I booked a semi-minute trip for my family & dog Aug 25th as I had previously stayed at Doug's Downtown Portsmouth apartment/hotel, and it was exceptional. I failed to see that Doug had sold the place when I initially booked the stay.
That being said, the new owner and "manager" need to brush up on their customer service skills pertaining to travel and basic human interpersonal skills. Prior to arrival, I double-checked to make sure my early check-in which I paid a fee for was OK as the receipt is auto generated and showed a check in time of 4pm. The manager replied yes they could do that for me, I mean I paid for it they weren't doing me a favor. I also asked for 2 extra blankets because the area can be cold at night. Those blankets were not in the room as requested (even though staff were in the room when we arrived to make sure everything was perfect) and confirmed they would be. Next, the guests next door who arrived mid-week had 2 dogs (think the hotels policy is 1 dog for that unit but hey I'm not the manager) and he had them off leash running around the property with one charging right up to my dog each time he was near, my dog is currently ill and was not feeling this unwanted behavior. The owner was chatting with this guest upon arrival as he walked the property with the dogs running freely. I'm a huge dog lover & even volunteer with a rescue in NY but this was unsafe for the 2 dogs as much as guests. There was a sign at the pool to be safe by closing the umbrellas when you leave. Let's just say no one cared & I was thankful it wasn't windy. Also, the deck to the unit had a huge overgrown plant with tons of bees so if you are allergic, pack your epi-pen.
Lastly, the night before we were to leave my mom was walking through the dimly lit kitchen and fell on the 1 stair leading to the living room, she was in so much pain we had to call EMS at 1030pm. They arrived along with a firetruck, and long story short, she was admitted to the hospital in the wee hours and had surgery the next day then transferred to acute rehab Labor Day through the next week. The following morning I informed the manager of the incident (as no one seemed aware there was an emergency situation on their property) who was distracted and half listening to me until I mentioned I was looking to stay longer but the site is wanting me to book as new guest and asked if she can extend my reservation. She seemed pleased to tell me it would cost the holiday rate which was about $2000 for Sat-Mon but due to this unexpected emergency, I had limited options due to the holiday weekend already started, needing housing that allows dogs & being 4.5hrs from home. When we left Monday, we had some down time waiting for my mom to discharge so I sent an email to the property to let them know we relocated to another hotel but it was shocking that no one checked to see how my mother was doing. She is a healthy woman who fell on their property requiring urgent surgery the next day. The responses were so lacking. The manager seemed to be full of excuses, covering herself, condescending as I have a hugh emotional intelligence and still not one inquiry about my mothers well-being. I work in healthcare and always joke "I have seen it all" well after this stay I truly have! I do hope the staff accept my recommendation to take some customer service classes and to ensure that the property rules are followed.
Do yourself a favor, stay elsewhere to enjoy Rye & the surrounding areas. read more