With its grey shingle façade, sweeping ocean views, and sense of New England tradition, Chatham Bars Inn is a classic seaside inn, and the spot where my husband surprised me for my 40th birthday.Â
It’s the perfect hotel for simple pleasures. Think strolling along the sands, boating in the harbor, or watching the fishermen as they haul in the morning catch.
The Inn is luxurious, but not showy – the epitome of Cape Cod hospitality. I was looking forward to relaxing at the historic Inn and enjoying the coastal surroundings.
The location was as beautiful as I hoped, but not everything lived up to my expectations. Read on to discover if I’d recommend a stay at Chatham Bars Inn.
Gotta run? Pin this for later!
Exploring Chatham Bars Inn
The historic Chatham Bars Inn is located in Chatham, Massachusetts, on beautiful Cape Cod. It originally opened as a luxury hunting lodge in 1914, and now offers a year-round destination for romantic getaways and luxury breaks.
The name Chatham Bars refers to the sand bars that are visible at low tide in Chatham Harbor.
The 25-acre resort overlooks Chatham Harbor with the main Inn building set across a road from the oceanfront restaurant and cottage rooms. Inside, the Inn is decorated in classic Cape Cod style.
The Inn is also within easy access of Chatham’s historic downtown area, where you can browse upscale boutiques, antique shops, and art galleries. It’s also close to attractions like Chatham Lighthouse, the Atwood Museum, and the Marconi Maritime Center.
A Room at Chatham Bars Inn
Chatham Bars Inn offers elegant Main Inn rooms, adults-only Spa Suites with oversized hydrotherapy tubs, and cozy Cottage Rooms.
We spent a night in an Ocean View room in the historic main Inn. Every room at the property is unique, and the decor is very cottagey. It feels very historic and full of character, and I really liked that aspect of Chatham Bars Inn.
Our room’s generous size and airy decor made it feel more like a junior suite. The website says that Ocean View rooms have one or two queen-size beds, but our room definitely had a king-sized bed, which was a welcome surprise. The crisp white bed linen added to the room’s ocean-fresh feeling and I’m such a sucker for coastal blue.
There was an en-suite bathroom with a marble vanity, a shower/tub combination, and fluffy white towels.
Complimentary Red Flower toiletries were also provided.
Our room’s seating area had a sofa and two armchairs with a coffee table and a side table. These were arranged in front of a gas fireplace, which would feel very cozy on a cool evening.
The seating area led onto a private balcony overlooking Chatham Harbor or the Atlantic Ocean. You can enjoy a morning coffee from your Nespresso machine or sip a cocktail as you watch the fishing boats.
Our balcony was huge, with plenty of furniture for our exclusive use, but there was no separation between the balconies. This made us feel quite exposed while we were out there. However, as long as you can ignore your neighbors, it’s a lovely place to enjoy the fresh sea air.
The balcony was such a stunner and absolutely the selling point of the room. I will say…if you are a light sleeper, avoid a corner room, like we had. It was a bit windy during my stay and I heard the rope slapping against the flag pole near our room all night long.
Dining at Chatham Bars Inn
Chatham Bars Inn offers a range of dining options, including classic pub fare at the Sacred Cod Tavern and fine dining at the STARS restaurant. The menus focus on creative modern cuisine using fresh seafood, local ingredients, and produce from the Inn’s 8-acre farm.
The oceanfront Veranda is the main restaurant where you’ll have breakfast. The terrace has some beautiful Adirondack chairs where you can sip a drink and watch the sun go down.
You can also enjoy handcrafted cocktails with panoramic ocean views at the South Lounge Bar.
The Beach House Grill is located amongst the sand dunes and offers classic seaside favorites, lobster rolls, and clam chowder.
Beach House Grill private clambakes
We had a fantastic dining experience at a Beach House Grill private clambake. These exclusive experiences are available for groups of up to six people during the summer months.
We had a private waiter to look after our table, which was decorated beautifully in red, white, and blue Americana. Although one other group was doing a clambake at the same time, there wasn’t really any interaction between the tables. This meant our meal still felt like a private experience despite being on the beach near the main Beach House Grill restaurant.Â
The Beach House Grill was easily able to accommodate our food allergies, and they also offer a kids’ menu for any younger guests.
The clambake was a very interactive experience. First, we were taken over to watch as the fire was built up with hot rocks and wet seaweed.
Lobsters, clams, steak, corn, and potatoes were piled on top of the rocks and seaweed. They were then covered with a tarp to trap the heat and steam.
The food took quite a while to cook, so we enjoyed some appetizers while we waited.
These included some delicious fresh oysters, jumbo shrimp, and a range of garnishes. There was also a hummus plate and clam chowder. Honestly, I was full before the lobster even finished cooking!
Next, we went back over to watch the food be revealed. We were able to pick what we wanted from the clambake, and everything tasted absolutely delicious.
Afterwards, we made s’mores and hung out by the fire pit for the rest of the evening. They also arranged a birthday cake for me, and it felt like a really special and memorable evening.
The private clambake is quite expensive, but well worth it. It was one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve had and a wonderful way to celebrate a special birthday.
Activities and Amenities
Guests at Chatham Bars Inn enjoy access to a luxury spa, private beach, outdoor pool, and a range of activities.
