Anchorage By the Sea

We haven’t stayed at the Anchorage in quite a few years but went back for their one night new years eve package. We stayed on the 2^nd floor and had a view of the ocean. The people that work there are really friendly and accommodating. We had to wait a few minutes to check in — we didn’t get there till a really busy time. The lobby is spacious and has plenty of local information for people that aren’t from the area like us. The new restaurant surfpoint 360 is a really nice clean place — great views during the day. Will definitely go back to sit on the deck upstairs for drinks and apps which everyone says are great.
When we checked in we got a preview of the menu and could think about what we wanted. The menu was pretty extensive. I got the lobster Rangoon for an app which was delicious and my husband got the oysters which were also very good. The service was really great for a busy night — we were very happy with our waiter and got him the next morning for breakfast which was also included in our package. We had a couple of glasses of champagne which was included and btw we also had a small bottle in our room.
For dinner my husband had the lamb served with couscous pilaf and sautéed rosemary and garlic spinich which was really nicely prepared and he ate the entire thing. I had the pan fried szechuan lobster tail with and wonderful veggies and I enjoyed it — some of the pieces outside of the tail (the claws for example) were a little overcooked. We had two great desserts — 3 layer choc cake and a yule log — creamy chocolate and pudding type thing. Really good.
We also had a drink at the bar and got a really nice glass of wine — no skimpy glass of wine here! My husband had a great martini — when we go back I’m all in for the tini — its a really nice size and worth every cent.
The hotel room itself was clearly updated recently and was very comfortable and very clean. Very comfortable bed — prefer different pillows though — I was almost sitting up for the night! It has a small fridge and a safe and hairdryer and shampoo and conditioner. Plenty of space. Nice view.
We did use the pool and hot tub which was a plus. Would definitely go back and recommend highly.

Had a lovely experience staying here, beds very comfortable and super clean! Great walkable location, decorated for Christmas. Only negative was not super insulated between rooms for noise, didn’t bother us since we had adjacent room too and slept soundly. Convenient to walking the beautiful marginal way and the restaurant was very good, especially as far as hotel restaurants go.

My guy and I had an amazing stay here on a brisk rainy fall weekend. The staff was friendly and welcoming, the room was incredibly clean and comfortable, we had a fabulous view (definitely stay on the 2^nd floor) and we had absolutely everything we could need for a home away from home. We will most definitely be back!

Got a partial view of the ocean which afforded us a full view of the river mouth and soothing sounds of the waves while we slept. With an indoor pool and two hot tubs (one next to the bar and adults only at night) we had such a relaxing stay. The walking path along the ocean was breath taking. We got a standard diner style breakfast at the hotel bar before we left. I really appreciated the hypoallergenic pillows and cozy king bed. We will definitely be back, maybe next time we will book with enough notice to get a full ocean view and a fireplace!

Bar is in a spectacular spot with a great view. The outdoor space for the bar is a great place to relax. BUT, don’t walk around looking for a place to sit as the cranky, older female bartender (Susan B.) will bark, «There’s no where to sit facing the ocean, and you’ll need to order your drinks at the bar because there’s no table service outside.» No welcome, just barking. Mind you, it was a beautiful fall evening, so there was nobody sitting inside, so table service would be advisable. So my partner and I got our wine (at the bar) and seated ourselves outside on the non-​ocean side. And if the barking bartender wasn’t enough, there’s signs on the outside tables that say «no table service». Fine, we can deal with it. Then not 20 minutes after we sat down the same cranky bartender came out, walked right passed us and went to the couple sitting at the next table and served them! Then she walked right passed us AGAIN and didn’t even acknowledge our existence, and our glasses were empty. Good luck if you go! Perhaps she’s served too many tourists this season. What a cranky you-​know-​what!

Very comfortable, good and convenient restaurant on-​site, and spectacular site by the bay. Missed towels by the pool.

On my way home from here, I had to post right away. After reading some negative reviews about this place, was very nervous about going. The negative reviews couldn’t of been more wrong. This place is wonderful. The grounds are kept up beautifully. The pool are is so relaxing and enjoyable. I have a 2 children and they had a great time. The room was perfect and very clean at all times. If there was 1 bad thing I could say, was they are stingy with the towels. Other than that the anchorage by the sea, exceeded my expectations. This was our first time in Maine, i would deff head back and stay here again .
The resturant is also very good. The staff all over the resort could not have been any nicer.

Russell Whitney and his staff are very good at not accepting responsibility. Beware– if anything happens during your stay, they will not address it and even worse, they will deny it. We booked the condos — located off property. The rate was at a premium — what they do not tell you is that they have staff living below you — loud staff who come and go frequently. It sounds like they are literally in your condo. They also have equipment below but he will deny that. Very disappointing. The service on the lawn is non-​existent and the service at the bar is snarly at best. Overall — beautiful location, poor service and no real accountability for mistakes.

