So much fun! Perfect summer activity. They have boards, kayaks, canoes, etc. all reasonably priced…read morefor the area. Staff is local hs and college kids, but they're super polite and really helpful. And shocking for Marblehead in the summer... free parking! Also- they have "frequent paddlers" discounts, if you get addicted.

Absolute gem of a place for all your boating needs. I rented a Hobie kayak (off site) and Mary…read moreEllen met me at the shop at a time that was convenient for me. She helped me secure the kayak to the top of the car, so now I know how to transport kayaks. I found that the system she used to install kayaks on the roof of cars is idiot proof, and the kayak is securely fastened to the top of the car to avoid liability. I also found that any guy could lift a kayak and install it the the roof of a car solo (it's not that heavy), however hauling the kayak fewer for more than 5 feet I recommend two people. I refuse to rent anywhere else, and I look forward to renting from Little Harbor Boathouse again.

Landmark School had their annual fundraiser at Olio this past Friday evening and it was awesome! I…read morelove the spacial layout, lighting and floor.

Where do I even begin to describe what an amazing venue Olio is? We had toured and booked Olio in…read moreJanuary 2024 (the only venue we toured) and just had our beautiful wedding on October 4th. Sarah was there for us quite literally every step of the way. We had also used Sarah's coordinating business Without A Hitch and worked with Allison who is now a part of the team at Olio. Their professionalism and kindness went above & beyond. We are so thankful to have found this amazing venue and to have celebrated our wedding there! I cannot recommend Olio enough.

Dena the hall manager was beyond amazing…read more The day of my event - OMG the bathrooms were fully cleaned and stocked. She takes pride in having her renters very happy and I was! I cannot thank Dena and hall enough with all the help and support of my event.

Recently repainted walls, and it looks great. Good space for functions…read more Need new restrooms ASAP. Ample public parking space is a plus.

Home to the Marblehead Arts Association, stop in & see some displays…read more Built by Greenfield Hooper, a candle maker, in 1728, & his son, Robert, a wealthy shipping merchant, added the front section in 1745. There is always an art gallery display, art show or some other cultural event taking place, so stop in when walking around Marblehead Center.

Always the best perfect service and attention…read more Tried the Lobster Risotto and exceeded all expections! Of course, the Clam Chowder was the best NE chowder. The Steak Frites looked so good but will have to wait for next time.

Incredibly Beautiful old, classic facility, very nice service, solid food, great drinks.read more

Willow Springs was an absolute dream for our May wedding reception for 77 people! The space was…read moreperfect for an indoor/outdoor event with beautiful views of the lawn from the porch. The event coordinator Briana was such a joy to work with and a trusted partner in making our event come to life! We really appreciated her coordinating with my family in the days leading up to the event to organize the decor, and being so on top of everything. When we first toured the venue in the fall we immediately loved the barn, but what really sealed the deal for us was Briana's calm, collected demeanor, professional communication, and down-to-earth advice that demonstrated her deep understanding of what works in the space and what doesn't--that made us trust her right away. She made the space look so so beautiful! We couldn't have asked for a better evening surrounded by all our favorite people

Willow Spring was the perfect spot to host a bridal shower! Brianna and the team couldn't have…read morebeen any better at making sure the entire event went off without a hitch!! Would recommend 100 times over!! Will be using them again!

I had a party at the Bayside and from the planning to the day of the party everything was great!…read more I worked with Debbi, but spoke with John on the phone often. Both were always helpful and knowledgeable. I had a buffet meal, but ordered kids meals for the littles. We had more kids show up than planned. Debbi was awesome and worked to get meals to the kids I ordered them for and the extras they had made up in case were split between the extra kids. Because our cake was huge/heavy, my husband wanted to help Debbi carry it to the kitchen, but she assured us not to worry and got her staff to help. Thankfully, because I needed him! The ONLY thing I regret is not listening to Debbi during the planning stage. She suggested ordering and appetizer for my guests if I was planning dinner to be served an hour in. I didn't want to spend the money... next time I will. Debbi did bring out the dinner early by 10 minutes, but I know we were all hungry!

