I cannot even begin to describe how effortlessly wonderful our stay here was. The Seagull Inn is…read moreeverything a bed and breakfast should be! Ruth and Skip, the super awesome hosts, made us feel like we were at home the second we pulled up. We stayed in the Library Suite and as you can picture, the walls were lined with endless rows of books. The quaint, vintage furniture (all hand made by Skip) throughout the house added so much character and gave the house a welcoming feel. Seagull Inn is literally a backyard away from the water where you can kayak or just hang out. My favorite place in Marblehead, Castle Rock, was only a two minute bike ride from the house. The Inn has kayaks and bikes to use during the day and always has yummy goodies out in the kitchen. I wish I could say more about our stay at Seagull Inn, but then I'd go on forever. We really cannot WAIT to make a second trip back and you can count on it that we will be visiting regularly. Lovelovelove it.

A beautiful place to stay and the owner is the nicest sweetest lady, I have ever had the pleasure…read moreto meet!!

My bf and I stayed here in March. I found the website online and was convinced it would be…read morewonderful because of the gorgeous pictures of the place and the stellar reviews I found all over the internet. When we got there, we found the owner and his girlfriend cooking dinner. They were very nice and welcoming. I knew to expect the owners living quarters to be really close to the guest rooms because of some of the reviews I read but since the room we were in had a private entrance we weren't worried, we figured we could come and go and have the privacy we were looking for with no problem. We told Ted that we were late sleepers and not to worry about providing breakfast for us (the website says breakfast is served between 8:30-9:30). We would much rather sleep in and then grab brunch somewhere and we didn't want to hold him up from whatever he may have had planned for the day. He seemed somewhat resistant to the idea of not providing sustenance for us so after a little discussion, J and I told him "okay, how about 10:30?" He said he would leave certain items out for us. The house and our room really were gorgeous! Ted is an architect and he has done a really great job on the house and grounds. We stayed in the pond room which had cathedral ceilings, a two person jacuzzi, a gas fireplace, double glass doors, lighted double sinks that automatically turned on when you walked into the room, a whole wall of windows, decks, and heated floors. We were really happy with the room. It was very clean and decorated with a subtle nautical theme. From the moment we got there, we kind of felt like we had to whisper in our room. Probably because there wasn't any other guests there that weekend and the owner was having dinner 20 ft from our door. I know they probably couldn't have heard us but it did make me feel more uncomfortable than I thought it would. In the morning, we were woken up bright and early by the sun coming through the large, high windows in our room. No wonder breakfast is so early, how can anyone sleep through that? However, I do have to say that if I wasn't a cranky morning person, this would be a really enjoyable way to wake up, sun and beautiful blue sky and trees to look at while lying in bed. We pulled ourselves together and quietly went to the kitchen for breakfast. Ted said he would leave things out for us so we assumed we'd be alone. He immediately came around the corner when we got to the kitchen so it felt like he may have been waiting for us. He served us cantaloupe slices with yogurt, granola and berries and a tomato and basil quiche, which was all very good. What wasn't good was that he talked to us from the kitchen the whole time we were eating, so we had to keep turning around in our chairs to respond to him. It was uncomfortable and awkward (if he had sat down with us, it wouldn't have been as bad). During our weird breakfast conversation, it comes up that J is a software engineer and next thing you know, Ted is asking for help with a website he is working on. I have no problem with J helping someone out, but DUDE we're on vacation and we are paying you good money, don't ask for business help while we are trying to relax. It just wasn't appropriate. I said "Maybe when we are on our way out on Sunday he can help you for a bit". After that, we pretty much chose to use our private entrance to the room when we came and went from the house. We didn't feel like discussing in great detail every time we came back from somewhere, what we had done and where we had gone. I think Ted meant well, he had a lot of advice and suggestions for things to do and he was a really nice guy but it just didn't mesh with our style. For the most part, we like to be left alone when we go away and Ted didn't seem to pick up on the signals we gave him. I think this B&B would be really great for an older couple, for some reason I feel like older people are more open to this type of attention. On Sunday when we packed up, J was heading out to take some things to the car and Ted followed him outside for help on his website. He spent more than an hour working on something with him, while I sat in our room waiting. We probably won't go back. Gorgeous place, beautiful backyard and pond, and nice trails that lead to a running path and the harbor. I really liked the physical surroundings but didn't really feel relaxed because Ted was overly available and obviously in closer earshot than we would have liked. A week later, Ted called and asked BF to go on trip advisor and write a positive review of our stay!! No wonder I found so many good reviews online. 5 stars for aesthetics and 1 star for invasiveness! It wasn't horrible but it was not our style. **Updating this review in March '09: Ted called J a month or so ago and said he found this review and apologized and offered us a free night at the B&B. Not sure if we'll take him up on it but nice that he tried to make amends.**

