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

I enjoyed my stay here for the most part. I booked an oceanfront room with a deck top balcony…read more Lovely room with a beautiful view. The Little Pub downstairs is fun and the staff is great. Having said all of this, the lack of front desk staff is unfortunate. Supposedly there from 8am-8pm but often not present. After 8pm things can get very loud in the hotel hallways. There is no one to contact if there are problems which is disconcerting as a guest.

My friend and our kids stayed here over the past weekend in the two bedroom two bathroom suite. We…read moreenjoyed the space the suite allowed for our 1 year old toddlers to run around, the convenience of the home-like amenities (fridge, dishwasher and microwave) and the pool. The continental breakfast was good and offered a good variety. The customer service was amazing. We had an issue with some other guest and their dogs and the hotel did their best to rectify the problem. The only reason I could not give this hotel 5 stars is because you can hear the guest walking above you, I was in a non-smoking room and could often smell cigarette smoke in our room and I could hear the toilet flushing from the room upstairs. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our 3-night stay.

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

Service was good, desk man was nice. Beds were comfy. Water got hot which is great. Good water…read morepressure. 24 hour coffee in the lobby. Bathtub was amazingly clean. Only downfall would be that the incidental hold is a hundred dollars which seems higher than most.

1-Star Review Avoid…read morethis hotel if you value your safety, privacy, or belongings. After spending the night, I discovered that my room door never actually locked. Anyone could have walked in directly from the hallway at any time. I immediately notified the front desk, and an employee accompanied me to my room and confirmed that the lock was defective. The disturbing part is that I had cash and other valuable personal items in the room while we were away, completely unaware that the room was unsecured. Thankfully, nothing appears to have been taken, but that doesn't excuse the hotel's failure to provide one of the most basic expectations of any hotel--a room that locks. What happened next was even worse. I was told the manager would be contacted, but when I returned to the front desk, I was simply told there was "nothing they could do" because it was a technical issue. No apology. No offer to move us to a secure room. No compensation. No sense of urgency or concern that a guest had been staying in an unlocked room. A broken room lock isn't a minor inconvenience--it's a serious security failure that puts guests and their property at risk. The hotel's complete lack of accountability and indifference to the situation was shocking. I've already reported this to Best Western corporate and disputed the charge with my credit card company because I don't believe I should have to pay for a room that failed to provide even the most basic level of security. This experience showed me exactly how this property responds when guest safety is compromised, and I won't be returning.

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.

My brother-in-law and I mutually despise each other therefore every time I visit my family in…read moreConnecticut I stay in a hotel. (Yes I have a condo but its occupied) I make a trip out of it and stay at the nicest hotel possible in the most random city In Connecticut (sorry Shelton-ians) Miles was amazingly welcoming when I shlepped in at 2 am to check in. While I was in an Uber during my drive from the airport he actually called to check in on me/my ETA which was really nice considering my own family was sleeping and no check in from them :/ My hotel room was Spacious, Clean and probably one of the most comfortable beds I've ever stayed in anywhere. They have complimentary breakfast apparently that's fantastic but I usually sleep until around noon. Snack shop has essentials where I purchase junk food to sneak to my nephews. Convenient Porte cochere for ride share pick up . Thanks Miles see u soon!

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

The room at the Circle Hotel looked reasonably spacious and presentable when we first walked in,…read morewith two beds, a small desk, a refrigerator, and cheerful coastal décor. There was also that familiar seaside-motel smell--slightly damp and a bit dank--that lingered in the air. Since we were only staying for one night, we didn't think much of it at first. Unfortunately, a closer look revealed several maintenance and cleanliness problems. One of the beds had a torn sheet, the air vent was coated with dust, and the bathroom showed obvious neglect. The towel rack was covered in rust, and the caulk around the sink was cracked and deteriorating. These were not tiny imperfections you would need to search for--they were noticeable during an ordinary look around the room. There also didn't seem to be much sound insulation around the door or front of the room. Thankfully, our room wasn't directly against the road, but we could still hear quite a bit of traffic noise. There was some confusion over checkout. The gentleman at the front desk initially said I could have a late checkout at noon, but then told me checkout would be at 11:00. I'm still not sure why noon was offered if it wasn't actually available. That said, he was extremely helpful when we found ourselves in a jam and needed to print something. The hotel doesn't have a business center or dedicated work area, but he let me email the document to the front desk and printed it for me. I really appreciated him going out of his way to help us. For one night, the Circle Hotel was definitely good enough for me and one of my sons--although I'm not sure my wife would have agreed. It served its purpose for a quick overnight stay, but I probably wouldn't choose it for a longer visit. The room has potential and photographs well from a distance, and the helpful service at the front desk was a bright spot. However, the housekeeping, maintenance, and soundproofing all need more attention.

