The Good:
Reception and check in went well (for me, anyhow, but many people in my group were mistakenly charged more than the corporate rate we had negotiated with the hotel).

The location of the hotel is stunning - overlooking the ocean with lovely ocean breezes, and beach access. The buildings and grounds are attractive and well maintained. There is a delightful veranda on the front of the hotel with seats for guests to linger there.

I was booked into a pleasant room in one of the cottages on the water with a terrific unobstructed second floor view of the ocean, and a balcony with chairs and a table. There is no elevator so be prepared to drag your luggage upstairs if you have a second floor room. The cottage rooms are large like an apartment. They have a living room with gas fireplace, flatscreen tv in both the bedroom and living room, Bose radio, closet with full length mirror, wet bar, a good sized bathroom with rain shower head (good water pressure), and excellent tempurpedic beds. Maid service seemed fine. I found the room quiet with good heat and room darkening window blinds.

The steak and caesar salad for dinner were fabulous. The only exception was the appetizer - so salty as to be almost inedible.

Lunch at the boathouse was delicious. A lot of attention is paid to the presentation of the food, which is a nice touch.

The Odd:
The decor in the room seemed more akin to a hunting lodge with wood paneling, adirondack furniture, and brown pine cone tiles (I was expecting more of a Nantucket motif with white painted wood and shells). It was a bit darker than I would like for summer at the seashore.

The parking areas are crushed shell - this is attractive and perhaps environmentally friendly (in terms of runoff) but it's hard on the feet if you're wearing sandals, and if you drop something small in the parking lot (like a key, ring or earring) you probably aren't going to notice or be able to find it.

The Bad:
Lighting in the rooms is recessed and elegant but is not bright enough.

The tub and shower arrangement is odd - you have to lean across the tub to pull the stopper to get the shower to start (you'll get soaked with cold water in the process). The tub stopper is on the long side of the tub, not the end, so you will end up stepping on it or stubbing your toe on it while you shower. Dumb design.

The carpet seemed tired and worn at the doorway to the bedroom.

The conference room we were in, had the door propped open for air, and it being chilly out, we asked the staff to turn the heat on in the room. They spent an entire day trying to get the heat to work to no avail (while we sat there wrapped in our jackets). There did not seem to be much apology from the hotel for this problem, and for the electricians and assorted staff that came in and out of the room the whole time we were meeting.

The staff completely blew one of our scheduled meeting "breaks" (they were supposed to bring snacks and beverages at a predetermined time, and somehow failed to show up).

Hotel tech support (IT) managed to lock us out of our notebook computer (apparently was unaware that passwords are case sensitive???) so we had to scramble to find another one to use for the meeting.

Our meeting was held in the Boathouse one day, and due to the amount of light in that venue, it was hard to see the presentation projected on the screen. FYI this is a better venue for a social event or a meeting with a live speaker (and no electronic visuals).

Be forewarned that the Aldridge meeting room has only two single user restrooms - although you can hold a meeting for 50 people there, you will need to schedule longer breaks to let people wait in line or walk to the main inn during the breaks.

Overall, I'd rate this hotel 4 stars for a tourist visit and 3 stars for a conference or event.

May 29, 2008: Property is situated directly on the beach in a residential neighborhood. The property is well maintained and the beach and pool are magnificent.

It's still a little cool in the spring to utilize the beach and pool, but it's very relaxing and similar to a high end Caribbian hotel. Views of the ocean are magnificent. Visitors should take advantage of all the amenities. Public golf course is within walking distance.

The staff is customer friendly.' Unfortunately, our expectations for the food in the Tavern were not met. However, there's plenty of good restaurants in the area: Red Nun, Carmine pizza, The Squire, and Wild Goose.

A nice half day trip is a visit to the Truro Vineyards or Wellfleet Center (art galleries).

We stayed out at Chatham Bars last summer and it was beautiful. Expensive and worth every penny. Great service, gorgeous views. We felt like we were being pampered the whole time. Would definitely go again.

The Chatham Bars Inn is one of those rare New England coastal hotels that goes the distance. We stayed in one of the cottages, and the rooms were very luxurious. The main inn is a gorgeous old building with a fantastic restaurant. The food is some of the best in Chatham, if not that part of the cape. It has a nice living room with afternoon tea which is a great place to relax in. We had an overall great experience, and the service is top-notch. There is nothing that they won't do to make your stay more enjoyable.