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    Briar Barn Inn

    4.3 (55 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

    Services - Briar Barn Inn

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    Sarah I.

    This Inn was amazing! So clean and cozy. The staff was excellent and very accommodating. The small details in the rooms and in the halls made it very authentic. Everything from the linens to the soap in the bathroom was nothing but the best quality. I can't wait to bring some friends with me next time! Also the fireplace added an extra touch of cozy!

    Alex S.

    We had an exceptional stay at the Briar Barn over Valentine's Weekend. The room was so clean and beautifully decorated. The beds were comfortable and we loved the gas fireplace. There are several lounge areas with coffee makers throughout the inn. The space feels comfortable and very stylish. We ate at Grove, just a few steps away from our room. The food exceeded expectations and our server was very friendly. I would love to stay at the Inn another time!

    Susan R.

    Such a wonderful escape! Super friendly staff who are ultra accommodating and welcoming given the restrictions right now on businesses with Covid. Exceptionally clean, very comfortable bed, plush linens, nice toiletries and the fireplace was a really nice touch. Even though it's one large room once my girls were asleep I was able to have some mommy alone time and kick back. Only thing that would be great to add is a coffee maker and microwave in the room. But, everything else you could want is readily available. Such a special weekend with my girls. We will be back!

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    3 months ago

    Fantastic stay very comfortable very friendly people enjoyed it immensely they really took care of us

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    Sarah B.

    Thank you for the great review, we're so happy you had a great stay.

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    5 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    Sarah B.

    This review made our day, thank you Fred!

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    3 years ago

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    Sarah B.

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    3 years ago

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    Sarah B.

    Thank you, Pat!

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    5 years ago

    A beautiful, cozy place to stay! My daughter's wedding was there and the venue is beautiful! And the accomodations are top notch!

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Stayed in March of 2019. Everything was perfect! Can't wait to go back now that the restaurant is open! Such a cozy spot!

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Lovely place! Exceptional customer service and accommodations wonderful!! Had dinner at The Grove the restaurant on the property also great!

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    7 years ago

    Amazing brunch! Service was lovely, ambiance is gorgeous and food was stellar! Yay brunch on Saturday and Sunday! Awesome cocktails too!

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    6 years ago

    Hotel cancelled my reservation and didn't provide a reason. Disappointing as I was looking forward to staying there.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Briar Barn Inn

    Review Highlights - Briar Barn Inn

    She absolutely loved the Inn, the Grove restaurant and the luxury, serenity and just plain feeling pampered!

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Blue - Inn On The Beach

    Blue - Inn On The Beach

    (65 reviews)

    $$$$

    1st time here and such a awesome place. Great renovatiin, attention to detail. Location is…read moreperfect. You have to be some type of person to come here and not just see simplicity, elogance and beauty in one space.

