Had lunch upstairs at the bar. Food was delicious but the bar smelled like dirty rags and there were too many flies.

The customer service here is wonderful. The front desk, the vallets, the restaurant staff. My biggest qualm is the cost for the accomodation. This hotel is a motel with some high-end finishes. There is no proper lobby and the restaurant feels like a cafeteria. The food options are nice but limited esp after 7p. read more

Was drug here by the family against my will. Same shit different year took forever for the food to come out and service was piss poor. It was also extremely mediocre. Will truly never be back read more

I had a sushi roll deluxe and it was mediocre. The Hamachi was dry and hard. It's definitely a sign of the times--post-pandemic, many restaurants, including this one, seem to be cutting corners. It's clear they're using lower-quality ingredients. Diners, beware when heading to Avalon and Stone Harbor these days. read more

Spent a little under an hour at ICONA at one of their indoor bars (I believe it was level1) on Friday September 8th (weekend after Labor Day weekend). This was choice number 2 as our first choice didn't work out due to the bar being over-crowded during a wedding. We arrived a little after 6pm and got street parking along the athletic fields. The parking lot was busy, as was the rooftop bar and one of the inside bars (another wedding being hosted). The property is very nice and enormous. I'd get lost inside if I weren't with someone who has been here before (was my first time). The 3rd bar we came to inside of the property was virtually empty. We chose our seats based on what was playing on each tv which ended up being right next to the bar top lift gate. Bad idea on our part as the employees were constantly walking in and out of the bar letting it slam on the way down (again, our fault as we could've chose different seats). We had a classic vodka martini and a Manhattan. The glasses were small and felt kind of cheap in the hand, but my Manhattan tasted good. The bartender gave us a glass with ice for the remainder of the drink that didn't fit into the martini glasses which was nice, however the same glass was used with the same watered down ice for our 2nd drink. The total for 2 Manhattans and 2 martinis came to around $60 which is kind of what I was expecting for the area. The bar did the job (we were waiting for a few others who had prior obligations before our dinner reservations) but I wasn't blown away by the bar itself or the experience. A few of the other bars looked nicer on the property but we got what we came for. Hopefully if I'm back I can sit at the rooftop bar that overlooks the beach on a nice night. read more

ICONA Windrift - Manhattan - Hotels Near Me - Avalon, New Jersey

Live music! Great fish tacos and fun drinks after a beach day! Wings amazing, also have really tasty cauliflower wings! Really friendly server! read more

Booked a 4 bedroom condo. What they don't tell you is how miserable the bathroom situation will be. One bathroom attached to master bedroom. Is ridiculous...world's smallest bathroom. For the rest of the guests you are forced to share the bathroom with 5 other people. There isn't a half bath or anything ..so if someone needs to use the bathroom while another person is using the shower it's a trip to the bathroom in the hotel lobby. The main bathroom is also tight and small and no place to hang your to towels. Then they give you weird looks at the front desk if you want fresh towels... Miserableness. Second issues, no one comes to clean the condo until day three. With sand, no place to hang wet towels, and garbage overflowing it's also another reason not to rent a condo. I finally gave in and ran the vacuum myself that I found in a closet. So much for getting a break..when you are forced to do your own cleaning. We emptied our own trash, we requesting more toilet paper, dishwasher liquid and soap, and more trash bags, as you have kitchen and if you are cooking anything and having 7 people you have more trash. We resorted to taking trash to the hotel dumpster on our own. They use Covid or lack of staff as an excuse. We rented a condo here last year and they tidied up the condo and brought fresh towels every day during the height of the COVID pandemic. Next time for the money we will rent a house. Two years in a row we have been here spent lots of money between condo and eating at the restaurants and probably won't return. read more

I am so over the restaurants on this island. My cousin posted pictures of their sushi which looked good, so I went for some. The sushi may be photogenic, but it is very sad. The tuna and yellowtail sashimi is frozen and waterlogged - it has no flavor. The shrimp sashimi is over cooked. None of the sushi is good. This is just another tourist island restaurant that has location. Seriously, if you're on this island, stick to pizza and hoagies, as I've been really disappointed in the majority of the restaurants here. I always say, would I go back here? No. A definite no. read more

Frankly, miss the old Windrift, before it was Yuppified. Don't understand why they keep moving the dance floor??? Chatterband is great!