Two weekends ago my friend and I spent a lovely weekend in Marblehead at the Fox Pond Bed and…read moreBreakfast. This gem is nestled in a quiet neighborhood bordering a 37 acre sanctuary with trails that lead down to Salem Harbor. I looked at a number of B & Bs before finding this obvious and rare jewel of a home. Ted and Sophie, our hosts, were flexible as we arrived early and left a bit late since the off season is easier on everyone. This home has been meticulously redone, as have the beautiful grounds. Indeed, this property is featured in a number of architectural, gardening, and home magazines. The obvious care and attention to detail is very very unique. Our host, Ted, and his lovely dog, Sophie, made us feel right at home. Ted has an easy way about him that makes one feel like family the second you walk through the door. As is common with Bed and Breakfasts, you are a part of the family while in residence - that's the charm. The breakfasts were lovely and we invited Ted to join us as we learned about the house, its history, and received numerous tips about local attractions, restaurants, shops, and some of the local North Shore news. All in all our stay was wonderful. Ted opened his home to us and helped make our stay a memorable and relaxing time. I most enthusiastically recommend the Fox Pond B&B; we'll be back!

We had a really great stay here…read more We came to Rockport at the beginning of the season ( may ) and were very warmly greeted by Nancy, whos parents had established the inn and managed it for many years. 1. The view of the ocean is amazing! 2. Great breakfast included in the room price. 3. You can take a bike, not added money. 4. Room was fine, very homey! We totally recommend this inn, its in a beautiful location and service was wonderful. My dad , who travels allot and came from over seas, loved it!

Accommodations are wonderful! Beautiful view of the ocean from our suite! Highly recommend!read more

It's our last night at Stepping Stone; a delightful three extraordinary nights. Matt and Kelly…read morecouldn't be better hosts. They are always available to provide tips and information while carefully listening to your desires. The Inn is beautifully decorated with unique antiques. So appropriate for this house built in 1826. There are no musty odors or creeks to attest to its age. It's obvious Matt and Kelly love this home. They and their kitties take excellent care of it and will take great care of you.

Great location and owners. Unique experience staying in such an historical structure. Close to…read moreeverything. Matt and Kelly provide excellent details and their recommendations helped us plan our trip with plenty of time to book desired tours. We stayed in the Washington room on the second floor with a lot of space and large mirror to get ready. The Inn felt very comfortable and we enjoyed relaxing in the living room. Highly recommend! Close to everything.

I was a little nervous about staying in a small boutique hotel, but this place completely won me…read moreover. It's beautiful, quiet, and genuinely accommodating, and the location couldn't have been more perfect. I woke up, grabbed a cup of coffee from the hall's snack area, and it ended up being the most peaceful, effortless escape.

Pros: - very comfy bed…read more- cruelty free toiletries available in the shower and bathroom, various herbal / fresh citrus scents that were not too strong - very friendly front desk staff that accommodated our needs around check out - we were able to keep luggage with them for many hours after check out and extend our parking time for no fee. The woman who checked us in was very friendly and gave us a tour of the common areas - entrances are locked to the public and secured with a password for extra safety - our room was big - I was pleasantly surprised to see that they offer Nespresso coffees with lots of fix ins available (even dairy free milk in the fridges!), grab and go snacks like Himalayan Gold popcorn and flavored almond mixes, and fresh made more substantial snacks like a chia seed pudding with coconut flakes and pineapple that was so good, I had it twice! Also available at any time in the fridges were Apple streussel yogurt parfaits and hard boiled eggs. Chocolate chip cookies are baked throughout the day. - nicely decorated lounge area on first floor and deck patio space - you are able to leave items in a designated shared refrigerator space in the kitchenette on the first floor, a clever solution to no fridges in the rooms (at least not in mine). The thought of a communal, unmentioned fridge with strangers did give me pause though, but it's nice they offer it. Room for improvement: - I understand I came in a heat wave and summer is not prime season in Salem, but the room was so warm. The air conditioning would not go below 67° setting, but the real room temp was always much higher according to the thermostat (this morning it was 76!) I was sweating and had a hard time sleeping. They gave us a box fan when we asked if the AC could go any lower...I wasn't even sure it was on....and that helped a little but still wasn't enough. Please let people turn down the temp so they can sleep without waking up sweaty! The AC units also made a decently loud bubbling noise - this seems to be in a part of town near where an unhoused group of people hangs out. To walk to the off site parking lot, which was not far away at all thankfully, you have to walk through a big park full of many unhoused people, some begging or shouting. It made me feel a bit unsafe and I wasn't thrilled to leave my car in an area of town like that. Head's up. On our last day here, there was also a seemingly unhoused woman hanging out on the front steps of the hotel's (beautiful!) lawn for many hours. At one point when we walked by, she was starting to get aggressive and shout at people walking by. - the bar in the lounge area, prominently featured on their website, is non functional as they do not have a liquor license, which would have been a nice place to enjoy a cocktail - the tvs have lots of streaming apps advertised on the TV main screen, but none are logged in to the hotel's account. I guess that's standard in some cases, but it felt frustrating to not be able to watch a lot of what was shown to us. - not the hotel's fault, just a product of the location (which was otherwise very convenient and centrally located!), but there were loud cars with booming stereos driving by at all hours of the night on a weekday that occasionally woke me up. - the lot they let you park in temporarily while you unload luggage, while a nice gesture and made moving bags much easier, is very tight and took quite a few maneuvers to be able to get out of. - there's really only one heavy duty lock on the door, but overall the closing mechanism felt very lightweight and I didn't have a ton of confidence in it. We were only given one key for two people staying in one room. Overall, the location and service were nice, but the temp issue was pretty hard to get past since it made me feel so stifled. The snacks came in handy more than once, but for the price, I'd look around at other locations before automatically coming back here, I imagine you could find something cheaper that isn't on the fringes of a sketchy neighborhood. It is right next to Hauswitch, which was one of my favorite shops in all of the many, many options in town, so that's a plus, but they really need a better AC system for summer guests. Thank you for a cozy stay other than that and for such welcoming treatment!

