I'd probably say between 2 and 3. We stayed over 4th of July weekend and to celebrate my birthday in one of the loft apartments (#7) and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law stayed on the second floor in Room #5. Our 2 adult daughters came on different nights to stay with us.
PROS:
Great Location--2 short blocks from the beach and a block from the main drag with all the shops and restaurants, so walking distance to nearly everywhere. The B & B is on 30th Street, which is also where the surfer beach is (keeping the crowds on the beach down) and where they shoot the fireworks off.
Fantastic breakfasts--Each day there was a different hot dish (blueberry pancakes were incredible), a baked bread, and a variety of fresh fruit. All of the food was freshly prepared and quite tasty. Also, fresh coffee was ready to go at 7:30, which was perfect for us to have some coffee before our run and before breakfast.
The front porch and back deck (which we had shared access to with the other loft apartment) are nice spaces to hang out. The front porch is a great place to sit in the gliders and they do have a table in the corner for 4 or 5 people to sit around. This area is the definite highlight of the place. The back deck was very nice and we did spend some time out there, but it badly needs to be power washed due to years of weathering and algae growth (which does get slippery when it rains).
The beds were quite comfortable.
There is also an outside shower that you can utilize after you check out, so you can have another whole day at the beach. We didn't take advantage of it, but it is a nice to have the option.
CONS:
While the owners are relatively new, and while I understand it's an old house and there's charm in that, the place in general is rather tired, run down, and need of some overhauling and fresh paint. It seems that many shortcuts were taken and things were made to be functional, at best. The paint on the railing is chipping all the way up. The rugs are worn and need to be replaced. The showers are basically camp showers with cheap shower heads (actually we considered showering in the better outside shower). The sink and stovetop in our kitchenette are old and quite basic. The refrigerator leaks water and the knob to turn it colder was missing. The locks on the doors are old and stick. The lighting is also in need of updating.
Cleanliness was also an issue. There needs to be a good deep-cleaning of the place as there is dirt caked into the baseboards of the bathroom. Our bathroom mirror, the full length mirror, and the windows had not been cleaned upon our arrival. There was only one roll of toilet paper in the room when we arrived (but we were quickly given more when we requested). The soap in our bathroom had been watered down. Again, there was an overall feel that corners were cut in excessive ways.
There are 2 futons in the loft apartment, which is why we booked the loft apartment (so that our daughters could come and stay). They are terribly uncomfortable and should be replaced with regular twin beds. My one daughter chose not to stay a second night and my other daughter ended up sleeping on the floor. Bottom line is that these futons are not good for sleeping additional people, which is their purpose. There's a significant upcharge for the kitchenette and for use of the back deck. Additionally, there is supposed to be an additional upcharge per additional person. To be fair, thankfully this second charge was waived for whatever reason by the owners.
One of our biggest issues was the repeated use of the common area by the owners. The first night of the stay the owners were in the common area watching tv, but we figured they were waiting for people to check in. The second night they were there just hanging out watching tv, which we thought very odd. On the third night, the night of the fireworks, they had a party on the front deck with their friends and family, thus basically taking over the best part of the B & B when it was full of paying guests.
This place has definite potential and certainly has its pluses, but given the area and what they are charging they need to do better. It's a charming old house, but it needs some upkeep and some TLC and the common areas of the house need to be reserved for paying guests. read more