We stayed at the Sailor Jack room for two nights. The room was very small. The queen-sized bed, which unto itself was very nice, took up the majority of space in the room. There simply wasn't any space left in the room for general living, for by default the only sitting space was the bed itself. The bathroom was remarkably small, with a sink that buts against you while using the commode. Note for large/heavy people - you will surely be bumping some part of your body while using the bathroom. Furthermore, there is no TV in the room (forgivable) and no internet access (unforgiveable). There was no hair dryer. The room was never cleaned, the sheets never changed, the towels never replaced.

The morning meal showed a serious lack of imagination. We came down to an empty table, next to which sat some warmed-up quiches, canned fruit juice, canned fruit cups, and boxed cold cereal. The owners were nowhere in sight. Other guests staying at the inn exchanged glances with us, and later, shared open complaints about the lack of service and poor quality of food.

The innkeepers seemed nice but apathetic. They were entirely distant during our visit. We were never given a phone number to call, or other means of contacting them. They never asked us the sort of questions that we have come to expect and appreciate: Do you like tea in the morning or coffee? Do you have any food allergies or foods you can't eat? Would you like dining recommendations? etc.

This was precisely the problem - there is a serious lack of communication in this inn. Our overall sense is that the innkeepers are just passing the time and collecting the money. I would highly recommend to the innkeepers that they keep in mind some very simple business practices, such as: smiling when greeting your guests, asking about where your guests came from, checking in with your guests after they have settled in to make sure everything is alright, and thanking your guests upon checkout. These simple forms of communication take very little time or effort, but they translate into professional innkeeping. If we wanted bland apathy we could go to a hotel, right?

I am truly confused that the other recommender on this website had a completely different (and very positive) experience than we did - not sure what to make of that.

To be fair, and to explain why we gave 2 stars instead of 1, there were some OK things at the Old Seaport Inn. The place was very clean and quaint. Our stay was relatively quiet. The innkeepers were not intrusive. The decorations were very nice, and the furniture was old-fashioned. The porches were very good for easy reading or talking.

In short, we do not recommend the Old Seaport Inn. One positive recommendation for those traveling to Beaufort - try the Beaufort Grocery restaurant. It is quietly tucked away off of the main strip, but the food is excellent and the atmposhere is fun and imaginative.

We stayed in the Cotter Hurst room for 3 nights. The room is somewhat small (since this used to be a family home, the bathroom was put in later inside the room), but the bed is fabulous (stearn's & foster) and there's adequate room for 2 people. There's a good size walk-in shower in the bathroom and a ceiling fan and A/C which is nice. The best part was just hanging out with Mary and F.J. over morning quiche, danishes, cereal and great coffee and tea. The second story veranda/balcony is flanked by trees where I watched the birds and drank wine from the great wine shop down the street. Mary has a nice garden surrounding the property and has a studio where she creates most of the art work that decorates the walls of The Inn. We had a relaxing stay for our first B&B experience!