Bayfront Marin House — Hotel in Saint Augustine

We stayed at the 93 Lookout Suite beach cottage for our honeymoon 6/17/22-6/21/22 and there were definitely some pros and cons. The fact that you have your own private section of the beach was GREAT! We had the top level of the house which granted us access to the rooftop deck, which was nice at night...a little too hot to go up there during the day, as there is no covering. Breakfast was conveniently served every morning at our doorstep upon request. And the staff were extremely friendly and polite. We did have a great time on our trip. The area of improvement needed is the room itself.

The pictures on the website must've been taken a long time ago and don't accurately represent the room because it does not look the same anymore, which was definitely a let down. I wanted something a little nicer for our honeymoon, and what we got was a rundown beach cottage that we shared with two other groups of people (the label "beach cottage" is misleading slightly in the sense that I thought we would have the whole place to ourselves). The exterior of the house looked a little junky - there were boxes and trash bins everywhere, and the retaining wall that lined the sidewalk to take you to the beach was falling in, so it created a very narrow space to get to the beach; there was also a board with nails dangerously hanging off the walkway. Inside, everything looked like it was purchased at a yard sale and thrown together. The rug covering the floor was super faded and dingy - definitely needs to be replaced; they conveniently covered a hole in the wall by the closet with a picture rather than fixing it. They provided a small fridge in the closet, which I thought the location was odd; there were 3 tiny trash cans throughout the room which barely held trash enough for two people for 3 days (we had to take our trash out several times during our stay); the plumbing was horrible - nothing drained whether it was water, sand, or toothpaste; they supposedly provide chairs and umbrellas (which is shared amongst everyone in the house), but after making two separate trips hauling the umbrellas to the beach and attempting to set them up only to find out they were broken, we gave up and used our own stuff; lastly, parking is very tight - I had to duck and cover under huge palm trees every time I got out of my car, which was a little annoying. On our first day, we went to the grocery store and upon our return, some construction workers left a trailer with a large roll of cable on it blocking our way into the driveway. My husband had to get out of the car and literally pick it up and move it (it was not light, by the way). Not The Marin House's fault, but still a big inconvenience.

If I'm being honest, I am being a little critical because this was a special trip for us, and what I thought we were getting based on the pictures just wasn't the case. For any other beach trip, this room would've been just okay. I just wanted to leave an honest review for anyone who is in my position.

Thoughts for improvement: Major updates need to be done: either to the room or the pictures online to give an accurate representation. Move the fridge out of the closet - there's adequate space in the room for that setup. In the closet just seems weird. Provide larger trash cans and update rug/furniture. Fix the plumbing and the hole in the wall. Check on materials provided to ensure everything is in good condition and clean/trim the area outside.

Again, I gave a 3 out of 5 star rating based on the room, mostly. I would probably stay here again, but just not...

First…the good. The location was perfect. The inn was close to sights and had lovely view of the water. The outside courtyard and garden were relaxing and well-maintained. The evening happy hour was nicely done. Sheets and towels were soft. Parking was fairly close and convenient. Daily delivery of breakfast to the room was convenient. On the first day, they gave complimentary bottles of water, but for the room price, bottles of water (which are cheap) should have been complimentary daily. ||Now…the bad. The inn was ridiculously overpriced for the quality of room and services! We paid $409/night for a room that had a moldy jetted tub, stained and moldy drapes, dirty lampshade and further evidence that they don’t clean properly between guests (wine cork/dust on the floor and hazy glass in shower) and sagging mattress. The breakfast was fine, but sad. For example, we got one piece of French toast that wasn’t much larger than a baguette slice (5 bites) and gray-colored sausage patties like you’d see at a fast-food restaurant. For the price we paid, I would expect impeccable cleanliness, a high-quality deep mattress and gourmet breakfast (e.g., crab or smoked salmon benedict, leek and brie frittata, etc.). They could have done a nice continental breakfast of fresh fruit, imported cheeses and meats, fresh bread and that would have been better than what we got. ||They promote the inn as a romantic place to stay. But two of the three nights there were loud guests partying late. One group was outside our door on the balcony laughing and yelling until 3 am. The next night, another group of guests were playing loud music in their room until nearly midnight. In both instances, there wasn’t a manager on-site to deal with the noise. When we called to complain, the on-call manager sent a text message to all guests to remind them of quiet hours. That was it. A guest next door said when they called management about the group partying at 3 am, they were advised to call the police. There should be a manager on-site to take care of noise without guests having to deal with it – especially when you’re paying $400+ a night! When my husband complained again at check-out, all he got was an apology. No solutions or compensation. Very poor customer service. ||On our last night, I decided to relax in the jetted tub. This was a mistake. When I started the jets, the whole bathroom smelled like old, moldy gym socks. If the jet lines are not deep cleaned on a routine basis (especially in humid Florida), they will develop mold and mildew from the standing water. If I could have taken a photo to reflect the horrible smell, I would have. ||I have stayed at over 100 small inns and B&Bs all over the world. The best of the best have management, who are engaged. They introduce themselves and are present during happy hours to answer questions or resolve issues. The vast majority of these inns/B&Bs have lived up to expectations and more. I have fond memories of many stays - even decades later. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. There is potential for Bayfront Marin House to live up to their own hype – but they need pro-active, engaged management, who regularly inspects the rooms and provides superior customer service. This hotel appears to be resting on its laurels of prior positive ratings and not keeping up standards. It was an expensive...

For our 5 year wedding anniversary it was a priority for me to find a place off the water, that would yield beautiful views and a relaxing environment fit for the occasion. It was everything and more. The Bayfront Marin B&B was gorgeous just by looking at the pictures, but it didn't offer as much privacy as we had wanted! However, through their website I was pleasantly surprised to see that they also offered beach cottages rentals (called beachcombers) right off of Vilano Beach (about a 7-10 minute drive to the Bayfront Marin). This is where we ultimately booked our stay. We rented the Royal Palm Suite and were completely amazed by the beauty of the beach as soon as we walked into the room! It nearly brought me to tears! The entire Royal Palm suite is lined with windows and you can see out as far as the eye can see. You can see storms coming in, and the sun rising. You are RIGHT there on the water, and within a 20 foot walk you are at the shoreline. The waves crashing are all you hear. When we rented the Royal Palm Suite, we didn't realize we could still participate in the breakfast or happy hour at the Bayfront Marin Bed and Breakfast offered (located in the heart of St. Augustine!!) YOU CAN!! You can opt out and have a basket with homemade goodies brought to your door....but WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? THIS PLACE'S BREAKFAST was to die for. The staff was incredibly sweet and attentive. Mary, the cook and the heart of that kitchen, has a spitfire personality, and between her cooking skills and sass you just want to take her home with you. She was more than willing to hand out the recipes for the TWO BEST breakfasts I HAVE ever had, EVER. The owners are incredible and the woman (who I unfortunately cannot remember her name!!) was amazing too! Her story on how they started the business, and what it means to her and the love she puts into everything they do (including the gardening which is so beautifully done) is just one of so many reasons why the beachcomber cottage, and the Bayfront Marin B&B were major highlights for our weekend away. I am so moved by the hospitality and love that you feel coming to this place. Eating outside gives the most incredible view with breeze, the staff from owner, to cook, to wait staff all just put their all into everything. It feels like home. Thank you all for such an incredible, relaxing, weekend away. We love it all. A memory we won't soon forget. P.S the only downfall (which was more humorous than anything) was that we didn't realize until late the first day that with the Royal Palm Suite being the center of the beach, you are in clear view of whoever is on that beach - ESPECIALLY AT...