Does the Windjammer Motor Inn staff come from big families? I'm not sure what else could explain the good Yelp reviews, as this establishment has the charm of an hourly rate motel. But, then, I'm not sure sellers of illegal guns, couples married, just not to each other, or teen-age partiers would stay here more than once even if you could rent a room for just a few hours.
So, what went wrong with our June 15-16 stay at the Windjammer? Let me count the ways:
1. We could not check in upon arrival. A woman behind the desk told us to come back later because, she said, she did not know the check-in procedure;
2. I guess the staff member for whom we had to wait to check in was not out buying air freshener, because our room smelled of cigarette smoke;
3. If you are in the mood for afternoon delight or need a power nap, prepare to be disturbed because there are no "Do Not Disturb" door hangers. It was not a matter of our room missing one. I asked the front desk clerk, who told me the motel does not provide them. That's got to add to the romance of a getaway with the one you love, having maid service knocking on your door when you want to be alone with one another;
4. Speaking of Windjammer maid service, there is little of which to speak, as one look at the dirty bathroom tells you. Bring your own Lysol, and, for that matter, shampoo;
5. I didn't know there had been a Superstorm Sandy Clearance Sale at the New Jersey Shore, but that must be where the Windjammer bought its furniture. See the photo I took;
6. I neglected to take another telling photo, that of the Windjammer Motor Inn sign, which promises daily breakfast. The motel does not serve breakfast every day, as I learned when the desk clerk told me their restaurant would not be open until later in the season. If you're like me, the New Ralph Kramden in you wants to avoid arguing too much, so I didn't protest that their sign promises breakfast or ask why they can't at least serve coffee and donuts in the lobby. If this were my only problem with the Windjammer, I might have asked, but by then I knew we would not return.
But, what do I know? The Windjammer Motor Inn is still standing, despite its considerable flaws. I second the recommendation of a previous review, which says the owners should sell to someone who could make it worthy of its beachfront location. If the next Windjammer proprietor is at least aware of the New Jersey Smokefree Air Act that went into effect in 2007, that would be a start. read more