My siblings and I are planning to gather in Lordship Township, which is part of Stratford,…read moreConnecticut, to celebrate my sister's birthday in January 2025. Our family has gathered here for about 30 years, for holiday dinners at our mom's house, which is in Lordship Township, right on Long Island Sound. For all of those years, those of us who traveled from a distance would stay at Marnick's, a locally owned hotel that's right on the beach near our mom's house. Our mom passed a few years ago and I hadn't returned to Lordship Township since then. On a whim, browsing online for hotels in the area, I learned about The Surfside Hotel. I learned that Marnick's had closed and that a while later Surfside emerged, sporting a whole new vibe. Prior to committing to recommending a sibling gathering there, I spent the night last week at Surfside. I'm happy to report that the upgrade is impressive. While the rooms now cost more than they did when Marnick's owned the place, the prices are well within reason for the area. I took an Amtrak from D.C. (about 6 hours), paid about $12 for an Uber/Lyft from the train station, and arrived to meet Iona at the hotel's front desk. She took my information and offered that she'd been there for about 2 years and the present owners have been there for about six years. All the features of the hotel appeared to be solidly restored and improved upon. I had a second-story room (21) with a balcony looking out to the Sound. There was a complimentary coffee bar with self-serve coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fruit, and snack bars. There's a beach-reading library, so I contributed my copy of Rachel Kushner's recent novel, "Creation Lake," which I finished reading on the train ride from DC. There were no downsides. There's a decent efficient fitness center that includes a Peloton and free weights. There's a map of the area suggesting pleasant walks along the seawall, Russian Beach, the Prospect Light House, and Long Beach Gatehouse. There are paths taking hikes of two miles, 3.6 miles, and five miles, and a suggestion for a longer bike ride. The main reason for this visit was to see whether the siblings would be able to stay on site for meals. There's a well-populated bar and restaurant attached to the hotel called The Little Pub (see my Yelp review.) There's also a neighborhood Italian restaurant and bar half a block away. There's a deli and an adjacent pizza parlor three blocks away, where I picked up a single slice of pizza and a portion of carrot cake. The Lordship Corner Market is right next to the pizzeria, and has sandwiches, newspapers, and sundries for days at the beach. For those with cars, I can recommend the Cricket Car Hop, a mile or two inland, for great hot dogs, burgers & fries (it was a favorite of my mom's, and we went there just about every time I visited, but I wasn't in town long enough this time to visit). Things to keep in mind: Surfside is a small business, not part of any chain. Iona needed to know when I was likely to arrive, to be sure someone was available for check in. No one was at the front desk when I checked out (but I received a check-out acknowledgement shortly after 9 a.m. the day I checked out). I believe pets are welcome (I saw a service dog there as I was leaving in the morning). There are no elevators, and my room was on the second floor. The hotel is still using single-use plastics for the shower, and the tub lacked handholds. But the vibe is good . . . we get the aloha and mahalo greetings, suggesting Hawaiʻi roots. The innkeepers report that "Boy knows nothing about running a hotel, but restaurant comes with a hotel attached so it's all or nothing. Boy must convince Girl it's a good idea. Girl is not impressed. Boy breaks into song. Girl is impressed and says YES! Restaurant and hotel are redone, there is singing and dancing, and everyone is happy." True Romance! Mahalo

Cute and clean. Very accommodating. Cold water provided. Sweet mini fridge and custom placards…read more Right on the beach. Really! Old timey and homey vibes. Nearby restaurants, too.

Never again. The thermostat only seemed to control the mane room, one bedroom hot, one freezing.read more

