mid-August), and overall it was a delightful stay for our first visit to Ogunquit. The only feedback we had for the resort was to move the small refrigerator from the bathroom area to the main living area of the room. Other than that, nothing we could think of that...