The Spa
Chatham Bars Inn’s exclusive wellness spa has five treatment rooms, private steam showers, a dry sauna, and a relaxation room. There’s also an outdoor Zen Garden, an adults-only pool with a heated deck, and a hot tub.
Food and beverages are available to order, and the relaxation area offers a selection of complimentary snacks and hot teas.
This is the only Forbes travel guide Four-Star spa on Cape Cod, so I was really looking forward to spending some time unwinding there.
The spa itself is beautiful, but unfortunately my massage was underwhelming. The massage therapist used very little pressure, so it felt more like a relaxing treatment rather than working through any tension in my muscles.
I asked a couple of times if she could increase the pressure, but she said that this was the massage I’d booked, as if the massage type couldn’t be changed. Apart from the fact that my husband had booked the treatment for me, I can’t see why she couldn’t just give me the massage I wanted. If there was a cost difference, she could have simply let me know and let me decide.
The spa offers a range of specialty treatments, and my husband enjoyed his treatment, so perhaps I was unlucky. However, I was left feeling disappointed that I didn’t get the treatment I was looking forward to.
The Pool and Beach
You’ll need to cross a road to reach Chatham Bars Inn’s oceanfront pool and private beach area. Chatham Bars Inn is a family-friendly resort, so you should expect the pool and beach areas to be busy with families, especially in the high season.
There’s a large main pool with a shallower end for kids to play in, and a separate hot tub. I’m not sure if the pool was meant to be heated when we visited in late July, but the water felt uncomfortably chilly. People were moving back and forth between the pool and the hot tub to keep from getting too cold.
The pool has plenty of lounge seating arranged around it, and there are also private cabanas available to hire. These have private seating and also provide a refrigerator, a charging station for your mobile devices, complimentary sunscreen, and more.
We rented a cabana for the afternoon and enjoyed some time relaxing by the pool. The pool attendants will come around to ensure you’re comfortable and take your food and drink orders.
Our attendant processed our order before they opened up ordering for everyone sitting around the pool, which I appreciated a lot. It meant our order was prepared and served first, which was great with hungry kids!
Walkways connect the pool area to the beach, where you’ll find more lounge chairs and cabanas for rent. There’s a different team working at the beach area, who organize various free and paid water activities. So that’s a great option if you’d prefer more of a beach experience rather than lounging by the pool.Â
Our afternoon by the pool was a really lovely way to spend some relaxing time together.
Fitness Center
If you don’t want to miss your workout during your stay, Chatham Bars Inn’s 24-hour fitness center offers a range of cardio machines, free weights, a weight training circuit, and more. Complimentary fresh fruit and chilled water are also available for guests to enjoy.
The Inn’s fitness trainer offers personal training, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching sessions. Guests can also take part in complimentary fitness classes, and complimentary bike rentals are available in peak season.
Other Activities and Excursions
Chatham Bars Inn offers endless recreational options for guests of all ages. Golfers can enjoy a round at the excellent golf courses nearby, and tennis players can book private lessons or join in a round robin on the Inn’s Har-Tru tennis courts.
You can go kayaking and paddleboarding, take a relaxing sail along Chatham’s coastline, or head out to see on a whalewatching tour. There’s even an opportunity to experience life as a lobsterman, as you bait, haul, and empty the traps on the 34’ LobStar.
Chatham Bars Inn is also great for family vacations, and young guests can choose from a seasonal range of children’s activities.
The Service
Considering the high cost of a summer stay at Chatham Bars Inn, the service was not really five-star standard.
For example, my husband had bought me a bouquet of flowers for my birthday, so I asked for a vase to put them in. That seems like a fairly standard request but the guy at the reception desk didn’t seem to have any idea how to accommodate the need.Â
When they eventually sent a vase up to my room, it was too small for the bouquet. I made it work, but it was honestly perplexing. This is meant to be an upscale hotel and it hosts large events, but they seemed unable to help with a fairly simple request.Â
A couple of weddings were taking place during our stay, which seemed to have an impact on the quality of the service. Any time we needed to talk to someone, we had to wait a very long time to receive any attention.
Even at the end of our stay, the experience was less than five-star. My husband had gone to get the kids checked in to the cabana at the pool, and I was waiting in the room for someone to take our bags into storage while we used the spa facilities.
After waiting a ridiculously long time, I ended up struggling down the hall with our bags, the flowers, and everything else.
Ordinarily, I don’t bother calling for help and just get on with it. However, this time I really needed assistance, and nobody came. Luckily, one of the housekeeping staff saw me struggling to carry everything and rushed over to help me.
I really appreciated her assistance, but I can’t help thinking that a luxury hotel should offer better service than we received.
The wrap up: Would I recommend Chatham Bars Inn?
I’m not sure exactly how much our stay at Chatham Bars Inn cost, because my husband booked it as a birthday treat. But it’s a five-star hotel, and we visited in July, so I have a feeling that it was pretty expensive.
The hotel is beautiful, the location is stunning, and the private clambake was an amazing experience. But unfortunately, I’m not sure our stay was good value when you take into account the issues I had with the service.
Perhaps I was unlucky with my massage, and maybe if we’d visited in September or October, the staff might have had a little more breathing space. Under different circumstances, I might have come away with a better impression.
Overall, I would recommend a stay at the Chatham Bars Inn and I think it is still one of the best hotels in the area. However, based on the stay we experienced, this felt more like four-star service in a five-star Inn.
