In Sept, for $500 per night, you expect an exceptional place with exceptional service. They forced me to book for 3 nights not two over the weekend and if they did not have a Sat wedding it would have been empty. We could hear the wedding like it was in our room. They indicated total wireless access all over the property- major lie. I called their concierge - could not be even bothered to call a cab. For $500, is there any service from the ferry or downtown- no way. You can not even get a warm breakfast, even if you want to pay for it. They brag about the beach bistro- it was closed on the Friday afternoon and night for food and drinks and closed off on Sat afternoon for the wedding. The room was tired and outdated with the smallest TV known to man that did not work properly. They have gall charging what they and it is not close to providing what they advertised.

We rented a two-room cottage. Actually got to see another two-room cottage that friends were staying in. For $1000+/night, you would not expect dank, very rustic rooms, rusty and broken fixtures, lumpy beds. In two words, very tired. Staff (other than Eliot) was largely aloof and dismissive of requests. Guests spend a lot of time waiting on the one staff member in at the desk while that staff member was on the phone. We won't be back, much better options on the island for the price. Restaurant OK, Zagat ratings accurately place it mid-pack at best on Nantucket.

High prices, lousy rooms, minimal service, and a screw you attitude toward complaints.

Normally don't provide reviews - but after our experience at Summer House, we wanted to share our thoughts.

Let's get the pro's out of the way. This is a beautiful setting for a hotel - a natural place looking out at the endless ocean. The food at the Bistro (beach side) is quite good, and the service was very quick at the Bistro as well.

Now let's get to the cons.

The hotel staff is, at best, disenfranchised. I've never experienced a group so disinclined to assist their guests. Clearly, this is direction from the ownership - either they are impossible to work for or they don't pay very well.. I suspect both. Here's an example: A lot of guests bring bikes with them or rent them - Nantucket lends itself to easy biking with very good bike trails just about everywhere. Yet the Summer House does little, if anything, to accommodate guests with bikes - can't take them on their shuttle to town (7 miles), and when we asked if they had a bike pump for our tires, the response was a near comical blank stare. This is one hotel where thinking about your customer first isn't top of mind. The list goes on and on.

The condition of the property is, at best, marginal. The concept is very nice - all sorts of little cottages spread around the property. But the "shabby chic" is taken to an extreme.. Our bed was propped up by sawed-off 2x4's, the lamps were falling off the walls, and the doors have padlocks on them (padlocks.. yes, like you'd see on a chain link gate).. The physical buildings are falling down, with only the minimal maintenance done. This is a cash cow business for the owners - little if any pride in the property is exhibited. Don't expect creature comforts, don't expect things to work, and certainly don't expect cleanliness.

This property appears to have a somewhat cult-like following. Don't be fooled.. This place charges a kings ransom for roadside motel quality and service. Save yourself the coin, rent a house and walk to the restaurant... Oh, that's right, there's no benefit to actually staying there as the restaurant doesn't even take room charges nor do you get preferred seating because you are a guest. I suspect that this place was a real gem when it was run more competently and more capital improvements were made. We were so frustrated by the potential not realized here. I also suspect the lack of alternatives allow the owners to exert this sort of pricing power on the market - there's few options for a beach side hotel on Nantucket..

One more story. We were originally booked in to the "Pinapple Inn" - owned by the same folks.. only our room was occupied by someone else when we arrived who refused to move. We were offered a room at the Summer House - but the hotel not only refused to pay for our transport to the Summer House, they also insisted that we pay more for a room in the Summer House. Great mindset - their mistake, we pay.. In Nantucket, there's so few options, they can do that sort of thing.