The Waterford Inn — Hotel in Provincetown

The room we booked costs about the same (USD 428.00) as a room in the elegant Hotel le Méridien right on the beach in Nice on the Côte d'Azur in southern France. This price raises expectations that unfortunately were not met.

Our complaints were taken seriously and, if possible, a solution was found. So I've upped my one stars to two.

For all its goodwill, the Waterford Inn is an overpaid, unprofessionally renovated bed and breakfast at the price of a luxury hotel on the Cote d'Azur in southern France, and the Cote d'Azur is certainly not a budget destination. The old doors, closets and floorboards were simply painted over instead of being renovated first. For example, the bathroom door doesn't have a proper latch. The door to my grandmother's chicken coop was exactly the same. That can be very cute but not for USD 428.00 Furthermore, a plug and a shelf are missing on one side of the bed. In the too small bathroom there is no glass for the toothbrush.

The Covid pandemic has been taken as an opportunity that the beds are no longer made and the rooms are no longer cleaned. The reason given is the welfare of the employees. Rather, the truth is that they want to save money, otherwise guests would be compensated for the lack of service. Furthermore, the refrigerator is dirty and should be cleaned by housekeeping. But that doesn't exist anymore.

We booked a room with a balcony and sea view. Unfortunately, the balcony cannot be used because the ventilation of the restaurant is next to the balcony. The noise and the stench are unbearable. The noise starts before noon sometimes as early as 07:00 until late at night. You can hear the noise even through the closed windows. This room should actually only be sold with a clear declaration of the defect. (Unfortunately I don't know the American laws). We asked if we could change rooms. It would have been theoretically possible, but we would have had to change rooms twice and that was too much trouble for us.

Guests have to pick up breakfast from the Mexican restaurant and there is exactly ONE dish and coffee included (isn't stinginess a deadly sin?) Nothing against Mexican food, but I don't like Mexican food for breakfast, I would be happy with bread, butter and jam. Add to that the fact that the Mexican breakfast is served in plastic and aluminium: as a European I am shocked by this lack of style. In addition, a huge amount of waste is already produced at breakfast and this behavior is definitely not sustainable. After we complained, we could choose something from the selection of rolls, cakes and croissants. We then insisted that the coffee be served in proper cups (no plastic or cardboard). Voilà, that's called breakfast. And now James or whoever is responsible, you should see the breakfast buffet of a USD 430 room hotel in Europe.

The good beds were very comfortable and the ONLY ONE coffee was very good. I loved the cinnamon room (never had such an expensive...

I have never paid so much for so little. The Waterford Inn was a disappointing stay.

First, guest rooms are very small and uninviting. The decor is fine, but they are cramped and the bathrooms are about the size and function of what you’d find on an airplane. Outdated and unpleasant.

The worst part of the guest rooms was, by far, the complete lack of attention to the experience of actually sleeping there. Every morning you will wake with the sun, because there are NO curtains and the shutters are useless in the face of a hint of sunlight. Be prepared for a 5-6 AM wake-up every morning you are there. You won’t even fall asleep comfortably, though, as the gaps in the doorframe will ensure your lights are never completely off. Having finally checked out of the inn, I am exhausted.

Don’t expect it’s better outside of the individual guest rooms. The only space for guests to lounge, besides in the cramped rooms, is the lobby/living room space at the entry of the inn. Again, it’s neither comfortable nor inviting. There will likely be either bulky packages meant for storage or large bags of soiled linens occupying the space (this is a reality every day, as apparently there is nowhere else for huge, outgoing linens bags to be stored besides on the floor everyone walks by). Staff will be either chaotically assembling IKEA-type furniture, taking up the entire common space, or will be lounging on one of the two sofas, making it awkward to spend any time there.

The Waterford management doesn’t even pay for ad-free music for the entry/common space. The frequent ads are annoying and, again, make spending any time in the inn unpleasant.

Finally, the inn and the reviews state that there is parking available. There is no parking, which the staff will plainly tell you. You’ll have to deal with loading & unloading and stashing your car elsewhere.

As you can tell, I was irritated by the stay, rather than feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, or anything close to pampered. Having spent more than $1000 for the multiple-days stay, I’m wishing I could get my money back! Staying in a resort town is going to mean expensive lodging—but it shouldn’t leave you more stressed and tired than you...

Where to begin...

My husband and I have stayed here before and had a great experience, but it seems things have taken a serious downturn over the past couple of years. The hotel is now noticeably dirty and worn out. Our room was mediocre at best, with scuffs, dings, holes, and cracks everywhere. Unfortunately, we were stuck with the worst room in the place, located right in the lobby. This meant we could hear everything at all hours, and the 3-inch gap at the bottom of the door amplified every conversation, even at 2 a.m.

The bathroom was also a major disappointment. I’ve been in friends’ RVs with better and larger facilities. The toilet was so uneven that I had to sit sideways to avoid falling off, and the handle constantly stuck, causing it to overflow into both the bathroom and the room. My husband had to plunge it himself because no one on staff knew how to use a plunger. As for the shower, unless you're under 5 feet tall and 90 pounds, good luck fitting comfortably.

The staff was unhelpful and unaccommodating. Any attempt to get assistance was met with indifference. To add insult to injury, the hotel did not provide the reusable bottles or breakfast vouchers that they claim to offer on their website, despite charging for them. I would seriously consider disputing these charges. Save yourself the trouble and choose one of the many other hotels in the area that are actually worth the money. My husband and I will definitely be returning to Provincetown, but we will NEVER...