Mark’s Score 8.6
Given that I live here, I do not have many opportunities to rate local hotels. In the case of hotels, I break my policy of not rating national chains. Most hotels are affiliated with one chain or another. This particular hotel is part of the Marriott chain.
Before I go any further, I want to disclose that I am a Bonvoy Member (Marriott’s loyalty program) and I have a soft spot for this hotel. We first stayed at this hotel last Thanksgiving. Our dog Katerina had died a few weeks earlier and we just did not want to be home for the holiday. I called the hotel, explained the situation, told them that we had another dog (Arturo) and that we just wanted to escape during the holiday. They were very accommodating and kind.
All of the rooms at Bethany Beach Ocean Suites have working kitchens. We had booked a room directly facing the ocean. We didn’t want to leave Arturo alone, given that his sister had just died a few weeks earlier. Consequently, we had all our meals in the room. Their restaurant, Via Sophia (now closed) could not have been more helpful. They had planned a buffet for Thanksgiving Dinner. I explained our situation and they delivered two fully prepared meals (plus dog cookies) and brought them directly to our room. I will be forever grateful for that kindness.
I will try to be as unbiased as possible in rating our most recent stay. Here are the positives, if you are on a beach vacation in Bethany you cannot get a better location than Bethany Beach Ocean Suites. The hotel is right in the center of town, right on the boardwalk, and only a few feet (meters) from the beach itself. The ocean front rooms provide beautiful views up and down the beach and there is no better place to sit with a morning coffee watching the sun rise over the ocean. It is pure magic.
The rooms themselves are very spacious, and typically kitted out for beach stays. In other words, they are not the most luxurious of rooms. But they do have that beach charm. For me, the lobby is always important. It is the central gathering place in any hotel. If the lobby lacks charm, then the whole experience is diminished. As you would expect of an ocean beach hotel, the lobby is spacious, open and welcoming. But part of the charm of a lobby is the bar. Unfortunately, at the moment, both the restaurant and bar are closed. I am not a big drinker, but after a long day of touring in a new place I always enjoy sitting in the lobby bar talking to staff and other guests. It is much harder to strike up conversations in the common areas of the lobby.
In the end, this hotel lost points compared to our last stay, but that was all related to the closure of the bar and restaurant. Once they reopen, I would be more than happy to return to this hotel.
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