So much fun! Perfect summer activity. They have boards, kayaks, canoes, etc. all reasonably priced…read morefor the area. Staff is local hs and college kids, but they're super polite and really helpful. And shocking for Marblehead in the summer... free parking! Also- they have "frequent paddlers" discounts, if you get addicted.

Absolute gem of a place for all your boating needs. I rented a Hobie kayak (off site) and Mary…read moreEllen met me at the shop at a time that was convenient for me. She helped me secure the kayak to the top of the car, so now I know how to transport kayaks. I found that the system she used to install kayaks on the roof of cars is idiot proof, and the kayak is securely fastened to the top of the car to avoid liability. I also found that any guy could lift a kayak and install it the the roof of a car solo (it's not that heavy), however hauling the kayak fewer for more than 5 feet I recommend two people. I refuse to rent anywhere else, and I look forward to renting from Little Harbor Boathouse again.

Where do I even begin to describe what an amazing venue Olio is? We had toured and booked Olio in…read moreJanuary 2024 (the only venue we toured) and just had our beautiful wedding on October 4th. Sarah was there for us quite literally every step of the way. We had also used Sarah's coordinating business Without A Hitch and worked with Allison who is now a part of the team at Olio. Their professionalism and kindness went above & beyond. We are so thankful to have found this amazing venue and to have celebrated our wedding there! I cannot recommend Olio enough.

Landmark School had their annual fundraiser at Olio this past Friday evening and it was awesome! I…read morelove the spacial layout, lighting and floor.

The caterer that the Gerry 5 recommended (KC Squared) and that is the only one allowed to use their…read morekitchen, did a terrible job on my Dad's food for his celebration of life, which was held shortly after his passing. The meatballs were Walmart style frozen, tasteless, the potato salad had way undercooked potatoes that were swimming in a brown concoction and the sandwiches were soggy. The caterer promised me a refund and then promptly ghosted me. What a terrible customer service experience!

Fun place. Too bad you need a membership to enter. If I lived closer I would get one. But hope…read moreto be back again soon

Recently repainted walls, and it looks great. Good space for functions…read more Need new restrooms ASAP. Ample public parking space is a plus.

From the owner: We offer a beautiful space that accommodates up to 200 guests. Our prices are affordable and we…read moreoffer Veterans and member discounts as well. We pride ourself on friendliness, and do our best to accommodate all our rentals.

Always the best perfect service and attention…read more Tried the Lobster Risotto and exceeded all expections! Of course, the Clam Chowder was the best NE chowder. The Steak Frites looked so good but will have to wait for next time.

Incredibly Beautiful old, classic facility, very nice service, solid food, great drinks.read more

Willow Spring was the perfect spot to host a bridal shower! Brianna and the team couldn't have…read morebeen any better at making sure the entire event went off without a hitch!! Would recommend 100 times over!! Will be using them again!

Great local winery serving their own delicious wines. Very friendly staff in a welcoming…read moreenvironment. Have attended their Friday night fires a few times and they are not to be missed. I'm glad that they are back on the schedule for this summer.

The atmosphere is very nice, however, food is atrocious. The planning is poor as well as at a…read morerecent function I attended we waited almost an hour for food to come out. When it did, the children's meals were cold, French fries were frozen and not edible. The adult food was also not fresh. The salad was already dressed with a dressing that tasted like dirty dish water. The person in charge clearly was not organized and turned to the hosts to distribute meals for kids and to carry a sheet cake. I'm thinking that there should be waitstaff to do this and for the money that the hosts paid for this facility they should NOT have had to do these tasks. This is why they had their party at a function hall....so they could entertain and be with their guests! Unless the Bayside gets a new party coordinator and a new caterer I would NEVER have a party/function here.

