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Seashore Park Inn
I always tell myself that I love going new places, and trying new things, but when it comes down to it, I’m definitely more of a person of habit that leans toward the places that I know and love. When it came time for me to chose what hotel I would stay at during my weekend getaway to Cape Cod, I started looking at places I’ve never stayed in, located in towns I’ve never stayed been to. Somehow, though, I ended up staying at one of the only hotels I’ve stayed at on the Cape: Seashore Park Inn.
Cape Cod hotels are always over priced, but I knew that this hotel would be decent. I stayed there six years ago, and I figured it couldn’t be too bad. It’s also only a short drive from two nice beaches: Skaket on the bay side and Nauset on the Atlantic side, within walking distance of ice cream and mini golf, has an outdoor pool, and has free breakfast. Basically all you can ask of a Cape Cod motel for under $150 a night.
Greg and I arrived at the hotel, and after checking in with the very helpful and friendly staff, I quickly realized that absolutely nothing had changed since I had last been there. I doubt they did a single repair or update. The room was clean, but the fan in the bathroom was broken. The light bulbs in the bathroom somehow radiated extreme heat. The TV made an odd buzzing noise and sounded like it was going to explode. The comforters were old and scratchy. We had an actual key to our rooms’ door. When was the last time you stayed at a hotel without a key card? And the decorating was clearly done in 1970.
Outside of the room, it looked like the walls could have used a paint job, and some of the tiles in the outdoor pool were missing or rusty. One of the plastic chairs at the outdoor pool broke while a man was sitting in it.
Now it sounds like I had a horrible experience at this hotel. That’s not the case at all, though. Although it hasn’t been renovated in a while, the hotel was still charming and relaxing like a Cape Cod inn should be. The staff was extremely helpful when we checked in. The directions to the closest beaches were in a binder in the room. And the balcony outside of the room was a nice place to sit.
Biggest plus of all: free breakfast. Yes, it was a free continental breakfast, but as I’ve said before, while on vacation I’ll take any free food I can get. They had bagels, english muffins (and a toaster to toast them in), cereal, fruit, coffee, juice, and some really great fruit danishes. I definitely stocked up both mornings.
Overall, the Seashore Park Inn is an affordable, clean hotel on the lower cape. The rooms could use some updates, but it’s not going to keep me from returning. I like staying in Orleans, and the Seashore Park Inn is a good option.
The Tropicana
Now that it’s been over a month since I was in Atlantic City, I guess it’s time to finally write my review. This was my first time in Atlantic City as a 21 year old, but gambling has never appealed to me. The casino was cool, but nothing too amazing. Let me start by saying that I’ve been to Atlantic City many times, and we’ve stayed in the Tropicana every time. I like its location on the boardwalk, shopping and dining, shows, and its low price. We have never had a bad experience there..until this year. According to my dad, the Tropicana recently filed for bankruptcy, so maybe that’s why.
It all started at check-in. We waited in line for over a half hour, and when we got up to the desk we requested our two rooms, two connecting rooms if possible. The woman at the front desk told us that she had two connecting rooms next to each other, but only one was clean. It would be another two hours for the second one to be cleaned. We said that it was fine, and brought all of our stuff up to the room that was ready. We went out to dinner, walked on the boardwalk for a bit, and came back five hours later. Our room wasn’t ready yet. We went down to the front desk, and they made it seem like it was our fault for picking a room that wasn’t ready. We requested a manager, but never saw one.
Finally, around 11:30, after a few trips down to the front desk, our second room was ready. Then, in one of the rooms, the toilet was leaking, and the bathroom floor flooded. Not a great first night at all. Fortunately, we were upgraded to a room in the newest tower, the Havana Tower and were granted late check out because of our troubles.
The rooms in the Havana tower are average hotel rooms, but they have nicer TVs, better water pressure in the showers, and mini fridges.
Other than that fiasco, the Tropicana is still one of my favorite hotels. The addition of the new “Quarter” with its many stores and restaurants has greatly added to its appeal: we never had to go far to find a good place to eat. Another plus was the coupon book that we received at check in. It must have been for a special promotion, but it was definitely nice to get the extra savings.
lobby
It’s been awhile; I’ve been busy enjoying my summer. July was a crazy month for me, with my 21st birthday, work, and my trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls. I barely had time to even think about writing in this blog.
Anyways, I went to Toronto at the end of July with two of my friends. My friend Ashley, who enjoys planning vacations at least as much as I do found us a great deal at the Marriott in downtown Toronto through expedia.com. We stayed for 4 nights an only paid $168 each. A great deal for a 4-star, roomy, comfortable hotel located in the bustling Dundas area of Toronto, right in the middle of numerous shopping and dining options. It was also less than a 5 minute walk away from the subway, which was really convenient when we wanted to explore the city.
Our room in the Toronto Marriot at Eaton Centre was perfect for the three of us. It probably could have even fit four. We stayed in just a regular room with two double beds, but there was a great deal more walking space than in most hotel rooms. There was a comfortable armchair and a large desk in the room, which added to the room’s appeal. We also requested a mini fridge, when we booked our room, and it was there waiting for us when we checked in. When we arrived, we also asked about a microwave, and the woman at the front desk sent one up for us for no additional charge. We definitely saved a lot of money by bringing snacks, breakfast foods, and easy meals (like PB and Fluff), instead of going out for every meal, and having a place to store the food was great. The free Wi-Fi from the lobby also somehow worked in our room, probably because we were only on the 4th floor. So, we didn’t have to pay to go online.
the room
The beds were beyond comfortable (and big enough to fit two people). The down comforters and pillow-top mattress pads made it easy to drift off to sleep every night. Just don’t lay down during the middle of the day to watch TV… You’ll probably be too comfortable to get up and go experience what Toronto has to offer!
