Classic Beach Hotel
This place reminds me of the old beach hotels in New England. It's classic in so many ways. Understand when going to the beach, you get beach hotels that have been around for a long time. It may be more rustic than non-beach hotels, but we never go to the beach and spend too much time in the room, so it was perfect for us. In fact, I am writing this because we are going back this year, and wanted to add my 2 cents.
We stayed one night, in the Lankford Lodge (Their second building) which is 100 feet off of the boardwalk,and is about 3 stories tall, well kept, and is not loud. No view, but we were on a short stay, so that wasn't important to us.
The rooms are perfectly functional and the place is well kept. Only issue I had with the room, was the sub-par shower head that really needed replacing, but we made out just fine. If it were a longer stay, I would have found a better shower solution.
The lobby can get a bit steamy - no AC - but the fans and the ocean breeze help a lot- at times. One thing you must do, is sit on the front porch of the main hotel, in one of the rocking chairs... very nice.
The staff is friendly and gives the place that family feel. The location is fine. It's a small hike to the rides, but it wasn't too loud at night, so it was a good trade off.
I found the overall experience good. I believe this is partially due to setting my expectations accordingly. If you want a newer place or more amenities, they are around, and you pay more for them. My in-laws would never go for an older beach hotel, they like the service of the high end resorts, so I would not suggest it for them. It is like most beach hotels, a little rough around the edges (Face it- these places have taken some serious wear and tear over the years- the ocean is tough on them), but it's not dirty or anything like that.
If you want a nice little classic beach hotel with a friendly staff and a great location, try it out.
Oh, and Thrashers is just outside the front door of the main hotel... mmmm... fries...