My family and I just spent two nights in what can only be described as one of the darkest, dreariest hotel suites any of us has ever stayed in. Do not be deceived by the lovely photos on the Heron Suites website - the hotel sits on a small working marina and the Southold Fish Store4 is sandwiched in between the suites and the "Waterfront Lobby." There is absolutely nothing pretty or appealing about the hotel or its location. We paid an outrageous price of $389 per night plus tax for what were truly foul quarters: no natural light in the rooms to speak of; our views were of the parking lot and the corrugated siding of one of the marina buildings; towels and sheets were worn and thin. When we asked the hotel manager about the army of tiny ants that marched day and night over the kitchen counter, he blithely said that they'd been having problems with ants due to the rain. Clearly Heron Suites owners choose to spent the money they rake in from unsuspecting tourists on things other than insuring proper maintenance and sanitary conditions. Go find yourself a nice little B&B on the North Fork and avoid Herson Suites at all costs.

Start with the good. Excellent pool. Nice and thorough cleaning staff. Generally nice owners. The best fish market I have seen in decades on the premised. Adequate suite size for parents & one teenager - excellent kitchen in suite. Kayak rentals - limited hours and pricey but fun.

The bad. All rooms have a huge steel boat repair hangar about 10 feet out every back window. You cannot see beyond it. The front window looks out over a courtyard with another commercial building yards away. Route 25 (the only road in the area runs right past the rooms - road noise all day and night. While it is situated in a location with lots of lovely waterfront, it is not visible from the room and the entire waterfront is covered by a marina. There's not even tiny spot the stick your toes in the water and you wouldn't want to because of all the boat pollution. Ugly, ugly and particularly bad if you are rained in.

The showers are lukewarm at best - cannot take a hot shower. The air conditioning was similarly compromised and very noisy. Beds are small and uncomfortable and linens passable. Not what one would expect from a not cheap beach resort.

We stayed here for a long weekend in a one bedroom suite. The suite was adequetly furnished and the kitchen had sufficient dishes, silverware, etc. for our purposes. The suite was clean and comfortable. The location of this hotel is in the middle of a warehouse-type complex so if you are looking for a view of the water, this is not the place for you. That being said, we do not spend our time sitting in a hotel room; we would much rather explore the area. The main purpose of this trip was to visit the Long Island Wine Trail and visit the many small towns on the North fork of LI. Therefore, this property was well suited to our needs. There is a very nice pool on the property; the downside is that it is not immediately adjacent to the hotel, however, the walk to the pool is not long at all. We also enjoyed stopping at the fish market for lunch and outside seating is available. I felt the price for the suite was perhaps a bit more than the quality of the suite that we stayed in, but we did enjoy 1/2 price off of our third night. One drawback is that the property is not centrally located in the town so a car is a must. The suite was very quiet and we barely heard our neighbors.

Anyone who has been to the North Fork knows that it is a somewhat secret gem, and this hotel is just another facet of visiting there. I absolutely love this hotel - its cleanliness, its staff, its convenience. I have stayed here several times over the past few years and it remains consistently superior to others in the area. I have even recommended it to family members, and friends who wish to spend some relaxing vacation time in North Fork wine country. EVERYONE I have sent there has thanked me profusely! It is relaxing and welcoming.
The pool, marina, restaurants within walking distance, all make the clean and homey rooms all the more pleasurable. The beds are luxuriously comfortable, and the sitting rooms and kitchens are such a plus.

Oh, and neither myself nor others I have sent there have been "victimized" by the little signs that other reviewers have felt invaded their peace. These rules are standards by which the management is able to keep such a lovely hotel.