My favorite place on earth! Family and friends (39)of us this year, have been going for at least 25 plus years… Several changes this year… the new addition of Surf Point 360 is beautifully done. Had several breakfasts, lunch and one big dinner. No issues except for the dinner. Saw no management around looks like the kids are running the place. Issue with our dinner, but its vacation we didn’t want to make a fuss and know the place is new. Seems the prices have gone up from years past and they don’t have a togo counter anymore. you can order limited breakfast items from the bar. Either you sit and eat or you go elsewhere.(breakfast only) You can order full lunch only from the bar. No lawn service either, we missed that too. it seems they just want the sit down customers now. Sad the dining room and upstairs bar close early. Kiddie pool gone because of the new addition. really didn’t miss it. The lawn seating is spectacular now with the fences down. Nice cool breeze.
Had another issue but emailed them directly and they answered me very quickly.

This is only about the Surfpoint Grille… ultra slow service, inept bartender, If you want to stop for the beautiful view AND a tasty cocktail, keep walking!

This is my new favorite place in Maine. Granted, it seems to book up for the summer months in advance, so I doubt I will be going here that often … but we snuck in a weekend just after Memorial Day and were very impressed.
The initial reservation process was a bit harrowing as there seemed to be dozens of different room categories, all with vague discriptions (distant ocean view, partial side ocean view, distant side ocean view, direct ocean view, limited ocean view, distant limited ocean view, town view, street view, etc.) We decided not to pay $ 50 — $ 100 more for a partial ocean view (all direct ocean views have sold out for the summer) so we stayed in The Towers, which is a building across the street. It is hard to find a room in the property with a King bed. Most have 2 doubles or two queens.
First of all … the best tip I could give is to skip the ‘limited ocean view’ rooms such as Port and Pool side. The rooms on the bottom level have cars which park in front of the doors, so you will have ZERO ocean view as there are cars parked there most times. The top level rooms in the ‘partial/​limited’ ocean categories have a small sliver of ocean view but given that they face the parking lot/​pool … it could be uncomfortable to sit out there and honestly, probably not enough of an ocean view to justify doing so.
But … they have white Aderondack chairs set out on a lush patch of grass overlooking the ocean. You can bring drinks from your room out there and sit and watch the waves and the Marginot Way. This alone was worth the price of the room. The room was close enough where we could go back and forth from the chairs easily and I like how they allow you to bring liquor out there and don’t make you buy it from them.
There is a beautiful bar above the restaurant which has a 360 degree view. The back section overlooks the pool and unless you want to go creeper and go bikini watching, the side of the upper deck overlooking the ocean is where you want to be. Oddly, they put giant 4 seat conversational sets in the prime seats, which makes an area for about 5 couples to enjoy the view. Had they done rocking chairs or smaller bistro type tables, they probably could allow many more people to eat and take in the view. The view from the upper deck is one of the best in Ogunquit.
Bob, the server on the top deck was great. He remembered our names through the whole stay and by the end of our stay, we didn’t even need to tell him what drinks we wanted. Bob was one of the highlights of our dining experience. Sadly, the food was average at best. (who makes a foccasia with no tomato? it was just flatbread and greens) However, the view made up for the so-​so menu. Drink prices were not as bad as I thought they would be given the small number of seats.
You can go out a gate and be right on the Marginot Way. The town beach is a short 10 minute walk from the hotel. The ‘downtown’ area with the cute shops and restaurants is a 5 minute walk, if that. To get to Perkins Cove, its only a 15 minute walk on the Marginot Way.
One of the other things I liked about this resort is that the room was very classy … the light blue/​white color scheme was very soothing. Everything was clean and looked brand new and not worn at all. The bathroom was small but everything was laid out very well. We even had a little sliding glass door and a small balcony where we could look at the beautiful landscaping and drink wine.
I had mentioned in the reservation that it was a birthday celebration and when we walked in the room there was a small box of salt water taffy, a small box of local handmade chocolates and a card waiting. What a thoughtful touch.
Finally, I was shocked that they didn’t charge a resort fee or parking fee the way many other hotels in Ogunquit do. The price you see online (minus the taxes) is the price you pay … which includes internet, chairs for the lawn and parking. Resort fees always leave a sour taste in my mouth, so I am glad to see that Anchorage by the Sea doesn’t play that game. If you can book a room here (they book up far in advance) it’s a no-​brainer. This is our new favorite place in Maine!

If I could give negative stars, I would. My brother and sister in law had their wedding there. I drove three and a half hours from CT to be there. I was refused entry. I was told that there was no wedding being held there.
All the manager, Russell, could tell me was his staff is highly trained and he doesn’t understand why this happened, his highly trained staff — repeatedly told me there was no wedding there. I missed my only brother’s wedding because of the parking lot nazi who looked like Shrek. I’m thinking that Shrek was trained, but in being able to read, not so much.
They can’t make this right. They can’t recreate a wedding. That moment is gone forever. And in my opinion, they owe my brother and his wife a full refund of what they paid. To do any less is morally bankrupt.
ETA: the manager, Russell, put the blame on my brother and sister in law, because, according to him they should have known there was no parking available on site. Except it was his staff that told me that there was no wedding there. Parking was not the issue. The issue remains that his staff members told myself and my son that there was no wedding.
I expected that «Russell» would have attempted to make this right. But instead of accepting responsibility for his staff LYING TO ME, he shifts the blame onto my brother and sister in law.
I’m considering taking out ads in local papers telling people not to trust Russell and his «highly trained staff» with important events. You will miss out.