One star for the hotel because I woke up every morning with fresh bites all over my legs. No mosquitoes in sight and I'm concerned that this place is infested with BEDBUGS. No way to know but I'm suspicious. Other than that our stay was great. Great restaurant and pool and excellent beach service. read more

After close to 50 years of coming to Windrift...we are done. With the new owers, it has gone downhill to the point of no return. Room fridge smells like a chicken died in there...reported it upon check in (morning and evening) and no one has come yet...2 days later. "Hot tub" is colder than the pool. They STOPPED SERVING BREAKFAST and you can't buy the coffee at the front desk until 7:30am. No one at the front desk to help you unless you get someone to knock on their office door. Added a Luxury Tax of 15% to each night...for us that's $77/night! Beds now terribly uncomfortable and loud. Gone are the friendly smiles, the "how can I help you...". Adios, Windrift. read more

Saying a place in Avalon is overpriced is cliche... mainly because the entire town is overpriced come summer time. Still, I have to say the drift is pricey. After all, someone has to pay for all those renovations. The place looks a lot nicer on the outside, however, content contained within just doesn't live up to the fancy new outside. Same food, higher prices. Same drinks, slower service (and higher prices). The same, just for more... read more

Experience was great! Waitstaff (Frank) was awesome & the food was delicious. However, they sat our table of 5 outside & it seemed to be no issue. Later on in the night our friend came making the table 6 people. Our waiter was great he said no problem & we moved our seats around to accommodate. After this interaction a "manager" came over. She was very rude basically told us we could not sit that many people & would need to go inside. She then left and made us sit there waiting not knowing what to do. Finally she moved us to a giant table to finish our meal, truly ruined our experience. read more

You can't beat the location of this hotel. However, it lacks serious cleanliness (room was NOT vacuumed, the toilet was dirty and not flushed when we checked in, my kids were grossed out by the sand on top of the comforter). For $419/night - guests should at least expect a clean room. The pool was nice, as were the lounge chairs, beach chairs and umbrellas. They need a better system with the pool towels! Some other guest checked out 4 towels to my room, and I had to argue with pool attendant that I didn't check out towels, and we had just arrived. So then he made it look like we had 9 towels out. When we went to return the towels, attendant was done for the day. Why bother checking in and out if you're only going to staff the position for 4 hours a day? We only ate lunch there (not breakfast or dinner). Lunch was mostly good - very fresh. But no kids menu at all was a disappointment! At the least they could've offered smaller sizes of the regular stuff on the menu. The live music at night was great. Wish they had more kid entertainment during evenings. read more

Worst service ever. Bar was not even full. Andrew and Savanna were too busy chatting with each other to give us service. We left and will never be back read more

Had dinner there last evening. Not a good experience. My boyfriend and I did not feel well afterwards. We had guac and chips. He had pizza with chicken. I had maryland crabcake and a salad. We think the chips that came with the guac did us in. Besides that the food was totally overpriced! Our bill came to $82. Ridiculous! $25 for a crabcake? $6 for a side salad. I was still hungry afterwards. read more

I called into the hotel before my stay to ask for a specific adjustment for a friend who was having a family emergency. Lala, who was on the nightshift for reservations, was SO ACCOMIDATING AND WONDERFUL!!! She made me feel so welcomed and appreciated as a "guest to be" and was just a lovely person to speak to. Which was so refreshing with the way people can be on the phone (even in customer service). I hope the Windrift appreciates and recognizes how amazing she is as an employee and OBVIOUSLY as a person!!! I cannot wait to arrive tomorrow and tell every manager I see how amazing she was to both me and our multiple parties! I am actually taking a gift for her! Kudos, Lala!!! read more

My family has been coming here for decades. Change in ownership has certainly had an effect. My room, which cost over $500 a night, which included a luxury and resort fee, was a real disappointment. No luxury and no resort feel. There was no closet and the bathroom was tiny and dark. How can there not be a closet in a hotel room? Even the Holiday Inn has a closet. The bathroom lighting was terrible.....felt like I was taking a shower in the dark. At the pool, there was a group who brought their own music and a gigantic speaker. And the manager allowed it! Only when our group confronted them did the manager intervene and we were able to tell them to stop. How can such inconsiderate behavior be allowed, especially with the prices they charge? By the way, the manager on duty that day could not have been over 25 years old.....nor was anyone else employed there, although all the wait staff were very sweet. My room was on the 3rd floor and I like to take the stairs, especially when there was only 1 very tiny, slow elevator. I was informed that to take the stairs I'd have to leave the building and walk around the block....WHAT? The food was just OK and very pricey, which I wouldn't have minded so much if the food was excellent. And the menu is the same, from the pool to the other 3 restaurants. Coffee is $3.00 and not before 7:30. And no breakfast menu! Windrift, WE ARE DONE! read more

