Econo Lodge Somers Point — Hotel in Somers Point

Us: mom, dad, 9 y/o kid, 3 y/o kid

Goal: find an affordable place to stay in/near OCNJ for Mon - Thurs

Our room: # 143 on 2nd floor

Staff: all staff was friendly and wore masks; front desk did try to fulfill our last minute request for a 1st floor room, but didn't have the # of beds we needed - no biggie - props for trying; she ended up putting us close to the steps so it was easier on the kids; front desk also accommodating when I asked for extra towels at the time of check-in - they gave them to me right at the desk; staff gets A++.

Other guests: If you are opposed to meeting people who don't look exactly like you, this place is not for you. Our family really enjoys meeting new people, so this was a fun part of our stay. The guests we got to meet were super diverse, friendly, fun and talkative. Everyone hung out on the balconies in the evening and had a nightcap or two, smoked cigs and grass. We exchanged beers with our neighbors, talked about our kids with a single mom of 7 and discussed the new stimulus package with a woman who was taking an overnight trip with her adult daughter. The kids our children met at the pool were all kind, shared their toys, and were enjoying their little lives. :)

Cleanliness: our room looked recently renovated, had new wooden flooring, a new microwave, a new fridge, what looked like new mattresses (read: SPOTLESS). The room was very clean, smelled faintly of bleach (read: SMELLED CLEAN). We were provided shampoo, conditioner, soaps, 4 towels, 4 washcloths, 4 hand towels, 1 extra pillow, iron and ironing board & hair dryer in the room. We got anything extra we needed from the staff with no issue. The room was the perfect size for our family of 4. I do wish there was a small vacuum or broom/dustpan so we could sweep up sand/crumbs.

Pool: no towels are provided, but the front desk did offer bath towels to us when I asked - very sweet, but we just used our beach towels. The pool area has a hose and shower so you can rinse off after the beach/before the pool. The pool deck was spotless and had lots of seating. The entire area is in full sun, so bring your sunscreen! The pool water was extremely warm (outside temps 90+) and very cloudy the first 2 days. Staff cleaned the pool Wednesday AM and it cleared right up. The cloudiness did not deter us from swimming - we've swam in worse. :)

FYI: breakfast and daily housekeeping are suspended for Covid. This was very clearly listed on their website and at the front desk.

Overall, great stay for the price!!! We will...

For a nightly rate of roughly $50 in the off-season can one really expect that much? This Econo Lodge (21 MacArthur Blvd, Somers Point, NJ) is a budget hotel with budget amenities. As others have mentioned, this motel is in the midst of renovations which from what I can tell involved new bathroom fixtures, a new vanity countertop and sink, vinyl plank flooring, and paint. The work was very slipshod, painting over wall brackets instead of removing them and even painting a door knob! In my room someone installed new trim and filled the nail holes but never painted it and the toilet wasn’t installed parallel to the wall. They did have a large storage container on site, presumably for construction materials, but toilets and sinks were stored on the ground, along with other construction debris between two buildings despite also having a large dumpster.

The new stuff was in fine shape but the rest of the furniture was dated and worn. While there is a desk area, there’s no electric outlets near the desk, nor a desk light. Even the chair was worn with a thinly padded seat. Likewise the bedding was somewhat worn and stained. A mat inside the door to wipe feet would have been a nice to have too. The room did have a working refrigerator and microwave that were clean. The heating/AC unit appeared to be new and while I didn't test the A/C, the heat worked well.

One day I came back to find towels sitting on the bed, they had taken the used ones but left the new ones on the bed. Another day I must have left a disposable plastic drinking cup on the counter and I came back to find sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Seemed odd but maybe the housekeeper used it to rinse down the tub after cleaning? I left the cup in the tub and the next morning left another cup on the counter. Sure enough, both cups were in the tub when I returned. Harmless but very odd. On a more serious note, they did leave a laundry hamper full of, hopefully soiled, sheets sitting outside in the rain for a day and a half.

The hotel advertises a breakfast of sorts but I did not try it.

The room was clean enough but I’m more inclined to think that it was mostly a function of the new fixtures than attention to detail on the part of the housekeeping staff. Understanding that this a budget motel will help from being disappointed...

Day 1 morning: When we first arrived we saw the pool and it looked very clean and refreshing. The pool chairs looked new and the pool area was overall very clean. When we got into our room, the door handles on every door looked new. Once we got in, the beds we were made and the main area was clean. The room looked like it was recently renovated. The bathroom had clean tiles and walls. Though you would just have to hold the handle to flush for a little bit for it to completely flush. The sink/vanity was clean and there is a nice hair dryer and ironing board. However, there was not a cloest just a couple hangers, and the dresser and little desk looked a little old. All together, I am excited to stay here, it is a great location with lots of restaurants, there was plenty of parking, and everything is clean and comforting!

Day 1 night: The shower is very relaxing. There are also a lot of vending machines for last minute snacks. You are able to put for wet bathing suits and towels on the outside railings to dry which is very convenient. The beds are comfortable with with a warm comforter. Also, there is pretty room decor. There is a cool picture of the states, and the mirror frame is very pretty. There are outlets on both side of the bed to charge what you need, and a night stand in between the beds to put anything you want.

Day 2 morning: The beds we're comfortable, however, the air conditioning it very loud and kind of annoying. We ended up to Wawa for breakfast because there wasn't a huge variety of food at the motel. Though, we brought our food and ate by the pool which was nice and relaxing.

Day 3: The night was nice. Though the air conditioning was loud and the sheets and comforter we're tucked in very tight to the sides, so it took a little bit to get comfortable. I definitely enjoyed my stay here. It is so close to so many restaurants and less than 10 minutes to get to the beach. Also, the rooms are renovated and it is all very welcoming! I will definitely recommend...