I really wanted to like this unique inn, however, 2 nights in room #9 and 1 in room #6 have convinced me otherwise. It seems as if the owners are operating this place on auto-pilot without giving it the love and care such a historical building requires. As soon as I checked into room #9, I noticed a number of key lights that were inoperable. When housekeeping came, they only had a 15 watt bulb or a flood light (for the bedside light), no replacement bulbs. It is hard to believe that a place with such unique lighting fixtures does not readily carry replacement bulbs. They finally found a long bulb with a better wattage, which looked odd but got the job done. It was never changed for the 3 days I was there (and,is no doubt still there). The center light, the main light source, was never operational. The shade for the window facing the front of the inn (directly across from Sharkee's Bar) did not reach the sill and left 6 inches of the window exposed. As I didn't have the tools to reconfigure the shade pull, pillow and magazines provided the needed nighttime privacy. Should I mention the drawer under the wardrobe where I had hoped to store a few items? It had dust bunnies probably dating back to Lincoln! Yucch! The skylight over the toilet had cracks in the glass and leaked during a rainstorm. The fan in the bathroom never turned off, but that was not the deal breaker! How about the compressor, on the roof over this room, that ran CONSTANTLY ALL NIGHT LONG??? It did turn off, for a few minutes, when, at 4 a.m., I found myself just about asleep when it came on again! The next day the desk clerk said it must have been the fan from the restaurant which goes on until about midnight, but after a roof field trip, concluded the noise was from a compressor(or compressors). I can't believe no one else has ever complained about this noise. Even cotton in the ears didn't work. I got a one-night reprieve after complaining.
They moved me to room 6 the second night where the fireplace was inoperational (I didn't care, but at full price I would be angry) and the chandelier over the table (yes, table and four chairs...dinner anyone???) had tulip globes with four teardrop lights and the fifth was a plain old round 40 watt bulb...not too aesthetically pleasing. Then there was the bedside table lamp in #6. I couldn't figure out how to turn off the two-bulbed lamp that had a huge shade. One light had a pull chain, but the other didn't. When I stood on tiptoes and looked down to see how to turn it off (a twist button...), the inch of dust over the bulbs and framing was alarming. Clean rooms??? NOT!!!
The toiletries??? Yes, there was bath gel for the marble tubs (I'm not too sure I'd want to luxuriate in these particular "tubs" which are just marble tile shower stalls...why, #6 even has the old tub faucet and fixtures in place with the handles removed so no one uses them instead of the shower fixtures which also fill up the floor of the shower, i.e., the tub)and conditioner with the inn's insignia. Then there was Flex 'n Go shampoo (travel size at Wal mart??) and no lotion. Run out?
Breakfast?? Day 1 there were cold mini-quiches, day 2 they were heated, but the heating unit was filled with too much water and boiled over, flooding the floor, and day 3 there was nothing until an hour later. There are cereals such as Frosted Flakes, etc. with one box of Corn Flakes. I got the sense someone had bought a 10-pack and health-conscious guests had polished off the more nutritious selections, leaving the junk which would remain until some poor souls finished them. To their credit, there were beautiful fruit trays and the coffee was very good.
My point?? I guess this place is fine for one night (not in my book, but fine for some looking for a different experience), but a lengthier stay gives more time for observation and the conclusion that this inn really needs to provide the kind of accommodation and experience its prices demand.
Oh, yes, and don't rely on the web site photos. The hall alone looks twice as wide in the photo as it actually is.

We stayed in room #8 for one night ($400 w taxes included). I think this is their highest priced room. It was nice - comfortable and clean with a nice view of the beach out one side of the room.

The staff was friendly and helpful. Great location right on the beach. Room was big and fairly clean. We could hear the band at 21 Oceanfront at night in our room, but they stop playing by 10 or 11 pm.

The breakfast was pathetic. Not much on offer and they kept running out of everything, including coffee. (My expectations were not high, but still disappointed.)