Had the blackened mahi-mahi salad and dinner. Fish was so dry it was difficult to chew. Almost inedible. This is a bar with bar food masquerading as a restaurant. Someone should monitor the cooks and the product they are serving. 4 of us at the table had the blackened mahi-mahi and all agreed. Don't mind paying for good food but this was bad. read more

We love the Windrift. we met in the sand when it was an old-school beach bar and have been coming back ever since. The upgrades are great, but now it has started to attract fewer families, and more of the younger entitled NY a**holes who can't afford to go to the Hamptons anymore. Such a shame. read more

Worst Experience EVER! Thirty years ago, my wife and I arrived in Atlantic City for our honeymoon only to find out that our Resorts hotel room reservation had fallen through and we found ourselves without a room at midnight. My new bride was so distraught and crying, I had to rectify the situation ASAP. We headed back up the parkway and ended up staying at the Windrift. Thirty years later, for our anniversary, we decided to revisit the Windrift for a long weekend. We booked our room in advance and I was a little shocked to find out that the cost for a bedroom for the night was $400. I checked out their website and quickly figured that the hotel had been recently renovated and now included not just one, but six individual restaurants. Very swanky indeed. A top notch job to say the least. When we arrived, it was a bit overwhelming. No valet was around and we were faced with a completely overcrowded parking lot. We finally found a space parked next to the dumpsters on the north side of the building. The stench of raw garbage was overwhelming. If you still decide to stay here, make sure it is not a room over the dumpsters!! This is also next to the back door to a kitchen and many of the staff/help were outside smoking. I was informed by the manager that although the hotel stresses the fact that all of the hotel grounds are smoke free, it is perfectly acceptable for the staff to smoke. We had a room on the south side of the building overlooking the parking lot and the pool with very little view of the ocean if any...the smell of cigarettes was constantly in the air when we sat on the balcony. A trip to the beach revealed that the hotel does NOT provide beach chairs, umbrellas, etc. Next door, at the less expensive Golden Inn, all such amenities were provided. In fact, they have employees on the beach to assist with setting up chairs and umbrellas. How nice? Windrift offers nothing. After lunch, we retreated to our room for a break from the sun. My wife was taking a shower, when all of a sudden there was someone banging relentlessly on our hotel room door. I answered the door to find a young employee with a spray bottle spraying the perimeter of our door with some sort of disinfectant. He informed me that he believed we were smoking cigarettes in the room. I told him he was mistaken. Five minutes later, the manager on duty came to our door and started actually pounding making the same claim that someone was smoking cigarettes in our room. I told him through the door that I had already told the last staff member that no one was smoking in our room. With my wife still in the shower, I shouted back to come back in a 1/2 hour because we were indisposed at the moment. The manager then hollered back that if he had to return in a 1/2 hour, he wasn't going to be so nice! A threat! I immediately opened the door and informed him that he was making a mistake and that no one was smoking in our room. I invited him into the room and asked him if he smelt smoke. He said that he could not smell anything. Mind you, staff members were constantly underneath out balcony smoking cigarettes. I told him that my wife and I were not smoking in the room and that he was making a huge mistake. He retorted that if he was making a mistake, it was not his FIRST! Indeed. He then, in a threatening manner, suggested that he was going to evict us from our room! He then retreated back to the hallway and I went to shut the door at which point, Pete shoved his foot in the path and told me not to slam the door on him. I had no intention of doing so and in unison, we both told him that it was apparent he had left the room and I was simply closing the door. I have worked in sales and marketing for many years handling customer service for a Berkshire Hathaway company. I have to say that this was beyond the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my life. We called the hotel next door and booked a room for the rest of our stay at the Golden Inn. The difference was night and day in regards TO SERVICE. The room cost was half the price too. When we checked out of the Windrift, the management had the audacity to include a $100 surcharge for cleaning the room with the stipulation that the smell was not cigarettes but now the odor was marihuana or "weed smell" as was stated on the bill. Issues with room: Smelled like purfume from last guest. Shower fixture was not properly attached to wall--set screws backed out 1" plus. Scratched back of hand badly. TV remote barely funtioning and cable signal was fuzzy and static. A call to the front desk went unanswered. No ammenities in room such as pen and paper. Please take my advice and avoid staying in this overpriced, family owned hotel that has lost sight of what is most important--good customer relations. The Golden Inn is in the process of completely revamping the entire hotel. I would avoid staying at the Windrift Resort Hotel in Avalon, NJ at all costs. You have been warn read more