4 weeks I've been here for work in four different rooms, and 4 different experiences:…read more Day 1: Room is beautifully large with a partial kitchen, clean dishes, many essentials; such as Palmolive dish soap, replacements for all paper towels, toilet paper, and Kleenex, dishwasher detergent, and sufficient space for conducting work business. HOWEVER- staff completely ignored me upon checking in. Her coworker had to tell me that the woman I was trying to check in with was a bubblehead who doesn't pay attention to anything. So he had to intervene and take over (I am not entirely sure of the professionalism in completely throwing your coworker under the bus, lol). I had to call the front desk to have my bathroom cleaned. It had a black ring around the tub and there was extension hair behind the toilet. I mentioned this to the front desk agent and she asked me if I wanted the whole room cleaned. My response was "maybe we should if the bathroom looks this bad!". She laughed and acknowledged that her laughter was an inappropriate response. The room was not addressed until I called a second time after noon. There was rust, mold, dust, and an overall appeal of a hotel in desperate need of attention and refurbishment. But they have free breakfast! Week two: missing essentially all of paper products, and soap upon check-in. Tub does not hold water. Rust on nearly all fixtures. But they have a pool! Week three: I have noticed that I say "good morning" to staff every day and they are buried in their phones. They do not acknowledge customers coming in and out. They definitely have issues with parking as every day I have tried to exit for important work matters and have been met with a delivery truck or shuttle directly in front of the hotel with not much of a way for customers to get their cars out. Week 4: I'm so over this place. Fights have broken out during my stay. The fire alarm has gone off. Police have visited on a separate occasion, not related to the second issue... One woman in particular was causing trouble for many of the hotel patrons. Staff were informed many times, but nothing was done about this particular woman who was causing massive disruption and physical abuse to others. This is close to being the absolute most ghetto place I've ever stayed at. ...but they have a gym! :::shrug::: Location is prime, however. You decide, lol. Inconsistent, unprofessional, outdated... but they have a fitness room (obviously unimpressed at this point)! Definitely not a pleasant experience during the entirety of the month. This place needs an extensive overhaul of staff professionalism, service, support, cleanliness, communication, and appeal. :::This concludes my four week diary:::

Rooms: 3 They have all the essentials. The water gets hot…read morequickly. The appliances all work. The air conditioner and heater work well. However, the rooms are small. The dresser and door to the fridge hits the bed when fully opened. Staff: 4 Friendly staff! They have good people here. Cleanliness: 3 The rooms and bedding were clean. There were a few dark yellow stains on the tile behind the toilet Misc: There was construction without any notice. The jackhammer from 8:30 to 6:30 was an issue, as I was trying to work from the hotel. There was also construction out front that kicked up concrete dust onto cars and into the lobby. The lobby got hazy from it. My mom, with a prosthetic leg, almost tripped over the extension cord that was running through the entryway. It was for the construction workers' power tools. Overall: 3 A reasonable hotel with everything you need at a reasonable price.

Absolutely disgusting!!! This hotel is worse than a motel, I would never recommend anyone to stay…read morehere. Customer service is horrible and the rooms are dirty. I have stayed with Best Western Plus many times but this location is a disgrace for their name. We found a special rate online at first we were told that the price will be as stated online and the host that gave us the bill said he's going to make the changes to the rate in a few and we can just sign it but in the morning we will get the receipt with the correct amount. That was fine but at checkout we were given the same higher amount though we already had a discussion and agreement on the price. The manager was rude! She lacked total common sense on how to deal with the customers. The lobby is pretty and newly renovated that got us excited thinking oh wow the rooms are going to be pretty as well. Looks can be deceiving for sure as we stayed in room 131 there's barely any space to walk around, smelled real funky, the sheets felt moist and dirty. I went to the front desk to ask for air freshener and new clean blankets. I was provided with 1 blanket which I used to lay it on the bed so I can sleep on it. There's no ventilation in the room beside the AC which barely seem to be working. The bathroom was ok not exceptionally clean but to my surprise there was a dead cockroach behind the bathroom door. This is beyond disgusting seems to be they need some pest control. When the issue was addressed to the owner/manager she did not even apologize but rather one of the other employees did. What kind of hotel is this that they cannot even keep it pest/bugs free. Breakfast is served from 6-10am during your stay and is ok nothing phenomenal. If you really want a good night sleep please do yourself a favor and find a decent place.

Hosted our family reunion in CT and it was absolutely perfect. The staff went overboard to make us…read morefeel welcome. The pool party was a bit hit with everyone. The use of the boardroom for our meet and greet was a great recommendation. Complimentary breakfast is always an added plus. The family enjoyed the options. Would definitely choose this hotel again.