I had a party at the Bayside and from the planning to the day of the party everything was great!…read more I worked with Debbi, but spoke with John on the phone often. Both were always helpful and knowledgeable. I had a buffet meal, but ordered kids meals for the littles. We had more kids show up than planned. Debbi was awesome and worked to get meals to the kids I ordered them for and the extras they had made up in case were split between the extra kids. Because our cake was huge/heavy, my husband wanted to help Debbi carry it to the kitchen, but she assured us not to worry and got her staff to help. Thankfully, because I needed him! The ONLY thing I regret is not listening to Debbi during the planning stage. She suggested ordering and appetizer for my guests if I was planning dinner to be served an hour in. I didn't want to spend the money... next time I will. Debbi did bring out the dinner early by 10 minutes, but I know we were all hungry!

Pros: Beautiful and varied garden spaces that are well…read moremaintained. Cafe has a large outdoor patio with gorgeous view. Gift shop has all kinds of cool and unusual items. Great place to do some holiday shopping. Dog friendly. Cons: Restrooms are outdated, not the cleanest, and kind of gross. Ticket prices seem a bit too high for the actual size of the property. Cafe is understaffed. Ordering at lunchtime was quite slow.

I'm surprised I didn't put a review up of it at the time. We had so much fun here. Parking was free…read moreand because the bf is a veteran admission was free for us and the kids that day, woohoo! The staff were all very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our time there very much and would love to come back again the next time we are in town.

I had my wedding here in May, so this will be a long but all encompassing review of all different…read moreaspects of the Hawthorne. When I was looking for venues, I wanted all inclusive and one location. I spoke with Christine Madigan via email and then over the phone. She assured me that the Hawthorne did weddings well. We booked, signed contracts, set up a room block and everything. The room block: 3/5 stars I originally worked with Beth who set everything up for me and then was transferred to Rob as positions changed. I initially had 15 rooms in my block which we filled pretty quickly, but I saved one for my husbands grandmother so she could stay onsite. She called to book a room and was told there were no rooms. There were rooms so I called and spoke with Rob because she was pretty upset. He assured me we had rooms and for grandma to call him directly. Evidently the folks at the front desk didn't understand how the room block was intended to work. This happened over and over and over again. I really wish they would have set it up so my guests could book online because I heard from nearly half of my guests that either they couldn't get the days we were promised or the room type they wanted. I even had 3 couples stay at another hotel because of this so Hawthorne lost out on money because they couldn't get their booking system organized. One of my couples ended up in a room with a TWIN BED for 2 people. How is that even possible? Meanwhile I had a single person in a room with 2 queen beds and 2 bathrooms? Like I get accommodating people's requests, but a little critical thinking and communication would have gone a long way for comfort here. I doubt those people will come back to this hotel for this reason, which is sad because its such a lovely place. The menu tasting: 5/5 stars We were invited to a tasting of hors d'oeuvres, dinner selections, wine, cocktails and wedding cake. It was amazing to be able to sample items we wanted to serve without doing so blindly. Their food is phenomenal so we were excited to be able to share this with our guests. Wedding planning: 5/5 stars I received packets of information before booking Hawthorne as my venue, so I was aware of the pricing up front. I was even able to create a quote using their pricing sheet so nothing was a surprise. Christine was available to answer all of my questions throughout the process. As we got closer, she gave us homework to complete so we were ready for our big day. We created a signature mocktail, filled out place cards, went over our timeline, dropped off welcome bags, etc. Everything leading up to our wedding day (outside of booking guest rooms) was super smooth and easy. Pretty much everything was provided by the venue. I only had to book a photographer, content creator, photo booth, DJ and HMU on my own. The rest was handled for me which really made things so much smoother. We ended up well under budget, too! Wedding day: 3.5/5 stars If I could go back, I would hire a dedicated day of coordinator who worked specifically for me and not the venue. Christine was great, and did her job well, but she wasn't dedicated to me the entirety of the evening. And she and my mom were butting heads over things we were promised and not delivered. My mom did my wedding florals. We asked in advance if we could have refrigerator space and a private room to set up in. We were told we could have both, and on the day of, there was magically no fridge space, access to water, or a secure room to work in. It was extremely frustrating to be promised things and then not have those promises fulfilled. We were able to pivot and adapt, but that added so much stress to me on a day where I should not have added stress. The room she was working in was also being used as storage for a wedding the following weekend. The hotel has tons of space so I'm not sure why it had to be there but it seemed at that point it was a battle of wills more than anything. My photo booth company arrived right at the time we were about to start our ceremony, which was planned in advance, but the way the rooms were set up he ended up being in the lobby. This turned out to be really fun for wedding guests and random hotel guests to watch, but it was a bit awkward at first. Some of the items we brought for our reception were not brought down and we had to track people down to retrieve those. There was a room upstairs that was dedicated for us to hide away in and eat our appetizers, but I wanted to be with my guests and the appetizers never made it to me and my husband so I was told they were good but I didn't get to try them all. Dinner was absolutely amazing. However, I heard SO MANY complaints afterward about our bartender. I guess he was rude, and terrible at making drinks and when people tried to go to the other bar they got turned away. Overall I had the best day ever and would do it over again with a few tweaks :)

