While my wife and I are very familiar with the Harwich Port area from previous vacations, this was our first stay at the Winstead Beach Resort. May I say, our two day late October experience was as good as it gets.
First, we carefully previewed the rooms on the Winstead web site, and what we were looking for was a great ocean view. Taking advantage of the offseason Fall rates, we selected the second floor room 8, which faces directly south toward the ocean with a nearly 180 degree view of Nantucket Sound. Be sure to carefully read the descriptions of the rooms on the web site, which accurately reflect the views and orientation available, and some rooms of course do not face the beach or ocean.
We were not disappointed - in room 8 we watched beautiful sunrises and sunsets from our BED, as the windows wrap around to the left, center and right side. There is also a very small deck for two on the south side, which broadens the view even further. Even though the Winstead is set back from the water several hundred feet, the view of both the beach and the ocean itself is spectacular. We were fortunate enough to have back to back sunny October days for our stay, so luck was with us.
The room was very well set up, clean, and comfortable, with a great king bed. The bathroom was shining and absolutely spotless, as it it had been polished top to bottom immediately before our stay. The atmosphere in the resort itself was very friendly, with a number of seasoned guests (many of whom were returning visitors) who seemed equally happy with their accomodations. Staff was very relaxed and helpful with requests, and the continental breakfast provided surprisingly good quality options for a quick breakfast before beginning our daily Cape Cod jaunts.
As our vistit was immediately before the resort was closing for the season, the beach was buttoned down with snow fence in preparation for the winter, but we still had room to walk and sit outside in the cool Fall air. We did a lot of beach walking and did not find the seaweed referred to in a previous review from September. It was very clean, and based on our many visits to this beach in the past, I suspect that previous review was shortly after the September hurricane which would likely drive an unusual amount of debris to the beach.
People should be aware that the beach area in Harwich Port is relatively shallow, so alternatively there are also lots of other outstanding Cape Cod beaches within a short drive to add some variety if you so chose. To each his own - this beach is still excellent, and the private area that extends several hundred feet directly in front of the Winstead provides a very enjoyable beach.
Ok, the in-season prices are up there, like any waterfront property. But I can only say from our own experience that this was among the best accomodations we have ever had in the region, and I would strongly recommend this resort to anyone staying on the Cape.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