    My wife and I just finished a wonderful winter escape at the Blue - Inn on the Beach for our…read moreanniversary. The drive to Plumb Island through Newburyport was the perfect introduction to our romantic, north shore getaway. Being from Phoenix, we look forward to our cold, winter adventure each year and neither of us had been anywhere north of Boston before. Before our arrival, communication with the Blue was informative and hand a personal feel. Obviously, the Blue caters to summer beach-goers, and the reserved parking area near the hotel would definitely be a huge plus for folks competing for parking spots, but in winter, there are very few people or cars on the entire island. The Blue is a quaint little hotel nestled on the beach in a neighborhood of New England beach homes. We were happily greeted at the front desk by Blue staff and the General Manager. They tendered to our every need and surprised us with a fabulous fruit and chocolate anniversary gift waiting for us in the room. The room was beautiful with a classic and modern beach feel. Sliding glass doors open up to a wooden deck with a fabulous view of the Atlantic Ocean. We could hear the crashing waves while sitting inside beside the gas fireplace to read. It was magical! Also magical was the bed! We haven't slept that well in years! The bed was so comfortable and my wife loved the pillows so much that she bought the very same ones for home the day we returned. And don't forget the two hot tubs! There is nothing quite as enjoyable as relaxing in a steaming, bubbling hot tub while it's snowing all around you. Honestly, the "hot tubs available" filter was probably what highlighted the Blue to me during my search for this trip. One hot tub is on the second floor deck, overlooking the beach and the second is hidden under the pine trees at the end of a short sidewalk across the street from the main building. Both were large enough for probably 6 people, clean and well maintained. Again, it was February so we had them all to our crazy selves the whole week. The beach is beautiful! There is direct, private access from the second floor of the Blue, via a wooden boardwalk. The beach is sandy with very few rocks. I didn't see any seaweed or anything washing up on shore, but it was February, so I didn't expect to see a whole lot of anything living coming out of the water. Every morning we enjoyed a beautiful sunrise over the ocean while we drank some local coffee delivered direct to the room. Oh yeah, breakfast! Each morning the staff dropped off and adorable wicker basket with fresh, local breakfast offerings plus that wonderful carafe of coffee. We had different breakfast each day, to include quiche, overnight oats, fresh fruit, biscuits, and bacon. Just the right amount for the two of us and we couldn't wait to see what breakfast surprise would arrive each morning. Although Plumb Island may feel remote from the business of the Boston-metro area, the location was great for dipping down to Salem without hitting any traffic, or popping up to New Hampshire for a sleighride through the forest. One morning, after a small nor'easter blew through, our SUV got stuck in the parking lot snow. No worries! The General Manager of the Blue came out to hail down a plow and personally helped push us out. Now that's service! Overall, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Blue -Inn on the Beach to anyone looking for a romantic beach getaway. If you're looking for a less Metropolitan vacation with the proximity to get to Boston in under an hour, the Blue can't be beat. We will definitely be coming back. Maybe even in the summer next time!

    The Merchant

    The Merchant

    (78 reviews)

    $$

    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!

    Compass Rose Inn - Front entryway, so quaint

    Compass Rose Inn

    (28 reviews)

    $$$

    We rarely leave negative reviews, but our experience was disappointing…read more Our room was 73 degrees overnight, and the air conditioning would not work. The thermostat asked for a PIN code, and nothing we tried worked. We contacted the innkeeper in the middle of the night and were told to turn the dial instead of touching the screen and to open the windows. We had already tried both. Around 4:30 a.m., she came to our room. Three of the four windows were stuck shut, and the only one she was able to open had no screen, making it unusable. Around 5:00 a.m., we were told someone had "turned the AC back on," and only then did the room begin cooling. What was most frustrating was the inconsistent explanation. We were initially told this had never happened before. Later we were told the heating system automatically switched because it was 58 degrees outside. If that's how the system works, the listing shouldn't advertise central air conditioning without explaining that guests may not actually be able to use it. We were awake for most of the night because the room was so warm. We politely requested some type of refund or credit since the advertised air conditioning wasn't available, but that request was denied. The property itself is nice, but customer service during this situation was very disappointing. We simply expected a comfortable night's sleep and a reasonable effort to make things right.

    The rooms were adorable, the innkeeper friendly and gracious with us and went above and beyond to…read moremake our night there memorable. Highly recommend!

    Essex Street Inn & Suites, Ascend Hotel Collection - Living room area with microwave and mini fridge

    Essex Street Inn & Suites, Ascend Hotel Collection

    (64 reviews)

    $$

    I stayed here with my girlfriend for her birthday and it was perfect! Situated in downtown…read moreNewburyport, just about everything is walkable. While I did not bring my car, I was pleasantly surprised to see they do have their own parking lot behind the buildings. Our room was spacious, super clean and the bed was the comfiest bed I've slept in in some time. I was concerned that the walls would be super thin since it's technically in an old residential building but it was pretty quiet. The free breakfast in the AM was decent - standard breakfast (not made to order or anything) but still good. All-in-all, I felt like we got great value for the price. I'd definitely stay here again and recommend it to anyone visiting Newburyport.