My boyfriend and I recently stayed at the Hawthorne Hotel for a short staycation. We live nearby…read moreand chose the hotel specifically for its history, haunted reputation, and because the price point included what we were told would be complimentary breakfast. The room itself was nice and comfortable, and we were surprised (in a good way) to find that it was a double room. In terms of the "haunted" experience, we did hear some tapping noises coming from the closet shortly after settling in. It was definitely spooky, and my boyfriend barely slept, hoping it would happen again--but it didn't. Still, it added to the atmosphere we were looking for. Unfortunately, the experience took a turn the next morning. When we went down for breakfast, we were informed that we needed a voucher or token that we were never given. I went back to the room to call the front desk for clarification and was told that breakfast was only included if you were given a "certificate," which was never explained at booking. My boyfriend then went to speak to the front desk himself, since he made the reservation (even though I was present when it was booked). He was told that no one ever told him breakfast was included, and the interaction felt accusatory--as though he was being accused of lying. This was uncomfortable and disappointing, especially since we booked the stay based on that information. Adding to that discomfort, as we exited the elevator to head to breakfast, we could hear two front desk staff members chatting enthusiastically. When they noticed us, the conversation abruptly stopped, and they stared as we walked by. It created an awkward and unwelcoming feeling. One was a gentleman with longer hair, and the other was a woman with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The manager was also involved in the conversation with my boyfriend. I do want to highlight the positives: The server at Nathaniel's was extremely kind and pleasant, and another woman working in the restaurant was also warm and helpful. The room itself was nice, and the restaurant service was genuinely the best part of our stay. That said, due to the front desk and management experience, this is not a hotel we would choose to stay at again--neither for the haunted experience nor for the treatment we received. Salem has many hotel options, and while we wanted this stay to be something special, it fell short. We were hoping to leave a glowing review, but aside from the room and restaurant staff, the overall experience left us disappointed.

As a fan of Hocus Pocus (it's one of my favorite Halloween movies!), I was very much looking…read moreforward to visiting Allison's house. While I didn't enter the house, it was great to see the exterior and take photos from outside. The Ropes Mansion garden is free to enter, and is accessible through an arched pathway at the side of the mansion. The garden, while small, is beautiful and tranquil to walk through, complete with plenty of roses and a small pond. It's a great spot to take tourist photos as well. A must-visit for Hocus Pocus fans!

We almost didn't make it see the Ropes Mansion before heading back home last week, but we decided…read moreour trip wouldn't be complete if we didn't see it. Do you remember in the movie when Dani and Max are outside the mansion just staring up at it in awe? That was me. The infamous mansion where Allison lives is a sight that can't be missed! It is located in a residential neighborhood at the very end of the street, but it is worth the quick detour away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist area. We came later in the evening so were only able to get a couple of night time shots - we wanted to get one of us in front of it, but a tour group was coming through at the same time and we didn't want to be too distracting. I'm not sure if they ever do tours inside, I believe the Ropes Mansion is owned by the Essex Museum, but the outside was definitely enough for me. If you're a fan of Hocus Pocus, this is a must stop!