Found myself here to meet up with some long-lost friends. They suggested this place after much debate (none of us were familiar with the area, as they hadn't been to Jersey in ages and I don't typically venture so far south). I was a little wary, since I automatically thought of the annoyingly pretentious W in Hoboken, but I wanted to see my friends and didn't know anywhere else to go. For a place directly adjacent to the beach, parking was surprisingly easy for a Saturday night. There was a $5 cover, which sucked, and a strict ID policy: not only was my license scanned, but my picture was also taken to match. (There was also a sign stating that people with super out-of-state licenses would be asked for extra backup.) There were several bars: one on the main level, the patio bar, a larger space upstairs. There was restaurant seating at all except the patio. All were busy but not disgustingly crowded. We sat at the main level bar, based on the tap selection and hockey on TV. Most of the beers were pretty standard, but there was a good variety: everything from useless Miller Lite to a nice 60 Minute Dogfish IPA. The bartenders were all friendly and service was quick. As the cover band got louder, we ventured upstairs to the patio. Again, the bartenders were great, the hockey game was on, and it was busy but we all had room to move. The crowd was very diverse. We saw a Sophia Petrillo-aged lady (i.e., old) dancing to the bad music among a bunch of pale, preppy white people (the stereotype about white people dancing certainly held true); an old gray-haired, ponytailed man do the tango to an Eagle-Eye Cherry (think: 90's one hit wonder) song; stereotypical Jersey Shore-esque guys in muscle tees; and frou-frou girly girls who took entirely too long discussing hair and such in the bathroom (why other women just can't piss and leave is beyond me). I don't hang out much down the shore so I can't really give a good comparison on price, but I don't believe the prices were terribly different from any place I've been in the city. Despite the bad music and the frou-frou crew, though, the Windrift was a much better option than many of the crowded/fist-pumping/even-worse-music places one can find in Wildwood, Point Pleasant, etc. I think being located in more low-key Avalon played a factor in that. If you like people watching and want to go out down the shore without all the excess nonsense, then this would be a solid spot for you. I would not go out of my way to come here, as nothing really stood out as overly spectacular, but I would also not complain if I had to come back. read more

Before making up your mind about the Windrift, it's important to note the dates of reviews. It was recently completely remodeled and is absolutely a different hotel now. I think it's one of the top three on the island. My family stayed here in July 2013 and the newly remodeled rooms are very nice. The restaurants (3 of them) have good food, fast service, and you get everything from casual tavern food to fine dining. The pool is clean and well kept. Towels are available, and there are a lot of lounge chairs and tables with umbrellas all around it. Food service is available poolside as well. The rooms are very clean and have great amenities. Parking is on site and although it is sometimes tough to find a spot (you get one space per room) I always managed to find a decent spot. The location is beachfront, with two beach access points. We were completely thrilled with our stay and will come back, as well as recommend it to friends and family. I would definitely return to stay at the Windrift. read more

Spent a week here with wife and infant. We had a great time. Its hard finding a place at the jersey shore that "isn't" your typical flea ridden motel with "free HBO". Check-in was smooth, parking was abundant, the rooms were nicely appointed. The location and access to the beach can't be stressed enough. Lugging all of our beach stuff to the beach wasn't as tough as I had anticipated. This place was top notch, would def stay again. Minor issues: The room door didnt have a peephole or security lock There is only 1 elevator, and it was small Make sure you ask for a room on the pool side, or else you'll be staring at dumpsters from the kitchen. read more