Il Farro Caffe and 21 Oceanfront are both excellent restaurants right near the hotel.

We opened our bags a couple hours after leaving and found a couple cockroaches in them. Made me cringe, but I would probably still stay here again due to the location on the beach.

The Portofino is the only other location on the beach here and it's nice too. Better breakfast offerings but it can be noisier at night.

To give you an idea of what my standards are I've stayed in some beautiful B&Bs over the years and am generally happy in anything from a nice Residence Inn room to a five star hotel - depending on the circumstances and as long as they are clean and tidy. Translation, my standards are probably a little on the high side. I've dropped $500 a night in San Francisco because I wanted a bathroom that overlooked the bay and Alcatraz (I'm a woman if it makes any difference) and it was *worthy every hard earned buck*. By the same token, a Residence Inn stay has been nice because it was clean, roomy, and for the most part QUIET.

Our original room at the Doryman (so you already know where this is going) was pretty nice with a GIGANTIC and beautiful canopied bed, but no real sitting room per se, instead a dining room table and four chairs. Hmmmm. Upon arriving my boyfriend drew me a bath in what are really some very charming sunken marbled tub shower situations, the bath was quite nice until it came time to drain the tub - at which point it went bad with some of the bathwater coming up through the central drain in the bathroom floor and the bathtub refusing to drain. Oh, and the toilet also for some reason wouldn't flush. I'm no expert but my instincts told me in the long run, this could be bad. ALL BAD.

My boyfriend being the gentleman he is immediately engaged the front desk and had us moved to the room next door which was nicer (big bed, but no canopy and we had a lovely daybed in a cozy sitting area) but unfortunately this was right next to the kitchen so our wakeup call was roughly at about 6am and comprised of the microwave beeping and the other various noises involved in the kitchen. I concur with the negative remarks here about breakfast....the same sorry toaster still exists and the only thing of substance was the warm quiche which was actually pretty good. But then again, we were starving.

I'll also second the remarks here that the downstairs restaurant 21 Oceanfront is OFF THE HOOK fun, the bartenders were charming and the dinner was excellent. I'd go as far as to say that it's worth staying here to party hardy at the restaurant and just walk (maybe stumble) up the stairs to your room.

I'd probably stay here again but in different rooms than #6 (plumbing and overall room flow and comfort is not good) and #4 (where we were moved to - if you're sensitive to noise from the kitchen and front desk - this isn't for you). The staff was responsive and in the one hour I was away from the room, it was done up upon my return - always a big plus.

Decor is standard antiques, wallpaper and lots of crown molding. All very cute but a little refresh and removal of the ancient law books on the mantle above the fireplace (oh, should mention the two rooms we inhabited had very nice gas fireplaces) and put something real to read. I'd return but be PICKY about which room I'd stay in.

I am not sure what one should expect from an Inn that advertises itself as a Bed and Breakfast, but we were expecting to spend couple of romantic nights after our wedding in an upscale Inn (paying $365 + 10% Tax per night), and enjoy decent breakfast to say the least. What we got for breakfast were old bagels, a toaster that only had one working slot, left over fruit from the first day, uncovered milk jug, poor tea bag choices with no stocking in pantry. We have stayed in generic < $100 per night inns and have been served better breakfasts. Yes we had an ocean view room, in a romantic setting, but we had an Aladdin Kleenex box. Maybe we are being picky, but the hotel's management knew that we were newly weds. What is romantic about a Aladdin Kleenex box. How hard it is to stock up on Kleenex boxes that do not have pictures of cartoon characters on them. The Kleenex box is not the issue here. It is the complete and total lack of the establishment's management's attention to details. Yes they have nice rooms, some with Ocean views, but if you are charging someone $400 per night, advertising yourself as bed and breakfast, the least you can is furnish a decent breakfast, replenish shampoo and bubble bath... If need be charge $450 and offer a decent breakfast, otherwise you should not be advertise yourself as Bed and Breakfast.