It is highly regrettable that not only I, but also my significant other, family, and other vendors…read morehad to endure the complete unprofessionalism, poor communication, and discourtesy from both you and your staff. From the very first day I visited the venue, I was informed that several modifications were being made prior to my scheduled event. However, I was never updated that these changes were not occurring, which was the initial indication of the communication breakdown. I had to reach out to the venue a second time to confirm the event date and other details. As the event date approached, I had not finalized any food menu nor signed the contract. I had to make several calls before I could speak with someone to receive the menu and options. You later mentioned that they had entered my email incorrectly, and after I provided my email again via text, I still did not receive the menus or contract. I ultimately had to visit the venue in person, as I no longer felt comfortable communicating through email or text. During my meeting with you and Jacklyn, whom you mentioned was new, it became evident that there was a lack of communication between the two of you. The way you addressed her in front of me and my significant other was entirely unprofessional. It was also apparent that she was new and you had not given her the knowledge of how the business runs, as she had to frequently consult you for answers to my questions. However she was the nicest person we dealt with there. This included inquiries about both the back green room and our bar preferences. Specifically, we requested that the green room be empty, and we were assured it would be, yet it was not. On the day of the event, the room was filled with furniture and storage chairs stacked inside. Rather than attempting to accommodate the situation and understand, you offered excuses, explaining that it was not your fault but rather the fault of your new hire, and that you had been up until 4 AM for the previous event. Meanwhile, my event was just a few hours away. We were told that the children would receive juice boxes, but they did not. Additionally, we were promised a mimosa bar would be set up, but on the day of the event, nothing was prepared. When asked if there were any specific drinks we wanted, we requested sangria and margaritas, along with a particular drink for which we provided specific ingredients. They claimed to have all the ingredients except grapefruit juice, which they assured us they could obtain without issue. However, on the day of the event(just hours beforehand), there was absolutely no mimosa bar. The bartender did not have grapefruit juice or the necessary ingredients. I was informed that this was a fully stocked bar. While my family was preparing for the event, I was made aware that you exhibited a complete lack of professionalism and were exceedingly rude to everyone involved in the setup. My family and event planners could hear the shouting directed at the bartender, who was in her office and in the kitchen, just an hour prior to the event. This was once again very uncomfortable and unprofessional. After we attempted to resolve the initial issue with the green room not being vacated, we encountered the problem with the bar, which we then tried to address. However, the unprofessional behavior persisted among the entire staff. I received multiple complaints regarding the bartender's rudeness. He also took it upon himself to close the bar before 2 o'clock. He claimed he had already informed patrons that last call was at 1:58, despite the fact that our contract stipulated we had the venue until three. Once again, there was a complete absence of communication between the you/staff and myself. Additionally, several family members and friends reported that the serving staff were also quite rude when inquiries were made. It is regrettable that this venue is exceptionally beautiful; however, the lack of communication and professionalism significantly detracted from our experience. Many guests praised the beauty of the venue, but I regrettably informed them that I would never consider booking this venue again. There were additional minor points I could mention, but ultimately it came down to you and this business being a poor communicators and unorganized. This is the email I sent to the owner nilzelia santos who was also the point of contact and the main one giving excuses. Not worth your money. She hasn't even responded which goes to show you how much she cares. I'm sure bad review will get a reply tho.

It's always beautiful with all the different plants. Mother's day is very busy but we were still…read moreable to get in even though we hadn't booked in advance.

Pros: Beautiful and varied garden spaces that are well…read moremaintained. Cafe has a large outdoor patio with gorgeous view. Gift shop has all kinds of cool and unusual items. Great place to do some holiday shopping. Dog friendly. Cons: Restrooms are outdated, not the cleanest, and kind of gross. Ticket prices seem a bit too high for the actual size of the property. Cafe is understaffed. Ordering at lunchtime was quite slow.

