Ocean Gate Inn

Very accommodating and answered all our questions

Everything was great! No issues!

I have stayed here before and thought it was well priced for location, room size, cleanliness and accessibility. My room had a balcony looking out at the boardwalk which was nice to feel some fresh air.

Checking in was an unsatisfactory experience from the start. I called two weeks in advance to confirm my booking and specifically asked whether a 1 PM check-in would be possible. I was told yes, so I arrived at 1 PM on the day of my reservation expecting a smooth process. Instead, multiple issues arose. First, I was told their scanning machine was down. While I understand that technical issues happen, they took a photocopy of my ID as an alternative. Despite already doing this, I was then asked to return later in the day to try scanning it again, which was both inconvenient and unprofessional given that it disrupted our plans. Additionally, at no point during my earlier phone call was I informed of an early check-in fee. Being charged this fee without prior notice felt misleading. The situation was made worse by the tone of the staff member assisting me. I was instructed to “give him my ID” in a demanding manner, which felt inappropriate. At one point, he noticed a $20 bill in my wallet and insisted that I use it to pay the early check-in fee. I declined and requested to use my card, which was only accepted after unnecessary back-and-forth. Although I was already frustrated by the check-in experience, I hoped that check-out would be more straightforward. Unfortunately, that was not the case. When I returned to drop off my room key, the same staff member asked again to scan my ID. Given that they already had a photocopy on file, and actively checking out, with a schedule to keep, I declined. After another round of back-and-forth, he ultimately said it was fine, making the entire interaction feel unnecessary and poorly managed. Overall, the demanding tone, lack of transparency regarding policies, and repeated inconveniences made this experience disappointing. As a guest on vacation who made an effort to confirm details ahead of time, I expected a higher level of professionalism and customer service.