The hotel itself had all the amenities a 4-star hotel should. A clean-smelling, elegant lobby, a business center, an18th floor indoor pool with a hot tub and an outdoor deck that has a nice view of the city, a nice restaurant (which looked good, although we never ate at it),a friendly, helpful staff, and a functional fitness room. Although I only used the gym at the hotel once (I’m not a big exerciser while I’m on vacation), it was one of my favorite amenities. You didn’t have to pay to use it, it was rarely busy, and they had a good amount of treadmills, ellipticals, and free weights, as well as a few machines and some big stability balls. There was also filtered water, free ear buds for the mini TVs on the treadmills/elipticals, and a basket of apples. Not bad for a hotel gym!
the gym
Another plus, if you like shopping, the hotel is connected to this HUGE mall: Eaton Centre, through a hallway on the second floor.
Overall, our stay at this Marriott was very enjoyable. The only thing that could have been better would have been free breakfast. Even a free continental breakfast. Free food attracts a lot of people, and I know it’s always part of my decision making process. That said, I don’t stay at a Marriott too often, but I will definitely keep the brand in mind when booking my next trip. I had a great time.
Up next: hopefully sooner rather than later, Where to go/What to do in Toronto!
Oasis Cancun!
Think of Spring Break, and what do you think of? Cancun, Mexico, of course, with it’s packed beach parties, open bars at clubs, and continuous craziness. Spring break isn’t the only time to visit Cancun, though. In fact, I think that winter break is actually better. You still get the tropical party atmosphere, but it’s not as intense. If you don’t want to drink at 10 am, there’s room on the beach or by the pool for quiet relaxation. I’ve never been to Cancun during spring break, but I can imagine that quiet relaxation is near impossible.
Anyways, I went to Cancun with three of my friends during winter break this year. We got a great deal through my friend’s aunt who works at Gardner Travel Agency. I was a little upset that I didn’t get to do the planning, but it worked out well. We got the perfect week-long getaway from cold and snowy Massachusetts: gorgeous weather, a hotel on the beach, and never-ending nightlife for around $1100 total each. We stayed at Oasis Cancun, a large all inclusive resort that boasts 12 restaurants, 8 bars, one of the largest pools in Mexico, and a variety of other amenities. Apparently, it’s also the hotel that hosts a lot of parties, concerts, and activities during spring break.
the whole resort
One thing to remember if you’re staying at Oasis Cancun, is that you’re not staying at Grand Oasis Cancun, which is the pyramid style hotel in the middle. Guests at the Grand Oasis have different color wristbands and are allowed to dine in certain restaurants, drink at certain bars, and sit at certain sections of the pool, where guests of the regular Oasis aren’t allowed.
On the positive side, the sprawling resorts offers tons of places for relaxation. The pool and the beach are great, but if you want chairs you have to claim them by 8 am and if you want beach towels, you better get them by noon. Once you’re settled in the chair that you had to hunt for and have a clean towel, relaxing by the pool or on the beach is wonderful. The ocean water is the perfect temperature and turquoise color, and the breeze is just right. A dj plays music starting around 11:00 or 12:00, and everyone sips their frozen drinks and has a good time.
The food is decent. It’s great for the first few days, but once you realize that most of the restaurants serve the exact same food, it gets a little boring. Most of the restaurants are buffet style, which makes since because the food is free, but it kind of reminds me of a dining hall at school. One restaurant, the steakhouse, Serape (I think), is definitely the best, though. The atmosphere is a little more formal, and although you get your side dishes from the buffet, the waiters come around with so many different types of meat. They have chicken, filet minon, pork, sausage, etc. So delicious.
beautiful ocean
Drinks are also included. The bars offer frozen margaritas, daiquiris, pina coladas, wine, Corona, and other cocktails. The frozen drinks taste great, but they put only about a drop of alcohol in them, I’m guessing so that the guests don’t get drunk any faster than they already are.
Clearly, Oasis Cancun is the perfect fit if you’re my age (in college), but I wouldn’t recommend it to older adults or families who want to experience luxury, good service, or a family-friendly atmosphere. One of the pluses for college age visitors is that a great majority of the other visitors are the same age as you, which makes making friends easy. The hotel reminded me more of my freshman dorm than a resort; people were running down the hall obnoxiously at 4 am, making friends with the kids nextdoor, leaving their doors open, calling other rooms during the middle of the night. I’m not complaining, but I’m sure someone twenty years older than me with small children would be.
our leaky bathroom
The resort also lacks in the customer service department. Getting clean towels was a daily hassle that involved going up to the front desk 10 times. Also, when we arrived, one of the rooms we were staying in hadn’t been cleaned and there were no blankets on the bed. It took the staff about 8 hours, 5 phone calls, and 3 visits to the front desk to solve that problem. Then, a couple days before we left, my friend and I returned to our room to find that our bathroom ceiling had leaked and flooded the floor. Needless to say, they solved that problem hours later by putting a bucket and some towels on the floor, and never apologized.
Despite the negatives, I would definitely visit Oasis Cancun again. Maybe even next year if the swine flu is over. It’s the perfect destination for people in their late teens to early twenties who are just looking to have a good time. Next time, my standards won’t be so high, and I’ll enjoy my stay even more.
Coming soon: Where to go and what to do in Cancun.