First of all add more beds second of all improve the smell and third of all get better sheets it…read morefeels like a bath mat

Very clean room. I was given a suite and allowed to check in at 10 am which was fantastic…read more The staff is very friendly and breakfast good

Booked a hotel to come up for a night. Storm coming up coast, so we waited to see if it was still…read morecoming before making a decision on our travel. Once we confirmed that the storm was coming, I called to cancel hotel. Was told that because it wasn't two days out, I still had to pay for the hotel. Sorry, I can't control the weather and didn't want to risk driving in snow. Shame on this hotel for not refunding us for the night!

Love the convenience of checking in through the app. We even got to pick our room, which was…read moreconveniently near the exit. Both beds were clean, the only small problem was that my mum saw 1 roach on our second night. The gym's really small and hard to work out in. Also, I believe it's up to 15 lbs where it's only 1 hand, then you have pairs. The room was also hot as well, even with the temp turned down. Free breakfast was offered, but I didn't partake. Good options nonetheless. I would definitely choose this inn again because it's right across from the gas station and right by the highway for ease of access.

We stayed here from Saturday to Tuesday. The price was right and the other hotels in the area were…read morebooked with wedding parties. The room was ok. The bed was pretty comfortable. The toilet didn't flush well at all. We reported it to the front desk and upon coming back to the room later, nothing had changed. The front desk staff were very nice and professional. This hotel needs some serious TLC. A do-over. Let's start with the outside-it looks like a bunker or maybe a funeral home. Certainly doesn't look like a hotel. In fact someone that was parking asked us if it was a hotel. Not very inviting for sure. The other issue was the free breakfast. Right off the bat there is no toaster. No way to toast a bagel or English muffin. We were told that it broke and another one was ordered. This was on Sunday. Still hadn't arrived by Tuesday... The poor woman that was running the breakfast area Sunday morning was overwhelmed with all the guests asking about the restocking the food. One waffle maker was out of service. My husband got some sausage and he said that it was ice cold. My oatmeal was cold. Cold oatmeal is not good. The lid for the oatmeal pot was broken. The last morning that we were there the woman running the breakfast spent her down time sitting at one of the tables nearby. The snack area was pretty empty. Maybe there were 5 little snacks on display and there weren't many beverages. It was never restocked while we were there. And if you are a light sleeper you might want to make sure you get a room at the front of the hotel because the back of the hotel faces 95 and there is loud traffic all night long. And the photo for this hotel shows some EV chargers. Didn't see those chargers. They could have been there but I just didn't see them. I am assuming that the hotel didn't want to use an actual photo of the hotel because it looks like a funeral home or bunker... So that sums up pretty much our stay at this place.

January 2026 review-Hotel- Bed was good & room was clean. Older and you can tell but comfortable…read more Stayed about a week. No jacuzzi but they do have indoor pool and gym. Coffee is a regular staple in near the entrance and is a nice touch. They have dining options $$ on site and a morning buffet. Bar is decent. Hotel staff were really friendly and good especially front desk.

First off, when I checked it it was only one elevator working for the entire hotel to use. The…read moreconcierge's lounge didn't serve breakfast, they served food for only 2 and a half hours and there wasn't much variety in the snacks that were offered. The one night I did manage to get food, it made me sick. I was sick all night throwing up. They only had one microwave I. The entire hotel for guests to use which was located next to the service desk. So if you were on the 5 floor you would have to go downstairs any time you wanted to heat up food. At least have one on each floor.I stayed there a week and room service cam to my room only once the whole week even though they say they offer housekeeping daily. The food was ok in the restaurant in the lobby (pictured) but nothing to really write home about. I had to ask for trash bags to put in my garbage cans. The staff however were really nice, but I think they are severely understaffed. There were also several events going on like a prom and a graduation which just made staying here more inconvenient for business travelers. I will not be staying here again.

