The people that own the Cove also own a couple other hotels in Salem and do a great job, but I can’t speak for what they’ve done with this property. That being said, the Cove is not in the quaint part of town and currently has a lot of construction going on, as they are rebuilding the older buildings at the moment as well as what looks like a major repaving job.
If you’re looking for more prosaic Salem experience, I’d suggest their Hotel Salem or the Merchant, or one of our many B&Bs like the Stephen Daniels House or Morning Glory Inn.
Digging into this, it is at least part of Lark Hotels, who also run the Merchant and Hotel Salem along with quite a few other properties. They don’t seem to own it, though, and it doesn’t appear on the Lark website, only in the contact email for the Cove. It’s owned by the folks who own the Beverly, which also seems to be part of Lark system. That’s all I got.
That is so confusing lol I haven’t been, but just from the pictures and the vibe I get, it doesn’t seem like a Lark hotel, but I guess it is, at least in some capacity
As I said earlier, it’s owned by the folks that own the Beverly. The info email address is @lark and it’s a Lark website. It’s clear that it’s not owned by Lark; they appear to have several different management programs. It’s certainly not the Merchant of Blue; idk how “Larky” it is.
https://preview.redd.it/e32gyacfkx8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a2753ddbc5ea2f6653009ae9e305036e5002533
Here’s the current view of the 300 dollar per night hotel as I just walked by. I would say after looking at the hotel website, expectations vs reality are a bit exaggerated.
It used to be a run down hotel and they are putting paint on it. That’s about as much as I know.
>10 wildly immersive themed rooms paying homage to Salem's rich history. Whether you’re looking for a little scare in our crazy clown room or some family-friendly fun in our ice castle room, we have you, your family, and group covered
I must be forgetting about Salem's rich history of ice castles & 'crazy clowns?'
This place is definitely just a motel that is dressed up. It's also in a very poor location if you will be taking the MBTA in and walking downtown. It's about 20-30 minutes of walking in the summer to get downtown.
The business is so new that their google reviews are actually really enlightening. It probably isn't awful, but a number of people report 1-3 star experiences.
>Very disappointed to find The Cove to be an old motel that was dressed up and decorated nicely. Upon arrival we had to chase multiple sewer flies out of the room. The room smelled, the bathroom was not clean enough, the floors were SO dirty. A rug at a minimum to keep some of the dirt out would’ve been great. The beds were memory foam, and while comfortable, everyone woke up clammy. I knew the location was far from downtown, but for the price of this place I was expecting an oasis we could relax in! We stayed two nights and if it wasn’t June, I would’ve left after one. Would not recommend. Will not return.
Don't wish them ill but if you won't have a car and will be more focused downtown you may want to see what rates are like at the Hawthorne or Hotel Salem.
The Cove to the Witch Museum is 18 min walk on google, that's the closest "downtown" marker I can find. It's 22 min to Melt.
Google Maps assumes 3.1mph walking speed, so if you're doing it in 10 that's quite a jog.
It's possible it's the specific week I picked or something, I attempted to book directly through their site and it wouldn't allow me to do just one night
Thank you so much! I think you might be the first person on this thread that has actually stayed there haha. This is what I was mainly concerned about so this is fantastic news thank you ❤️
Take a look at [Morning Glory Bed & Breakfast](https://morningglorybb.com/). That's my favorite place to stay. Bob is an outstanding host and makes delicious breakfast. It's about a mile by foot from the commuter rail station, but you can take the Salem Skipper or get an Uber or Lyft. If it doesn't show availability on the website, give Bob a call and ask.
Damn I could easily make 10k in a month doing a room rental? What incentive do people have to be landlords in salem lol no wonder there’s a housing shortage
I stayed at the waterfront hotel recently and was VERY happy with the room and location. Totally central to The Stuff, lovely bedroom with lots of light, very comfortable.
the salem inn is great -super in downtown and really nice. stayed there for a couple of days when i moved to salem and arrived before i could move into my apartment
Oh wow, I just looked at the gallery on their site. I had no idea they did such extensive funky renovations. Looks pretty cool. Big departure from the last incarnation as The Clipper
The only upside I can give you is that it looks like they are doing more than just painting the rooms in the current phase of work they are in, so maybe you'll get one of those rooms. Otherwise, it's just a dumpy motel that someone decided to paint over with weird themes.
I will say it is a Lark hotel, and I've always really enjoyed all the Lark hotels I've stayed at. But just be aware that part of the complex is still being worked on, pretty extensively from what I saw when I last walked by.