Lovely new bar with beautiful view. Drinks were overpriced and poorly made. Worst martini my friend ever had plus a really terrible lemonade that was tasteless and full of ice. And a bit slow to bus tables. Overall I think they could achieve better.

Hotel Bar: Beautiful view. Terrible service. Staff is slow and unaware. The place was not overwhelmingly crowded, yet I still waited 25 minutes before getting served a drink. Cocktails were weak. Burger tasty but was served without napkins. The waiter never even returned so that I could ask for some.

The good:
We have stayed her for the last two years. It has a great location. Rooms are clean and smell pleasant. Updated bathrooms and furnishings. Great place for kids.
Now the bad:
We changed our reservation and updated our email address several times. The day before our visit we received a call asking why we missed our first day. I told them I changed the reservation. They said they had no record of the change. They sent an email confirmation to the wrong email address.
When we arrived at the Anchorage, the attendant checking us in said that four other guests this week who had this problem.
They refuse to budge on this issue and did not even try to compensate us.
Too bad the managment is so unwilling to help. Can’t reccomend based on poor customer service.

The Anchorage has always been a great little resort until the last couple of years.
To start, if you cant get a room on the ocean side by the marginal way, then you are screwed. You pay a ridiculous amount of money for a building that constantly smells like a mixture of mold/​mildew and cat pee. Ive never stayed in a Motel 6, I am assuming that the «towers» at the Anchorage most likely resemble it.
The Surfpoint grille is good for a beer. Everything else they make is from premixed, bottled, sugary, cheap drink mixers. The food is overpriced and has the quality of a lame chain restaurant. Stay away from the bar area past 7 pm too, over the last couple of years we have noticed some blond girl who is constantly getting bombed and acts rude to other guests.
The pool is nice, but get there early, because the aforementioned blond girl takes up ¼ of the pool area thinking she owns the place. Its a shame Anchorage doesnt address it.
The wireless internet connection is brutal too. In 2014, if you are going to charge those rates, at least provide an acceptable wifi signal.

We have stayed here about six times over the last three years. It has a great location. Rooms are clean and smell pleasant. Updated bathrooms and furnishings.
The staff is very friendly. And helpful when you need extra towels etc.
If you are looking for a place with a pool and a spa this has it. Huge outdoor pool with two large hot tubs that fit 10 – 15 people and also an indoor heated pool and hot tub with a sauna and changing room.
I would recommend checking it out and giving it a stay.
The only complaint I had was the slow and inconstant WiFI.

Great place! My wife and I came for our 10^th anniversary. We arrived on Wednesday and the reception was very nice. They said our room might not be ready, but double checked and it was. We got to the room and they had a nice note, a split of bubbly and 2 glasses.
The room was very nice, spacious and looked almost new (in Lightship Building). Bathroom was clean and neat, A/​C worked great (95 degrees that day). King sized bed was very comfortable and maid service was good.
It is pretty much in walking distance of both Perkins Cove and downtown; many restaurants, bars and shops. Right on the water, obviously! Very relaxing and a great visit.

We stayed here for our 3^rd wedding anniversary. Denied dinner at 8:50 because they had a large party and were ‘working too hard’ as i was told. The hotel itself is the perfect walking location to everything. The Room had NO MIRRORS. Literally drove 20 minutes to a Walmart to purchase a mirror. Bath towels are VERY small and thin. Hot tub closes at 10, restaurant closes at 8:45 even though the door says 9. restaurant staff is pretty rude. When we arrived i Asked a red head girl at the desk if they had a room upgrade and if we could stay 2 days longer (we booked last minuteu so i thought id ask) and she said ‘if ur looking for something cheaper come back in the off season. I explained it wasn’t about the price i just would have liked a room closer to the water. She was obnoxious. We were in the little house across the street. Feels very separate but its cute. Parking here is awful. Pray you have a spot. No freezer in fridge, no hand soap. Theres no garbage in the bathroom. Also the shades are really the only source of good light but theres no sheer shade so unless you want zero privacy you’re pretty much sitting in the dark. Also no vanity in bathroom, difficult to get ready as a woman. Comfy bed. Design of room kinda sucks, and staff is super rude. The drinks at the bar are over priced and basically non alcoholic. When we walked in before even sitting we were carded then carded again to order food. There was a bald man working the lawns and pool who was SO nice, props to him for being a gentleman. Also spiked hair lady in the bottom bar was friendly. So thank you to her. No internet connection at all here. I would say i would come back only if the entire staff had a serious attitude adjustment. Didn’t feel welcomed at all. Too pricey for such crappy non amenities. The room lacked basic necessities and the staff lacked manners and common sense.