The workers and bartenders are the nicest, the best, and the overall most amazing workers i've ever seen. The bartenders (in particular Sean and Kevin) were the best people I've ever met in my entire life. They made our experience so much more amazing than it could have been. Thank you to everyone but more importantly them, I will definitely visit again if I ever have the chance!! read more

"Swanky hotel not a typical jersey shore motel." We just came back from a vacation at the Windrift. We had an excellent time. Everything is clean. The pool was great. The staff should be commended on excellent service. There is always live entertainment every night. Great getaway for both my daughter and my husband and me. The one thing I wish they had was a small gift shop. We will be recommending this hotel and vacationing there again. read more

Expected more from this hotel. The beds were not comfortable at all and the amenities can leave much to be desired. There wasn't even s closet! The management (Mike) could care less when we checked out early and commented on the Condition (he simply stated they are 3 years old, who cares how many people have slept on them!? ) of the mattresses will not return nor recommend read more

ICONA Windrift - Hotels Near Me - Avalon, New Jersey

One of our favorite places down in Stone Harbor/Avalon. Great food & drinks. We love it here!!! read more

ICONA Windrift - Sushi, bang bang shrimp & sangria! - Hotels Near Me - Avalon, New Jersey

I would give this hotel a 0 out of 0 if I could. I came to this hotel with my wife and family of about 100 who all rented rooms for a wedding. I found myself locked out of the hotel at about 1am because my wife and her parents shared a room and we only had two bracelets and one key. Security approached me and told me to leave the property or the police would be called. I told security that I had a room, was here for a wedding, and just call my room or check with the desk to verify what I was saying. Btw, I'm black and was one of two black people at the wedding. Security told me to get off the property and they would do no such thing. Police were called and eventually I was allowed to go back to my room but the event and evening was ruined. Racism in its truest form. I will never go back to this establishment nor will I ever recommend this establishment to anyone. Book at your own risk!!! read more

The most beautiful hotel on the jersey shore. It has a great restaurant and the views are amazing. read more

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Just stayed here this past weekend. From check in to check out everything was perfect. We really enjoyed the restaurant and the food service by the pool was excellent. Get to the beach by 10 am so you are able to get lounge chairs and umbrellas because they go quickly. Will definitely be back next year. read more

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What a delight our stay was. The Windrift is certainly one of the premier places to stay at the jersey shore. With their exclusive beach front location, you can't go wrong. They've updated the hotel to such a high standard. The guest room was very comfortable, exquisitely decorated and very, very up to date. The bathroom, wow....absolutely state of art. There were four of us, all adults, staying in the room. Of course we were at the beach, not really expecting to spend much time in the room. But, sadly we had a very cold rainy day during our short stay. I'm delighted to say, having to spend a little more time than we wanted in our room was not a problem at all! The staff was great. While we did not eat in the dining room, we did have coffee one morning after a cold, wet stroll on the beach. It was very nice. We also had a few drinks and an appetizer at the bar in the afternoon. That was a great place to sit and catch some golf on TV. The morning we were to check out after our short two night stay dawned clear, bright, sunny and warm. The staff was very accommodating allowing us to hang on to our room keys and beach tags. The room key (actually an elastic wristband with an RFID thingy in it which you scanned and, voila, your door would unlock!) got us fabulous beach lounge chairs and allowed us to use a changing room near the hotel office when we left. I wish we would've been able to stay longer. Hopefully we'll be back next year!! read more

Excellent service from our 2 night stay, from the Front Desk(Mike and Joan) to the Piano bar restaurant, the seafood was delicious and the sing along piano man made it so fun. Our server Nathan, was the best server, very happy and accommodating. The breakfast on the deck with our great server, Peter who was so kind to my ESA dog. Bob the bartender on the 2nd level is amazing. Great beach loungers and umbrellas on the beach. The cleaning ladies were very sweet too. read more

Place for drinkers. Lots of bars. Standard rooms like any hotel but priced higher. Good area on 7 mile island and right by the beach. Very nice beach. Food in main areas was ok but not worth the price. Nice pool and spa. Very tiny balcony. Very friendly staff. read more