We booked a few rooms here for a weekend. Staff was friendly and the complimentary breakfast was…read moreadequate, but the stay was pretty meh. The free coffee/tea in the lobby is a nice perk, if you drink coffee/tea (I don't). The location was convenient for us (right off of I-95). The hotel is also across from a gas station (prices are high since it's right off the highway), and there's a small strip mall within walking distance (5-minute walk, but you have to cross the busy road and there isn't a direct sidewalk path). The strip mall has an Aldi where we stopped by for some snacks. There is a small snack shop in the hotel lobby that sells chips, candy, and drinks, but I didn't look at prices because I just assumed they have a high mark-up. We stayed in December and the lobby was nicely decorated with Christmas decor. They also have a self-serve computer and printer to make up their "business center," but the computer wasn't working. Fortunately, the front desk staff was able to assist with our printing needs. The fitness center had a treadmill, elliptical, workout bench, bicycle, Pilates ball, and weights. They also had towels and a water cooler (my favorite refill spot when traveling). Our room was not sparkling clean. The desk chair had several unpleasant stains and hairs on it, and the room had a slight smell to it (but the funky odor was not strong enough to make us request a different room). The room didn't have a traditional closet to hang coats, clothes, etc. Instead, it had a nook with some hooks to make a pseudo-closet. The bar of hand soap price provided was amiss... of the two boxes of soap provided (hand and body), the hand soap box was stained and discolored as if it had been stored improperly and something had spilled on it. The soap was melded to the cardboard box and paper was stuck to the bar... which is not pleasant since something to make you feel clean felt so dirty. As other Yelpers mentioned, the water pressure in the shower was weak. There were also large shampoo/conditioner bottles attached to the shower wall, but the pumps didn't work. Fortunately, they must be aware of the non-functioning pump bottles because they provided the small hotel bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Note that the community bottles attached to the wall aren't in lock boxes, so they could easily be tampered with... I'll stick with the mini shampoo bottles. The tv worked and we liked that it had premium channels such as HBO, but the tv picture in our room was slightly discolored (blue tint that couldn't be fixed with the tv settings). The beds (mattresses) were lumpy and the heating/cooling system didn't regulate well. It would constantly pump hot air and didn't seem to respond to the thermostat adjustments. The hotel seems in need of some updates. Breakfast was from 6-10am. They have plenty of seating. Selections were very basic, but what do you expect for free. They had one tray of scrambled (seemed like powdered) eggs and one tray of protein (one day was polish sausage and one day was Canadian bacon). They also had a DIY waffle station. I wish they had more accoutrements like cheese, salsa, whipped cream, chocolate chips, etc. There was also a bread station featuring bagels, English muffins, muffins, and white/wheat bread. They did have little packs of cream cheese, peanut butter, jellies, butter, and syrup. Packs of ketchup, hot sauce, salt, and pepper were located by the microwave, which also had a ice tray of Yoplait and Trix yogurt (I didn't realize they still made Trix yogurt) and a basket of apples. They had three cereal dispensers (Rice Krispies, Cheerios, and Froot Loops) with a pitcher of milk (unlabeled). Instant oatmeal packets were also available. They had a juice dispenser for orange juice, peach juice, apple juice, and water, but the juice flavor was very diluted. The staff was constantly checking and refilling the station. There was a steady flow of guests from 8-10am, and the staff did a group job of keeping things in stock. Despite the qualms, this hotel was "good enough" for our needs but it's definitely not the "oh, this is niiiice" hotel.

Room musty and smoky smelling, lipstick on two of the pillowcases. Shower/tub mildewy. Low water…read moretoilets, great for the environment, but when it clogged, I went to the front desk to let them know. They handed me a plastic bag with a plunger in it.... No breakfast at all, just VERY expensive stuff you could buy at the front desk. I realize because of covid there are limited breakfasts, but most places are doing grab and go at least.

Overdue for renovation. This was once a nice mid-level Marriott. Those days have passed. The staff…read moreare very friendly and the location is convenient with plenty of parking. We stayed for two nights to attend a show at Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater which is only 15 minutes away. Everything about the property is underwhelming. The worn parking lot is the first indicator, quickly confirmed by the dark and aged lobby and furnishings. Three slow elevators, but one out of service, made for waits to and from the rooms exacerbated by the loss of a second elevator on the first day. Room was fairly large for a standard king, but contained dated, worn furniture. Air conditioner was both loud and clunky (meaning it "clunked"). Bathroom was old school with a step-in tub and slow flushing toilet. Great water pressure and hot water redeemed the bathroom though. We stayed on the concierge floor, meaning we had access to Concierge Club. As I walked in the first day, the guy walking out commented, "It's uninspiring." He was right. Some old fruit in bowls, 100 bags of Lays potato chips, And two small refrigerators with a few sodas and water, both at room temperature since the fridges did not seem to be operational. Lastly, was the ick factor. Last day, with the curtains open, I got my first good view of the side of the mattress...ewww. Crime scene came to mind. Clean enough for a short stay, but nothing to draw you back.

It is old, seedy, not clean, dingy. Poor lighting in the guest rooms. Cheap, skimpy towels in the…read morebathroom. Only 1 out of 3 elevators working during our three day stay. The only functioning elevator felt unsafe.

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.