4.5 stars
The Tandem…read moreBike Inn is apparently now known as "The Opal & Pearl", though the owners remained the same. The family-run property was extremely well-kept, and there were so many small details that they had thought of that really enhanced the experience. I was, however, surprised to see so many reviews refer to the place as a "bed and breakfast", because despite the atmosphere being similar, a morning meal was not truly included (more on that below). I am not sure if that was an adjustment made when they also changed the name of the hotel or what. Anyway, I broke out my thoughts on various aspects below:
Room: Our room was on the third floor, so there were a good amount of steps to get up there. There was a storage cabinet in the hallway on each floor that held spare rolls of toilet paper and extra cosmetic items for guests to grab as needed. The rooms, however, were already well-stocked with these items, but it was nice to have access to backups for longer stays. Our room was reasonable spacious and even included a fireplace, two stools, a loveseat, and a coffee table. There was also a luggage rack, a dehumidifier, a Roku smart television, beach towels, and beach passes included. The room was relatively soundproof from the neighboring ones, and the area was quiet to begin with. The bed was very soft and fluffy, but wound up being more supportive than I would have expected, since I did not wake up with any back pain. The private bathroom was reasonably spacious and included a large stall shower. There were two of each size towel you could possibly want. Though its pedestal sink did not provide any counterspace, there was a small stand in the corner that could be used as an alternative. The bath products were from C.O. Bigelow, so they had no parabens or other gross ingredients.
Cleanliness: Overall, the room was very clean, though I did see a few hairs on the bathroom walls and a long one on the inside of a folded bath towel. The common areas were spotless.
Breakfast: While breakfast was not included in the reservation, it could be purchased in advance through the website with a few main course options to choose from. Alternatively, the hotel left a daily "Morning Experience Card" voucher in the room that would cover a portion of breakfast at one of three local eateries - a diner, a bagel shop, or a cafe (see my review for Caffe Di Famiglia at https://www.yelp.com/biz/caffe-di-famiglia-belmar?hrid=muhG5OL20A6uHsCNcq1fHg ). The summertime voucher was for $20, though it would apparently be valued at a lower amount in the off-season. The lobby did have coffee and a delicious orange sponge cake in the morning, though.
Registration: The check-in/out services were easy, requiring an online pre-registration, where you selected code that would allow you into the building and to your room. The code would stop working when your reservation ended. There were also two chocolate chip cookies waiting to greet us in our room.
Common Areas: The quaint home had a wrap-around porch that included a few dining tables and several rocking chairs. On the inside ground floor there was a dining room table, a living room, and a small den with coffee maker and water pitcher.
Beach Gear: In addition to the passes and towels in the room, the hotel had beach cruiser bikes, beach chairs, umbrellas, and carts available for use.
Location: The location was spectacular, as it was only a block from Main Street's restaurants, shops, and fitness centers, as well as only a few blocks to the beach.
Parking: There was room for 5-6 cars to park behind the inn, as well as free parking spots on the residential block.
While we would have loved to have a homecooked breakfast at The Opal & Pearl included in our stay, we really felt that the inn was cute and welcoming. We would definitely stay there again.