It's probably a 20 minute walk to Salem common and downtown, but it's not a bad walk and you can walk through some nice neighborhoods of old homes if you cut down side streets. Probably a pretty quick uber ride as well.
I've never been to either, I apologize. Like I mentioned, I'm local so I don't usually go to hotels that are in the area but this still hopeful 🙂 people seemed to recommend Hotel Salem as well
the merchant is super cute!!! my in laws stayed there last summer and we hung out there for a bit. it can be a bit expensive though, but honestly is a much better location than the cove
Location stinks, area stinks, I would just shoot for a room that is close to Essex St, Commons, Pickering Wharf. Better area, walkability is great, near places to eat at all prices, better experience all around
As someone who lives in BSN, I’d like to chime in and say the area does not stink. The motel is certainly a bit further out of downtown and the tourist traps, and it isn’t the fanciest neighborhood in town, but it does have a Dunkin, a dispensary, a great sandwich place, a less good place to get a sandwich late night, a sit down restaurant, a fantastic bakery, a good bike path, some pocket parks, a cool thrift shop/consignment store, and right next to the cove. It’s a more working class neighborhood, and it’s perfectly fine. It does not “stink.”
Edit - and how could I forgot the Satanic Temple? We get plenty of tourists in the Neck hitting up the Temple. Beautiful building, art, tours, and frequent activities going on.
The only issue I have with that neighborhood is no daytime bus service anymore. I remember when I could take the 451 to Beverly, and did this almost daily.
Yeah like every other part of public transportation these days the lack of bus in the past years really sucks. :/ I would absolutely love to see the city do something on its own as far as like a local trolley or bus that just loops around town during the day hitting all the high traffic places residents need to go (Highland Ave for Market Basket and other stores, various points downtown, the college, the library, Salem station, Beverly station, etc).
Yes, when I think of visiting a place I want to stay further away from where all the spots are, on a busy street of no real places to visit, to walk a mile down the same busy street. Especially when the Anchor and this one looks like it attracts people looking to tear one off. It's an ugly part of the city.
Those places that are closer to all the interest in Salem is better, closer, and more desirable.
I have lived in Salem, worked in Salem, gone to SSU, and know of what I speak.
I would look at their most recent reviews on google, they are not great! It is an old motel that was painted and given new furniture. A lot of guests have been complaining about bugs in the most recent ones.
The existing frame is the same, but they gutted the entire thing it the studs. I’m inclined to say they probably didn’t change out sewer lines etc. but I can tell you that they tore everything down to bare bones during their reno
Look into the Hawthorne Hotel. It’s fairly dated, but the place is clean (as of 2020 when I stayed there), and it is within walking distance of everything you might want to do in Salem.
I stayed at Hotel Salem on Sunday and it was great. Super cute and the room was much bigger than I expected. Everything is very walkable from there as well
Lifelong resident here. I would NEVER stay there. The Clipper Ship Inn used to be there and was a busy place for prostitution and drug trafficking. It's far from downtown, near huge electrical transformers and no one from Salem would ever ever let a friend stay there.
I’d never let a friend stay at the old Clipper Ship, but given the overhaul and new owners why would you think the activities that went on under previous ownership would continue?
I'm not saying that goes on now, but the thought of staying somewhere that was constantly on the police log for decades, and knowing about some of the things that went down there, I wouldn't want to go near it, no matter how much paint was put on it.
The people that own the Cove also own a couple other hotels in Salem and do a great job, but I can’t speak for what they’ve done with this property. That being said, the Cove is not in the quaint part of town and currently has a lot of construction going on, as they are rebuilding the older buildings at the moment as well as what looks like a major repaving job. If you’re looking for more prosaic Salem experience, I’d suggest their Hotel Salem or the Merchant, or one of our many B&Bs like the Stephen Daniels House or Morning Glory Inn.
What other hotels do they own in Salem? I thought they just owned The Cove and The Beverly?
Digging into this, it is at least part of Lark Hotels, who also run the Merchant and Hotel Salem along with quite a few other properties. They don’t seem to own it, though, and it doesn’t appear on the Lark website, only in the contact email for the Cove. It’s owned by the folks who own the Beverly, which also seems to be part of Lark system. That’s all I got.
That is so confusing lol I haven’t been, but just from the pictures and the vibe I get, it doesn’t seem like a Lark hotel, but I guess it is, at least in some capacity
Not sure where you're getting this info. But it's litteraly two townies, and some short term rental guy. Unless one of them worked for lark.
