Beachcomber Resort

I had wondered why the reviews for the Beachcomber were all over the place until we checked in. Each unit is individually owned, and there are no real standards required for each room from the establishment. Therefore, it’s more accurate to review a room as opposed to the resort as a whole.
We started off in room 317 (had gotten in past the office’s hours; they’d left us a key), and spent a very uncomfortable night on an extremely uncomfortable bed. The furnishings were fine, but dated. The bed was rock hard, had no pillow top, and every movement from my significant other shook the whole bed.
The staff was very helpful in the morning though, and gave us the choice of 2 other available rooms. 107 smelled like cat urine. We took 117 instead. Nice furnishings, comfortable bed. Traffic noise was drowned out by the wall unit fans. It worked out well. There’s no exhaust fan in the bathroom, which made the unit a bit humid as we were both trying to get ready for a wedding.
We didn’t get a chance to take advantage of the pool/​hot tub area, but other guests seemed to enjoy it.
Overall, we’d stay again, provided we could choose a specific room ahead of time.

We stayed at the here this summer and called and asked if our room could be ready early. Response was non-​committal. Ok those are the rules. Upon arriving, we asked politely again, but no assurance other than they would request our unit be made up ASAP. As we watched from the pool, our unit was the last one cleaned. Oh well.
The big problem was the very noisy AC and the amount of light one gets in the rooms because the windows are poorly or not completely covered. So not good for sleeping.
Unit itself was OK, but 1970-​ish and on the small side. There is almost no shade at the pool and only 1 uni-​sex bathroom at the pool level. There is no drink or food, except for vending machines and the «lobby» is about as big as my kitchen. There is no elevator. While we were waiting a couple asked for beach passes (which are advertised as free) which drew the response that they had no more, and they would have to wait until someone returned from the beach.
At $ 325 per night, it «ain’t cheap»!

Buyer beware when booking this hotel. I book hotels pretty frequently as I travel quite a bit so if I’m pretty certain I will be going somewhere I book a hotel without question because I know I can cancel with 24 – 48 hours notice with no concerns. Not at Beachcomber — I booked about a week and a half prior to my planned trip to the beach for a weekend getaway and had an unexpected event come up the week prior. I tried to cancel 4 days prior to my reservation but was informed that I would still have to pay the full amount for the reservation.
Shame on me for not reading the fine print when booking but their policy is 50% refund if cancelled 15 days or more prior, 0% refund if cancelled after that or no show. (In other words, once you book you will never receive a 100% refund no matter how far in advance you cancel.) I’ve never once come across a policy like this. When I called to refute I was told there were no exceptions, they would not budge at all. I frequent Avalon and Stone Harbor in the summers but this hotel will never get my business.

Stayed here for a long weekend, and overall had a good experience. Though the room was a bit dated, it was clean, had a kitchenette with small fridge, plates, dishwasher and was relatively inexpensive when compared to other places to stay in the area. It was also conveniently located close to shops, restaurants, and just a block away from the beach. Would stay here again.

The Beachcomber is a comfortable, clean, pleasant place to stay for a shore vacation. It is not new but it is pretty nice and, for many people we talked to, an institution that they return to again and again. It is a short block to a beautiful beach. Walking distance to bars and restaurants (without the noise). As a real bonus, it has a really nice and pretty private pool area in the ‘courtyard’. Many folks just visit the beach and hang out at the pool. They even have a couple of BBQ grills there.
The units do vary in décor. It appears many have been upgraded by their (individual) owners and some are really terrific. They literally change year to year (as do owners since they are often for sale). None of them are bad, at worst maybe a little dated. Décor is a matter of taste too, but it isn’t all ‘hotel standard’ either. The second and third floors require walking stairs but they are not very steep or high.
Note that these units are CONDOS (there are a few different sizes) with small kitchens, adequate for simple meal prep. This helps the budget a lot since dining out at all meals in this town can get a bit pricey (BUT there are places that are reasonable if you look hard). There are no ‘hotel services’ other than maid service (no on site food service, room service etc).
The staff has been here for many years. They take pride in the place and the service. Overall results are usually excellent.
The Beachcomber is not trendy nor elegant, but it is homey, comfortable, clean, and well managed. Oh, and Avalon-​Stone Harbor is a step above most Jersey Shore towns (actually 2 steps above many of them). This does tend to result in higher prices than some other places, but in-​season there are not enough rooms on the island. Off seasons can be a bargain and for many folks, the best time to visit.

Wow, this place has been kept a secret! We had a one bedroom with a new kitchen and bathroom. The pool area is so pretty with flowers, lounging chairs and tables with umbrellas to relax and have lunch/​dinner. It’s only a block from the beach with restaurants all around. Our kids played at the large play ground that was just across the street. It was clean and the people in the office were so helpful. We’ve booked another vacation there later this year!

Love the Beachcomber for what it is — a relatively inexpensive family friendly place. Heated pool is great with children. And a block from the beach.
Rooms vary greatly. Most are somewhat dated but certainly comfortable and clean. Check their web site for floor plans. Be sure to check on deals und-​week and off-​peak — they’re seriously good deals.