The Seagrass Inn’s motto is “a nice place to be” and we found that to be true. At check in we met the motel owner, Lisa, who gave us such a warm welcome it would be safe to say she is the friendliest American we’ve ever met! Later, we talked to Lisa about how she and her husband became motel owners and she told us their story. They had both worked in the corporate world and had decided to leave it and become their own bosses. They purchased their first hotel in nearby Wells, built a successful business and sold it on when they received an unexpected offer. In 2018 they bought the Seagrass Inn, when it was in a bad way, and used their finances and skills to renovate it and successfully build the business up.
We had a room on the 2nd floor, with “ocean view, king bed”. We are well travelled across the U.S. and knew that the motel would reflect the locale, namely that the room would be aimed at sandy beachgoers. Indeed, there were hoses to wash sand from your feet, tiled floors in the room and a brush for sweeping rogue sand away in your room.
Our room was what we expected; simple and functional, but clean and tidy: a nice place to rest between visiting the beach and local attractions.
Our stay cost:
💵 Expedia online deposit = $263.71
💵 On arrival = $263.70
😳 Resort fee = $42.19
😢 Tax = $47.46
💰 Total = $617.76
This was a pricey stay and was not only typical of the costs of Old Orchard Beach at the height of summer, but similar for the rest of coastal Maine. For comparison, a friend recently spent the equivalent of $600 for 6 days in Ibiza, an island in the Mediterranean, and this even included U.K. flights, hotel, unlimited food and alcoholic drinks!
GOOD POINTS
👍 Not a chain hotel.
👍 Located a 10 min walk from the Amtrak station.
👍 Located a short walking distance from bars, restaurant and Palace Playland but not too close where the noise can bother you.
👍 Super-fast free WiFi. Some of the chain hotels could learn from this.
👍 A short walk away from a Walgreens.
👍 Communal balcony with seats and a good view of all the comings and goings.
👍 Large comfortable bed.
NOT SO GOOD
👎 The room did not come with an iron or ironing board. We did ask at the office but the young attendant couldn’t help.
👎 The Amtrak railway track passes the rear of the hotel and the trains can be heard and felt when they pass by, even in the early hours. This didn’t bother us, however as we found it amusing.
👎 No room safe (typical for many hotels and motels in some U.S. states - not everyone needs them but we like to keep our passports safe).
The Seagrass Inn had many facilities that we did not get to use on this short visit, including a heated swimming pool (“Pool out back, ocean out front.”), customer parking and BBQ area.
If you’re visiting Old Orchard Beach, we would recommend this hotel based on its friendly owner, cleanliness and good location.
📌 SEAGRASS INN
50 W. Grand Ave., Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
🌐 seagrassinn.me
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