    This is a wonderful New England inn in a perfect location when visiting Newburyport…read more , From their website: The Essex Street Inn was originally built as the "Lucky Livery Stable" in the early 1800's. In 1880, the stable was razed, and in its place, the present Essex Street Inn was built in a conservative version of the style known as Victorian eclectic. To set expectations, the rooms are cozy. The suites are larger, but since we were only here for one night, we opted for a standard room. Luckily, we were on the first floor, as there are no elevators and steep stairs. They do have a parking lot, which is key during the high season. Our room was very comfortable, and our bed was perfectly plush. There is a K-Cup coffee maker and cable TV in the room. Breakfast is OK and should satisfy most. There is a Starbucks a short walk away and plenty of other coffee shops and breakfast venues in the area. The location is perfect, on a side street, walking distance from shopping, bars, and restaurants. Plum Island is also a short ride away.

    DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston North Shore - Guest room

    DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston North Shore

    (232 reviews)

    $$

    DoubleTree Northshore isn't a bad pick IF and only IF you get a good deal for it. If you pay full…read moreprice, I reckon it's not worth it. The staff is nice and they do their job. The hotel however is very old and has lots of not-so-enjoyable quirks as a result... While our room was clean for the most part, the shower was difficult to operate (defective more like) and the showerhead had mold growing on it. The bed sheets were clean EXCEPT for that one corner with a smear of something red (blood? raspberry jam? take your pick!) and the bed itself was so soft I thought it would swallow me whole. I could barely move. The pillows were soft beyond what's reasonable for a human head. Noise from other hotel guests was by far the biggest issue. Paper thin walls meant I could hear the TV and guests speaking next door. Across the hallway, another guest was playing music SO loud that hotel staff came to knock on his door to warn him to keep it down. They had to knock 10 times for the guy to hear them and answer the door. Gives you an idea! At least the staff was proactive... Oh did I mention there's a crack under the room door that is almost an inch high? All sounds from the hallway will echo inside your room as a result. Nice... said no one ever. So, as I said in my intro, if you get a good deal like we did, all these issues might be worth putting up with. Otherwise, stay away if you value good sleep.

    This place is a complete dump. The people at the check in desk were polite, but that's the only…read morepositive I am going to highlight. Right when you self-park, the lot near the waterpark is riddled with feet-deep potholes. They don't even care to maintain their parking lot, and they have the audacity to ask you to pay $10 to park in this unmonitored, unmaintained lot. Ridiculous. I booked a waterpark package for 1 night. I am an Honors member, so I checked in on the app at 2:30pm. My room was assigned but not ready, so I checked with the desk to see if we could use the waterpark while we waited. They said yes and that our room would be ready in about 30 minutes. We headed to the waterpark. The waterpark is filthy. Trash is floating in the lazy river and is everywhere in the facades throughout the park. It's dusty everywhere and the chlorine in the air made our eyes burn. The floor is dark and grimey and clearly has not been maintained in years. I kept stepping on a weave at the bottom of the pool with the basketball hoops. Lifeguards are apathetic, at best. There is no order to anything, it's basically a free for all with no one monitoring the poor behavior of patrons or the safe execution of the 1 or 2 slides in working order. We are actually grossed out by the entire waterpark, of which nearly all attraction slides are unavailable, so we decide to dry off and just wait for our room. 4pm comes and goes so I go back to the front desk. They say the app "didn't go through" (what? I had a room number assigned) and that I have a new room, which is ready now, what a coincidence! We go up and it is not very clean, but the beds are clean and have new sheets, so we just dealt with it because it's getting late. There was an old string cheese, an empty drink bottle, used starbucks straws, old yogurt in the fridge, dust everywhere, old ungrounded plugs for the not plugged in lamps and it appeared as though the rooms haven't seen an update in 20+ years. Not pictured is the half paint-covered green gummy bear that fell from the ceiling shortly before we checked out. The waterpark and all other fun things, close at 6 to 7pm. What is the point of these amenities. I hate to compare anything to Great Wolf Lodge, which is a literal money pit, but it is like the Ritz Carlton compared to this place. Do not go, it's worse than any other Hilton property I've ever visited. I called Hilton directly because I felt so strongly about this place and regretted not having the time to tell them in person. I was on hold for 30 minutes after the customer service desk sent me to the property's manager. They didn't pick up.

    Briar Barn Inn - hotels - Updated August 2026

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