Never have I been this mistreated by a bouncer. My mom, aunt, cousin and I (all women) were at dinner and were encouraged to go to the Windrift by people who gave us their $5 wristbands. We were excited because we heard there was a band playing and we were in the mood to dance as a family. Unfortunately that is NOT what happened. We were asked to leave by some bouncers at around 10 o'clock and obliged because my cousin was only 20 . On the way out of the building we were met by enormous rudeness. It was so inappropriate that we thought he was joking. He yelled at us telling us we are "banned for life" and to " get off the property " , that we can "never come back". He was physically threatening and stood up in a menacing manner towards my 60 year old 5'3'' mother who was offering no resistance . Was this for real?? Sweetheart you won't have to ban us, because we will never be back. The food was bad enough, and then this incident was the nail in the coffin. Sucks to suck. read more

Huge disappointment. Have stayed there before and had a nice room but this one was horrific. Located on the 1st floor right next to the front door of adjoining building so we heard every door slam of every person entering and leaving the hotel as well as their conversation at all hours of day and night. Room had a damp feel with a view of the parking lot. Housekeeping did a poor job cleaning and replenishing bath room supplies. I shared our experience with desk clerk at checkout - no attempt to do anything about it. It was our wedding anniversary so not as special of a trip as I had hoped. At $450/night we could have stayed at any luxury hotel in the country. Hotel taking advantage of supply and demand with price gauging and substandard accommodations. On the positive side, the restaurant staff is great...especially Meredith ! read more

The Windrift hotel room we had was okay, it was clean and fairly modern. The lack of lighting however was awful - there's no light in the shower and the room lighting is dim. They charge $3.00 for a cup of tea in the morning despite their high room charges, they can't even give you a cup of coffee or tea complimentary. My main complaint is the room price when I booked it for a King room was $299.00. The hotel then added on the NJ state sales tax which is customary (that was $19.81). However, in addition to the state tax they added a Luxury tax and a Resort tax plus a tax on the Resort tax!! The Luxury tax and the Resort taxes added another $51.12 so the total fee for 1 night for this room was $369.83! I just want to alert others who may be considering this hotel to these extra fees. I did check other hotels and they did not add a Resort Fee and Luxury tax or just charged 1 of these extra taxes. The room wasn't worth the extra $51.12 and we will not stay here again; I cannot believe how these establishments rip off their customers! We did not eat in the restaurant so I cannot review that, we only used the room for 1 night. read more

We just returned from a week stay at the Windrift. Everything was top notch from the moment we arrived, to the end of our stay. As soon as pulled in, the young men who work with the Valet, unloaded our luggage etc, and took it to our beautiful 4 bedroom condo. They even came and loaded our car when we left. Every employee, in every capacity, couldn't have been more pleasant and accommodating. You could tell they have been trained very well. Keep up the good work Windrift! We will be back. read more

The staff at windrift were all very helpful, accommodating and friendly. The food was very good albeit with resort prices. We were disappointed with the room accommodations because we wanted a ocean front suite but didn't have any. We opted for the next best option which was a suite with an ocean view. Unfortunately it was next to the mechanical room and the elevator. The walls in the bedroom were extremely thin so we did endure mechanical noise all day and night. This was disruptive to my sleep but not my husbands. We spoke to the management and they did offer a slight refund and voucher for food. They also offered us a different room but we specifically wanted to see the ocean while we were there so we opted for the credit and elevator noise over changing rooms. The beaches at Avalon are wonderful. Clear water, no jellyfish, somewhat secluded especially when compared to ocean city or wildwood. If we come back I'm not sure we would stay at the Windrift again but there aren't a lot of hotel options in the immediate vicinity. read more

The outside looks very nice, especially the bar and the pool, both of which we were unfortunately unable to take advantage despite staying two nights at the hotel. Perhaps this is because the hotel's right on the beach. Why go to the pool when the ocean and the long beach is a few feet away? The rooms are immaculate but probably 3.5-star. I miss closets, which seem to be disappearing from most hotel room. There's a large screen TV with a fair number of channels, and the bathroom is well stocked and furnished. I'm giving an extra star because the hotel is across the street from the recreational center. Although not a hotel property, it may as well be. Lots of tennis courts, a softball field, soccer field and goals, basketball court, skateboard... too many to name. The Jitney, a van that costs $2 before 11 pm and $4 after, conveniently circles the property and takes you to the happening parts of Stone Harbor and Avalon (there aren't many, but they are far, and you don't want to drink and drive, do you?). read more