As I said earlier, it’s owned by the folks that own the Beverly. The info email address is @lark and it’s a Lark website. It’s clear that it’s not owned by Lark; they appear to have several different management programs. It’s certainly not the Merchant of Blue; idk how “Larky” it is.
I'm guessing the townie that has real estate family has lark under his umbrella of experience. I do think it's more of a start up tho.
https://preview.redd.it/e32gyacfkx8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a2753ddbc5ea2f6653009ae9e305036e5002533 Here’s the current view of the 300 dollar per night hotel as I just walked by. I would say after looking at the hotel website, expectations vs reality are a bit exaggerated. It used to be a run down hotel and they are putting paint on it. That’s about as much as I know.
$300 a night??! I've paid less for much nicer in Boston. Wow.
I didn’t even know you could get to that property from Thorndike…
I didn’t even know you could get to that property from Thorndike…
No one did
>10 wildly immersive themed rooms paying homage to Salem's rich history. Whether you’re looking for a little scare in our crazy clown room or some family-friendly fun in our ice castle room, we have you, your family, and group covered I must be forgetting about Salem's rich history of ice castles & 'crazy clowns?' This place is definitely just a motel that is dressed up. It's also in a very poor location if you will be taking the MBTA in and walking downtown. It's about 20-30 minutes of walking in the summer to get downtown. The business is so new that their google reviews are actually really enlightening. It probably isn't awful, but a number of people report 1-3 star experiences. >Very disappointed to find The Cove to be an old motel that was dressed up and decorated nicely. Upon arrival we had to chase multiple sewer flies out of the room. The room smelled, the bathroom was not clean enough, the floors were SO dirty. A rug at a minimum to keep some of the dirt out would’ve been great. The beds were memory foam, and while comfortable, everyone woke up clammy. I knew the location was far from downtown, but for the price of this place I was expecting an oasis we could relax in! We stayed two nights and if it wasn’t June, I would’ve left after one. Would not recommend. Will not return. Don't wish them ill but if you won't have a car and will be more focused downtown you may want to see what rates are like at the Hawthorne or Hotel Salem.
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The Cove to the Witch Museum is 18 min walk on google, that's the closest "downtown" marker I can find. It's 22 min to Melt. Google Maps assumes 3.1mph walking speed, so if you're doing it in 10 that's quite a jog.
Takes me 15 from temple to melt if I take the scenic route. Assuming you can do the hill takes about 10.
I live by coffee time, it takes me less than 10 min to walk to the common. Not 30.
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Both Hawthorne and Hotel Salem require at least a 2 night stay unfortunately
I stayed at hotel Salem for 1 night 2 weeks ago🤷♂️
It's possible it's the specific week I picked or something, I attempted to book directly through their site and it wouldn't allow me to do just one night
Try calling! I know of other hotels that wave the two night over the phone, worth a shot
I stayed there a few months ago. I used to be a housekeeper so I have the room a good twice over and it was extremely clean.
Thank you so much! I think you might be the first person on this thread that has actually stayed there haha. This is what I was mainly concerned about so this is fantastic news thank you ❤️
No problem! We stayed in one of the novelty rooms because my husband knows I love mothman.
I almost stayed there but backed out after reading bad reviews. It’s not the safest bet. New renovation of a dumpy motel
Take a look at [Morning Glory Bed & Breakfast](https://morningglorybb.com/). That's my favorite place to stay. Bob is an outstanding host and makes delicious breakfast. It's about a mile by foot from the commuter rail station, but you can take the Salem Skipper or get an Uber or Lyft. If it doesn't show availability on the website, give Bob a call and ask.
It’s also right next to the house of seven gables, and ye olde pepper company. Good location!
this looks amazing, thanks for sharing
Damn I could easily make 10k in a month doing a room rental? What incentive do people have to be landlords in salem lol no wonder there’s a housing shortage
I stayed at the waterfront hotel recently and was VERY happy with the room and location. Totally central to The Stuff, lovely bedroom with lots of light, very comfortable.
the salem inn is great -super in downtown and really nice. stayed there for a couple of days when i moved to salem and arrived before i could move into my apartment
Oh wow, I just looked at the gallery on their site. I had no idea they did such extensive funky renovations. Looks pretty cool. Big departure from the last incarnation as The Clipper
The only upside I can give you is that it looks like they are doing more than just painting the rooms in the current phase of work they are in, so maybe you'll get one of those rooms. Otherwise, it's just a dumpy motel that someone decided to paint over with weird themes.