I had my wedding here in May, so this will be a long but all encompassing review of all different…read moreaspects of the Hawthorne. When I was looking for venues, I wanted all inclusive and one location. I spoke with Christine Madigan via email and then over the phone. She assured me that the Hawthorne did weddings well. We booked, signed contracts, set up a room block and everything. The room block: 3/5 stars I originally worked with Beth who set everything up for me and then was transferred to Rob as positions changed. I initially had 15 rooms in my block which we filled pretty quickly, but I saved one for my husbands grandmother so she could stay onsite. She called to book a room and was told there were no rooms. There were rooms so I called and spoke with Rob because she was pretty upset. He assured me we had rooms and for grandma to call him directly. Evidently the folks at the front desk didn't understand how the room block was intended to work. This happened over and over and over again. I really wish they would have set it up so my guests could book online because I heard from nearly half of my guests that either they couldn't get the days we were promised or the room type they wanted. I even had 3 couples stay at another hotel because of this so Hawthorne lost out on money because they couldn't get their booking system organized. One of my couples ended up in a room with a TWIN BED for 2 people. How is that even possible? Meanwhile I had a single person in a room with 2 queen beds and 2 bathrooms? Like I get accommodating people's requests, but a little critical thinking and communication would have gone a long way for comfort here. I doubt those people will come back to this hotel for this reason, which is sad because its such a lovely place. The menu tasting: 5/5 stars We were invited to a tasting of hors d'oeuvres, dinner selections, wine, cocktails and wedding cake. It was amazing to be able to sample items we wanted to serve without doing so blindly. Their food is phenomenal so we were excited to be able to share this with our guests. Wedding planning: 5/5 stars I received packets of information before booking Hawthorne as my venue, so I was aware of the pricing up front. I was even able to create a quote using their pricing sheet so nothing was a surprise. Christine was available to answer all of my questions throughout the process. As we got closer, she gave us homework to complete so we were ready for our big day. We created a signature mocktail, filled out place cards, went over our timeline, dropped off welcome bags, etc. Everything leading up to our wedding day (outside of booking guest rooms) was super smooth and easy. Pretty much everything was provided by the venue. I only had to book a photographer, content creator, photo booth, DJ and HMU on my own. The rest was handled for me which really made things so much smoother. We ended up well under budget, too! Wedding day: 3.5/5 stars If I could go back, I would hire a dedicated day of coordinator who worked specifically for me and not the venue. Christine was great, and did her job well, but she wasn't dedicated to me the entirety of the evening. And she and my mom were butting heads over things we were promised and not delivered. My mom did my wedding florals. We asked in advance if we could have refrigerator space and a private room to set up in. We were told we could have both, and on the day of, there was magically no fridge space, access to water, or a secure room to work in. It was extremely frustrating to be promised things and then not have those promises fulfilled. We were able to pivot and adapt, but that added so much stress to me on a day where I should not have added stress. The room she was working in was also being used as storage for a wedding the following weekend. The hotel has tons of space so I'm not sure why it had to be there but it seemed at that point it was a battle of wills more than anything. My photo booth company arrived right at the time we were about to start our ceremony, which was planned in advance, but the way the rooms were set up he ended up being in the lobby. This turned out to be really fun for wedding guests and random hotel guests to watch, but it was a bit awkward at first. Some of the items we brought for our reception were not brought down and we had to track people down to retrieve those. There was a room upstairs that was dedicated for us to hide away in and eat our appetizers, but I wanted to be with my guests and the appetizers never made it to me and my husband so I was told they were good but I didn't get to try them all. Dinner was absolutely amazing. However, I heard SO MANY complaints afterward about our bartender. I guess he was rude, and terrible at making drinks and when people tried to go to the other bar they got turned away. Overall I had the best day ever and would do it over again with a few tweaks :)

My boyfriend and I recently stayed at the Hawthorne Hotel for a short staycation. We live nearby…read moreand chose the hotel specifically for its history, haunted reputation, and because the price point included what we were told would be complimentary breakfast. The room itself was nice and comfortable, and we were surprised (in a good way) to find that it was a double room. In terms of the "haunted" experience, we did hear some tapping noises coming from the closet shortly after settling in. It was definitely spooky, and my boyfriend barely slept, hoping it would happen again--but it didn't. Still, it added to the atmosphere we were looking for. Unfortunately, the experience took a turn the next morning. When we went down for breakfast, we were informed that we needed a voucher or token that we were never given. I went back to the room to call the front desk for clarification and was told that breakfast was only included if you were given a "certificate," which was never explained at booking. My boyfriend then went to speak to the front desk himself, since he made the reservation (even though I was present when it was booked). He was told that no one ever told him breakfast was included, and the interaction felt accusatory--as though he was being accused of lying. This was uncomfortable and disappointing, especially since we booked the stay based on that information. Adding to that discomfort, as we exited the elevator to head to breakfast, we could hear two front desk staff members chatting enthusiastically. When they noticed us, the conversation abruptly stopped, and they stared as we walked by. It created an awkward and unwelcoming feeling. One was a gentleman with longer hair, and the other was a woman with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The manager was also involved in the conversation with my boyfriend. I do want to highlight the positives: The server at Nathaniel's was extremely kind and pleasant, and another woman working in the restaurant was also warm and helpful. The room itself was nice, and the restaurant service was genuinely the best part of our stay. That said, due to the front desk and management experience, this is not a hotel we would choose to stay at again--neither for the haunted experience nor for the treatment we received. Salem has many hotel options, and while we wanted this stay to be something special, it fell short. We were hoping to leave a glowing review, but aside from the room and restaurant staff, the overall experience left us disappointed.

This place looks a bit sketch and got some weird vibes at first but honestly a fantastic dive bar…read more The diviest dive bar I've ever been to. $6 well drinks and cash only. They have darts, pool, and the touch tunes where you can pick the music. They have live music on the weekends. Bartender was awesome and great to talk to. Chatted with a bunch of locals and the owner all night. Great people.

Great place for a hang out with solid drinks I apparently need to make the review longer so here's…read moresome extra words.