Amazing stay. Can not say enough about Bob. Incredible and generous host. Wharf view from the…read morebalcony was beautiful. Short easy walk to all of the attractions, shopping, food and drink. Hope to be back and stay longer in the future.

Perfect Location; Bob is a great host; Have a drink or coffee on the deck off the rooms overlooking…read morethe water or on the patio. Plenty of restaurants within walking distance. In the summer- go to The Landing. Bob will give great local advice if needed. Can't recommend Morning Glory enough!

Great homey feel. Had an amazing stay at Blue Shutters Beachside resort in Gloucester Ma. Tony…read moreand Patty were amazing host, we felt like we were visiting family for the weekend. They were very fun to talk with and they told us about the best places to sight see and enjoy fine meals in the area. The home was very warm and cozy and full of so much history. We had an amazing room with great view of the ocean and beach when we up. We are already planning a return trip with family for later this fall. Thank you Tony and Patty for a great getaway. Mike Ballos

My wife and I have stayed here multiple times. The staff is so welcoming; the rooms are lovely and…read morethe location across from the magnificent Good Harbor Beach is amazing. Owners Tony and Ed are so gracious -- we consider our stay so terrific. If you want a lovely experience, you definitely should consider staying here.

Those damn B&B's! Who wouldn't love 'em?…read more The couple drives down the most narrowest street they have ever seen, dodging other cars and pedestrians left and right. Both wonder how much longer of this insane New England little road they will be at until they reach their destination. Then, like the clouds parting to let the sunlight in, it was as if a bright light shined down on the very beautiful Pleasant Street Inn Bed and Breakfast. The couple walks up to meet a young girl who checks them in and shows them to their room. The couple walk into their room and find a quaint and cozy bed with a couch and a private bath. The couple is anxious to relax and unwind. They figure they go and buy a nice bottle of wine to help with their plans for the evening. Low and behold the city of Rockport is a "dry" town meaning the only places to get alcohol is in the next city over and they only sell it at the liquor stores. A Californian in a small fisherman town in Massachusetts with these laws confuse the couple, but they set off on their adventure to find that $10 bottle of wine that they yearned for. About half an hour later, after driving down a one way street they return to their haven of a room at the Pleasant Street Inn where they feel safe and secure with that bottle of wine. The owner of the B&B show them where the wine glasses and and cork screw are and bid them a good night. The next morning the couple awake to a lovely sunrise, with just a small head ache from drinking the full bottle of wine happy to have found such a lovely inn to have stayed at.

Lynn is a wonderful hostess with a wealth of local knowledge. They live onsite. Reminds me of…read moreB&B-ing thru New Zealand, so homey and unique. Beautiful place with the most gorgeous wood floors. Impeccably shiny clean & amazing historic property. Some rooms were noisy early (i was jetlagged from europe & live on west coast) so ask for a carpeted quieter room away from the maid closet if you're a sleep-in grump like me and don't have earplugs. I missed breakfast but was told it was really carb-y so if you like protein, move on to one of many charming breakfast joints down the street. Or maybe Lynn will make you a hardboiled egg or a spoonful of PB? She was very gracious and accomodating generally. No shampoo in the room? She'll find some. Great location, totally amazing price. Loved it. Thank you Lynn and staff! i'm rating this as moderate price but for what you get for the price, it's a bargain.