Chatham Bars Inn

My family and I have been guests at CBI for the past 20 plus years. We started going regularly when our children were quite young. It's always had its shortcomings but we absolutely love the location and the views are spectacular. In my humble opinion, the resort has been on a steady decline for the last 5 years. They used to operate a fun trolley service, no more. They still offer a car service to and from town for dinner etc.. They used to have some "rules" at the pool such as no floats etc. which is critically important given the size of the pool versus the explosive number of guests using it during the summer season. No more, now everything goes.The hot tub used to be restricted to guests 13 years and older but now BABIES are allowed in the hot tub with their parents. The resort NEEDS another pool, such as an adult pool because they cannot accommodate all of their guests during peak season. During our recent stay pool attendants were dragging chairs and umbrellas from storage areas and literally boxing in guests with rows and rows of chairs. It was quite honestly a circus and definitely not relaxing. You wait a very long time for drinks and food and the billing system is so poor (you do not get a bill to review and sign) and as a result when we checked out we realized that we had been charged for other peoples food and beverages during the week. The other problem is the rooms. For $1300 plus per night, you expect your cottage room to be top notch. Not the case. The room (sold to accommodate 4 people) is truly fit for two. Also, when you book a room for 4 people, you expect that it will comfortably accommodate 4 people and have amenities for 4 people. At check in, we were provided with enough towels for 3 people, a single bathrobe, and shampoo and bath wash for one person. We were also given only two waters. The rooms used to have a makeup mirror, no more. The bathroom didn't even have a single shelf, cabinet or table to hold toiletries. It only had a pedestal sink, not even a vanity so there was not a single spot for toothpaste, shaving cream etc.. Terrible layout. Over the years, when you checked into your room, you received a lovely CBI tote filled with fresh fruit, a platter of cookies, a box of Chatham Candy chocolates and a bottle of wine. It was SO lovely. This year we received a small box of chocolates and that was it. Now lets discuss our $1,300 plus per night view. Our front / bathroom view was of the parking lot. We had a lovely window seat that could of had a small peak of the fish pier and water BUT the bushes were so overgrown you could barely see anything. And through that same window when we looked down, we had a view of a heap of old refrigerator units and broken furniture thrown in a pile (under our window area). What?? So terrible and unacceptable. And this room was a superior room not a standard room which they offer at a lower rate. How can they charge $1,300 plus per night and think its okay to have a literal dumping ground outside of a guest room. And the building air conditioning unit was also right under our window to the other side and was extremely loud and annoying so we could not even open our windows. By the way, at $1300 you don't even have a patio or balcony (although we have stayed in rooms over the years that do). Lastly, you expect your tub and shower to work. Our shower would not turn on, maintenance had to come in. Then our tub filled up to your knees, maintenance had to come in. UGH. I will end on a positive note with some pros (reasons that we have come back): You can enjoy great outdoor dining (light meals / sandwiches) at the Beach Grill Restaurant at night (also open for lunch). During the evening hours, the dining section is restricted to the bar area as the main restaurant is only open to themed dinners (clam bakes etc.) so it can get crowded but worth the wait. Added bonus, the bar staff are so friendly and welcoming. They also have an outdoor veranda where they serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails. The menu is limited but it is a great spot. There is a boat launch available each day from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm to the outer beach. You can either hop off or stay on and just go for a boat ride. The captain is terrific. It's an amazing way to see the seals up close and it's a great experience. The sunrises over the water are AMAZING and if its low tide you get the added bonus of hundreds of seals basking on the sandbars. So beautiful. Front desk staff are really nice. The grounds are gorgeous but they do need to tend to a lot of overgrowth by the ocean / cottage rooms as many first floor rooms have obstructed views. In summation, we will be hesitant to return as it's very pricey (gets more expensive each year) and a 5 Star resort should not have shortcomings, particularly this many. The "excuse" from the management staff is that it's peak season??! Well, when you are running a "5 star" resort that caters to peak season, you should be prepared to offer exceptional service during that time and not excuses. Management KNOWS the issues (read the reviews and comments by management) but they act as if they are hearing negative comments for the first time. Not cool. And note to the GM ... please take the heap of old and broken refrigeration units by the cottage rooms to the actual dump. It's not only an eyesore, it's a hazard.

This is a beautiful spot! We went for cocktails and the views and it did not disappoint. A must see if you are in Chatham! Drinks are good but pricey, but the views make it worth your while. You could tell the staff (bartenders) are at the tail end of a busy season, but they are well trained & courteous.

My husband and I was given a gift for a few days at the Chatham Bars Inn. This is one of the finest resorts we've ever stayed at. The staff couldn't please us enough. We didn't want to leave! We will definitely be going back.