The inn sits on its namesake, beautiful Oyster Bay on the Kitsap Peninsula, near Bremerton, Washington. An unusual feature of this property is its separate, self-contained Chalet, a building separate from the other guest rooms and boasting its own covered parking space. My husband and I stayed in the Chalet on the evening of October 1. One might describe the Chalet as funky, with worn porch boards, old mismatched furniture, and a noticeable strange odor upon entering. The upstairs sleeping loft, living room, and downstairs bedroom all have their own TV sets, and the kitchen is fully furnished with dishes and appliances, including microwave.
The “exercise facility” consisted of one treadmill, and one stair climber marked out of order. The breakfast was woefully inadequate, with three biscuits remaining and an empty gravy crock pot; there were no spoons for the cereal, and I snagged the very last and only sausage patty in the warmer. No one appeared to replenish the food or clean up the scattered cereal flakes strewn over the serving bar.
In contrast, we enjoyed a very good prime rib at dinner the evening before, although no wine was available as the Inn is going through problems with the liquor license. A broken and leaking ceiling tile was plainly visible from our table, with a champagne bucket positioned below the catch the drips. Our waitress was apologetic, friendly and efficient.
The biggest challenge faced by this property seems to be the lack of staff. There was no one on duty at the front desk when we arrived to check in; no one at the restaurant desk when we arrived for dinner; and no one in attendance at the complimentary breakfast buffet on Sunday. When we hunted down the staff people for help, though, they were polite and helpful.
We would not stay here again without verifying that considerable updates and repairs have been made. However, the spectacular setting gives us hope that the Oyster Bay Inn will rise to meet its potential.
- Oyster Bay Hotel
- Oyster Bay Bremerton
