The Hotel Marblehead – An historic boutique hotel north of Boston
Located just 16 miles north of Boston, Mass. and approximately 14 miles from Boston Logan International Airport, the historic 14-room Hotel Marblehead is a delightful base from which to explore the picturesque seaside town of historic Marblehead as well as the nearby villages of Salem and Rockport.
I arrived in the ample parking lot just after midnight, long after the front desk staff had locked the door for the evening. As promised, my key and instructions on checking in were waiting for me. I only hope I had not awakened any other guests when I climbed the wide, carpeted, but still slightly creaking staircase to the 2nd floor.
No elevators in this old, renovated Victorian. Which adds to its charm — plus the effort to leverage your luggage up to your room.
Exhausted from a long day of travel, I collapsed into a deliciously comfy king bed.
Extra pillows and a super fluffy comforter, coupled with a firm mattress made for a wonderful night’s sleep.
Though the hotel is located on a main street into Marblehead, the old, but completely renovated Victorian home is set sufficiently back so traffic noise is inconsequential.
If you are so inclined, and the weather permits, The Hotel Marblehead has lovely grounds in the back to sit, relax, or even play a game of badminton.
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My room was very tastefully decorated and outfitted with flat screen TV (not that I’d be spending much time watching anything as I had too much exploring to do) and a remarkably quiet mini-fridge.
Just before 8 a.m., the smell of coffee wafted up the stairs and into my room, nudging me out of bed in the direction of breakfast. Drying off with a very fluffy towel – not some cheap hotel towel — was a nice start to my morning.
I found my way into the bright breakfast room, secured a paper, found a table, and then set about foraging from several nicely appointed tables with juice, coffee, meat, cheese, fresh fruit, cereal, and yogurt. There were also a number of pastries and a small quiche.
Delightfully, the free Wi-Fi worked very well, and over breakfast, I was able to make quick work of emails, some story research, and upload some photos. The desk staff was also super helpful, eager to be sure my stay in Marblehead was most enjoyable. I especially loved the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in the late afternoon while I sat and edited photos taken during the day. Although I’m pretty sure I ate more than my fair share, the staff offered to bake more!
From Hotel Marblehead, it is an easy walk (if you like walking) or a short drive (if you like trying to find places to park, which is not always easy) into town to find things to do in Marblehead — to eat, drink, shop or wander around historic landmarks, parks and beaches. I never tried the bikes the hotel supplies for free, but they looked to be in very good shape and yet another great way to get around town.
Rascal and Hakka really wanted to take one of the free bikes into town, but their feet wouldn’t reach the pedals.
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Great photos and information about the property. I am am looking to visit later this fall.
Glad you found our review useful Dana. 😉
I love places like this! That’s awesome that it’s still so close to the city. Those breakfast pastries look delicious, and the dining room looks like an interesting fusion between modern design and traditional inspiration.
The dining room is a wonderfully comfy place to sit … well lit and designed for sure. In the late afternoon, it was my base for editing photos and eating cookies. 😉
Oh, I just love these kind of historic hotels in small towns. Comfy bed, fluffy towels and home-made chocolate chip cookies? Yes, please!
The staff is super and yes, one could eat soo many cookies here.
Hotel Marblehead looks quaint and very cosy. Nice to know they had your key and instructions although you reached past midnight. The room looks nice and spacious and that bed looks so comfy. I would have eaten up all those chocolate chip cookies and probably wouldn’t mind if they baked more lol. Thanks for sharing your review and rating!
Glad you liked our review and yes, this is a very quaint and cozy hotel in Marblehead.
They offered to bake you more chocolate chip cookies and you turned them down?! I wouldn’t have the self control to say no… The Marblehead Hotel seems like the kind of hotel I could actually enjoy staying in.
LOL … I didn’t say I turned them down … only that I had already eaten more than my fair share. Trust me, I ate more. 😉
The look of this historic house is enough to get me to stay there! Sounds like it is in a fabulous location for exploring the towns nearby and Boston too! Love how you have created your own rating scale. Very informative.
Thank you for the compliment on our rating scale and glad you found it useful. And yes, this is a great base for exploring nearby towns north of Boston and Boston too.
Small towns are at the top of my list when I make travel plans, and I adore staying at historic accommodations like this as they add so much to your visit. We really like exploring by bike, so the fact that they have free bikes, a tasty breakfast, and reliable WiFi is a huge bonus! Saving!
Really wanted to try the bikes, but just did not manage it with all the other running around taking photos I was doing. Next time!
What a lovely little place to stay at! I love historic homes and hotels they add such a wonderful charm to traveling.
The Hotel Marblehead is such a wonderfully lovely historic hotel and made my visit that much more enjoyable.
This is such a cute looking hotel, I love the rating too! I also think your photography is great, I am always so embarassed to take pictures in a hotel OR the room is a mess before I take the pictures!
Thank you for the photo compliment! But yes, it requires planning and foresight … can’t tell you the number of times we have arrived in a hotel and started unpacking before going “WAIT … pack back up, we have to take photos!” 😉
Love your evaluation chart. With everything below 100% and Value rated as 100%, it tells me that the rates are also very attractive!
Thank you Carol … yes we felt the value provided by this hotel for the area and the amenities was outstanding.
Hotel marblehead looks comfortable with cozy beds and delicious breakfast. The gardens looks lovely to laze around during the evening. Nice post.
The garden and grounds were super to be sure.