In September 2012 I was with a group which stayed at the Dunes Motel during a guided tour of Cape Cod. I was not at all prepared for the “Dunes experience.”
Where to start? I remember the Eisenhower administration (1953-1961). The Dunes Motel must have been here then and VERY little has changed. It all came flooding back when I entered the room. The aqua tiled walls of the bath room with the aqua sink and tub. WOW! I have not seen that in years. The metal cabinet over the sink, the old Koehler sink fittings it was all there. If you want to go back in time, to those thrilling days of yesteryear, “with a hearty Hi-Yo, Silver. Away!” here is THE spot.
This is another one of those “check list” motels found on group tours. Room; check. Beds; check. Bath room en suite; check. Hot water; check. All the parts are there but the total experience leaves a lot to be desired.
The owner, and family, responded to any and all issues quickly. The problem is there should not have been so many issues to respond to. My room had a plumbing problem. We were offered a different room; we accepted. The plumbing problem was fixed later the same day but should have been found and fixed before the room was rented. Others in the group had similar issues which all seemed to be resolved quickly as well. Still, the issues seemed to arise from the fact the property needs to be completely overhauled ASAP.
I spoke to another couple who were ending a week-long stay. They were quite satisfied. Others in our group were also satisfied with the responsiveness of the owner/operator.
Breakfast (included) was odd by contemporary standards. Again, all the parts were there but it seemed a bit “quaint” and reminiscent of the early days of motel development in the United States. Not awful just odd.
For travelers in their 30’s this place is a living, 3-D historical experience. Want to know what the motels of the 1960’s were like? Stay here.
This is a very quiet area, mostly rental cottages. The ocean is about two long blocks away. There is a small public beach (100+- yards) with benches, parking and sand to walk on. Easy walk to, from and on the beach. That is about all there is in the neighborhood. There is one restaurant near the ocean about ¾ mile from the motel. Other services are a car ride away on the main road.
All in all it was an experience. Interesting experience, not terrible, but it was interesting.
- Also Known As:
- The Dunes Motor Hotel
- The Dunes Motor Hotel South Yarmouth
- Dunes Hotel South Yarmouth
- The Dunes Hotel
- The Dunes Motor Inn Cape Cod/South Yarmouth, MA
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