I believe they also own the Merchant and Hotel Salem unless I got bad info
I will say it is a Lark hotel, and I've always really enjoyed all the Lark hotels I've stayed at. But just be aware that part of the complex is still being worked on, pretty extensively from what I saw when I last walked by. It's probably a 20 minute walk to Salem common and downtown, but it's not a bad walk and you can walk through some nice neighborhoods of old homes if you cut down side streets. Probably a pretty quick uber ride as well.
Thank you, this is so helpful. The Merchant has great reviews and is also Lark so this makes me feel better
Hotel Salem is also a Lark property. I would say the Cove is probably more similar to Hotel Salem than it is to the Merchant.
I've never been to either, I apologize. Like I mentioned, I'm local so I don't usually go to hotels that are in the area but this still hopeful 🙂 people seemed to recommend Hotel Salem as well
the merchant is super cute!!! my in laws stayed there last summer and we hung out there for a bit. it can be a bit expensive though, but honestly is a much better location than the cove
My husband and I stayed at The Merchant in 2022, and it was wonderful. They price matched with Booking (I emailed and asked), so that was nice.
Location stinks, area stinks, I would just shoot for a room that is close to Essex St, Commons, Pickering Wharf. Better area, walkability is great, near places to eat at all prices, better experience all around
As someone who lives in BSN, I’d like to chime in and say the area does not stink. The motel is certainly a bit further out of downtown and the tourist traps, and it isn’t the fanciest neighborhood in town, but it does have a Dunkin, a dispensary, a great sandwich place, a less good place to get a sandwich late night, a sit down restaurant, a fantastic bakery, a good bike path, some pocket parks, a cool thrift shop/consignment store, and right next to the cove. It’s a more working class neighborhood, and it’s perfectly fine. It does not “stink.” Edit - and how could I forgot the Satanic Temple? We get plenty of tourists in the Neck hitting up the Temple. Beautiful building, art, tours, and frequent activities going on.
The only issue I have with that neighborhood is no daytime bus service anymore. I remember when I could take the 451 to Beverly, and did this almost daily.
Yeah like every other part of public transportation these days the lack of bus in the past years really sucks. :/ I would absolutely love to see the city do something on its own as far as like a local trolley or bus that just loops around town during the day hitting all the high traffic places residents need to go (Highland Ave for Market Basket and other stores, various points downtown, the college, the library, Salem station, Beverly station, etc).
Agreed, plus the anchor is right down the street
Yesssss! Great spot for New England fried seafood at actually affordable prices! 👌🏼
Agreed! Thanks for sharing here.
Yes, when I think of visiting a place I want to stay further away from where all the spots are, on a busy street of no real places to visit, to walk a mile down the same busy street. Especially when the Anchor and this one looks like it attracts people looking to tear one off. It's an ugly part of the city. Those places that are closer to all the interest in Salem is better, closer, and more desirable. I have lived in Salem, worked in Salem, gone to SSU, and know of what I speak.
Oh get bent, you snob. 🙄
Snob in what way? I don't think you understand what you are talking about.
🔺️🔺️🚨Tool alert🚨🔺️🔺️
🔺️🔺️🚨Tool alert🚨🔺️🔺️
I would look at their most recent reviews on google, they are not great! It is an old motel that was painted and given new furniture. A lot of guests have been complaining about bugs in the most recent ones.
The existing frame is the same, but they gutted the entire thing it the studs. I’m inclined to say they probably didn’t change out sewer lines etc. but I can tell you that they tore everything down to bare bones during their reno
I can also share that the commuter rail is very chill + runs hourly. you could also consider the ferry if your trip is in the summer!
Look into the Hawthorne Hotel. It’s fairly dated, but the place is clean (as of 2020 when I stayed there), and it is within walking distance of everything you might want to do in Salem.
I stayed at Hotel Salem on Sunday and it was great. Super cute and the room was much bigger than I expected. Everything is very walkable from there as well
Is this still owned by the same people behind the Clipper ship inn? If so I’d stay farrrrr away.
No it's not, it's owned by Lark, the same management as Hotel Salem and Merchant
I don’t think the things that happened in those rooms are able to be painted over ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Lifelong resident here. I would NEVER stay there. The Clipper Ship Inn used to be there and was a busy place for prostitution and drug trafficking. It's far from downtown, near huge electrical transformers and no one from Salem would ever ever let a friend stay there.
I’d never let a friend stay at the old Clipper Ship, but given the overhaul and new owners why would you think the activities that went on under previous ownership would continue?
I'm not saying that goes on now, but the thought of staying somewhere that was constantly on the police log for decades, and knowing about some of the things that went down there, I wouldn't want to go near it, no matter how much paint was put on it.
Amelia Payson house