I'm glad this place is gone. It was filthy and Karen the manager was so rude and unprofessional.we…read moreused the function space and rooms here. I'm glad it's gone

This place is AWFUL, DISGUSTING, & RUN-DOWN, with SEXUAL HARASSMENT to boot:…read more We were stranded here in an emergency and the only place with a room available was here. I am SO not surprised: As soon as I entered, the friendly (perfectly helpful) person behind the desk helped us, though the type of room we we reserved wasn't available. He was wonderful otherwise. The guy speaking to him at the desk was completely making disgusting racial sexual remarks to my partner. Totally inappropriate and absolutely disgusting. Really unprofessional to even allow this to be. I left the counter in disgust. Upon entering the room, it was bare-bones. This was almost ok until I entered the bathroom: a roll and a quarter of the cheapest TP possible; no tissues in the tissue holder; a soap; no dryer; huge clog in sink; dirty black spots in shower, so disgusting I didn't set foot in it; hair and dust/grime in bathroom corner. I'm actually REALLY not that particular. Really. I just need a clean, operative sink/shower/soap/drain/towels/lights. I forgot to mention the lamps didn't work. Yes they were plugged in. Outlets, check. We left to go get (purchase) water. The key didn't work to get back in. I give this place NO stars. Yelp forces me to put at least one. I do begrudgingly so you don't have to go through this. Oh, and the internet only worked intermittently. I had to re-sign on repeatedly. And, I needed a pen to write on paper, some directions because my phone wouldn't charge. Now I think it was the outlets not working properly, as it's fine today, elsewhere. There was not even a PEN or PAPER in this room. When we went downstairs to check out, the clerk was wonderfully friendly/pleasant. Loved him. We went to the lobby to write down there info we needed, and again there was someone else 'talking' to us, possibly itinerant/homeless/crazy. I then ran away. This place is awful. Look at the photos. There is trash and empty bottles EVERYWHERE outside. We are now in the Holiday Inn, Bridgeport, right across the bridge, on foot about 10 min; in car probably 1. GO THERE INSTEAD, it's a million times better. Completely luxurious and definitely worth it to NOT be at this 'hotel'. I would have rather slept in the car in the parking lot.

Great, long stay here. I especially liked:…read more --the workout room --breakfast service --cleanliness throughout --wonderful staff --safe, well-lit parking lot --quiet rooms --fireplace in our suite --fully outfitted kitchen We'll be back in the future

My husband stayed here while in temp Housing for work for 2…read moremonths, a month during that time I was there with him. Everyone single employee we encountered was so nice and extremely helpful. Nicest hotel service experience we have ever had. The only reason to not give 5 stars is the rooms are a little stuffy and to add to that our air would not go below 75 even though we would set to 68 to get it to drop.

We arrived 2 hours early, the office staff was understanding and said they just need to make sure…read morethat our room was clean and ready. Thankfully it was. They are doing some maintenance on the stair/decking and it was right outside our room, the staff was very apologetic about the noise and assured us it would only be another hour or two. We planned to spend the day at the property's private beach. The staff recommended we head to the public beach about a 10 minute walk from the hotel because it is nicer and has restrooms. During the college season the house on the walk to the private beach are of college kids and the beach may have some left over "party supplies" lol. We basically had the beach to ourselves. There is no lifeguard snd there are some shells right when you walk into the water but after the small patch of shells it was a sandy bottom. Room 27 Sand Dunes Studio is on the second floor on The back corner by the stairs. The room is well furnished. Please note if you are short you may need a running start to get into the very tall bed The bathroom is pretty small. There is a bar attached to the hotel that is open until late and you can feel the base from the music in the room but the AC drowned it out a little but if you're a little sleeper I recommend earplugs. I can imagine rooms 1, 2, 24, 25, 34, 35 are probably even louder. Also, you can hear noise from the 3rd floor room and adjoining room. Rooms 21-23 and 31-33 are probably the best they have balconies. The hotel also provides free ice on the 2nd floor and juice and muffins in the fridge. I would love to give this hotel 5 stars but the bar attached to the hotel is very loud, I would imagine in the summer it might be quieter since college isn't in session.

Room smelled nice ( herbal) and was cool (68 degree F) when we arrived -- it was after their office…read morehours so we used no contact key pick up. Shower was a bit difficult to figure out and is smaller than most others hotels, but they're generous with toiletries. I also appreciate the 3 hooks on the back of the bathroom door--- most hotels don't even have this. Families of 4 like mine never have enough hooks/ any place to hang towels when most hotels have just 1 towel rack. 4 blueberry muffins were in the mini fridge, with 4 bottles of orange juice, which is nice for having breakfast on our own schedule, but the inn website description should say that instead of saying Continental breakfast. Outlets are limited and no USB plugs like more modern hotels. Fluorescent lights are a nice touch. We didn't get Beach towels so can't comment on them.