Bethany Beach Ocean Suites Residence Inn by Marriott

I could not say enough good things about this hotel. This was our first time going to the beach in DE, and the room we chose was facing ocean front, very spacious with a mini range, kitchen, dish washer and sink. And very clean even the light blue sofa looked very clean with no stains whatsoever. There is a sleeping area, a sitting area and small balcony. The front desk staff was not only helpful, but treated us more like a part of the community. We learnt that since now it was off season (b4 May 15th) thus we could opt to do street parking free. I really appreciate her sharing the info with us.

Also on the second morning, my finger was accidentally cut by shell on the beach. Diane from the front desk was very caring and got the first aid kits and helped me with the wounds. I can't thank her enough for that.

And there was free breakfast with a vast selection, where you could choose a balcony sitting at the restaurant facing the ocean.

I have been to many places, but this one will always stay unique, as the inclusivity, the way how people here greet and treat each other, the tranquility is probably the first time I have felt in a tourist town in US.

This place is completely overpriced. Two of our rooms were not ready at the official check in time at 4 pm. The rooms are not very well kept, everything looks ‚a little‘ outdated. The self service breakfast is a nightmare - nothing looks fresh and there were only plastic and paper cups (the porcelain coffee mugs were always gone). The orange juice looked like water, no orange colour at all (for health reasons I did not even try it). The pool area looks not inviting at all and the water was pretty cool. Surprisingly, dinner was okay - good food and service!

This hotel is wildly overpriced for what it offers — but the bigger issue is that you won’t be able to sleep here, which, let’s be honest, is the primary reason most people book a hotel.

Starting at 5:00 AM, I was jolted awake by what sounded like a bowling ball repeatedly being dropped above our room. I initially assumed it was kids, so I called the front desk twice and also messaged through the hotel app. No response. At all. The phone cycled to the reservations recording both times, and my calls were 10 minutes apart.

Eventually, I went down in person to report the issue. The front desk was of no help, they just took note of my complaint.

I did some investigating and found a maintenance cart outside the room above us, so maybe it was that. Or it could’ve been someone dropping weights in the gym. Or maybe it was a loud HVAC system that carries through the building — I even heard it on the first floor. Bottom line: I paid to sleep, and I didn’t get that.

**Update:** The staff finally got back to me and confirmed it was noise from the gym. Oddly, the gym wasn’t even directly above our room, so this likely affects more guests than just us.

To top it off, when we tried to leave our $40 parking spot, we were blocked in due to a 5K race. No notice from the hotel. No signage. Just... surprise, you're stuck. These events don’t happen without planning, so it’s baffling there was no heads-up.

Overall, a frustrating experience. I’d like a refund.