Castle Manor Inn

Charming and cozy atmosphere. Staff is very attentive. Perfect for events and the sea glass restaurant has a seasonal great new menu just in time for fall!

I saw the raving reviews, wanted to spend a few days near Rockport, and they gave a AAA discount, so I booked a room for 2 guests and 2 nights. Wow. Bad idea. Rooms were much smaller than pictured, the cable tv provided is straight out of the 90’s and had NO audio, bed was firm which some people may like but it just messed up my back. Not to mention the headboard on said bed knocks about up on the wall with every movement.
Near a railroad, so you’ll hear the train at all hours. Walls are rather thin and you can hear most noise that goes on around you. Also, no outlets? Or rather, there ARE outlets, but they’re ALL being used so don’t expect to be able charge any phones, gps, laptops, ect, unless you start unplugging things. They do provide air conditioning but it couldn’t get much louder! It drowns out the neighbors and trains for sure. I guess it’s a plus that they provide rather good wifi, since we couldn’t use the TV and had to watch netflix off our laptops.
From the description on the AAA website there was supposed to be a «seating area», since when does a seating area mean one lone chair in the corner of the room? We did get a private terrace with our room, but the paint was coming off, I walked out there barefoot and came back with paint chips stuck on my feet every time.
Staff was really nice though. It’s a shame, I was hoping to love this place. Considering I’ve paid much less for a way better place to stay.

Thanksgiving dinner at Castle Manor in Gloucester-​a completely forgettable experience; store bought pies scandalously beyond the pale!

We stayed here for a wedding and it was a great weekend. The views are great and the rooms were fine, nothing amazing. But the space is very fun; they did a great job putting on the wedding. The staff was very friendly, the woman in charge of the house was great to the bride and groom and all of their friends. We stayed up late partying and she loved it. The food was alright but I didn’t expect anything spectacular. Hope to be back!

We scheduled an appointment to visit the property for potentially hosting an event here. The owner was nice, but you could smell the alcohol on her breath. I simply couldn’t trust to host my event here.

After a HORRID experience at another hotel in Beverly, we were left without a place to stay, we came across this beautiful Inn… Quiet and peaceful, excellent room rates, wonderful breakfast and beautiful grounds… I would return to the Inn in the future!

I was running late to a wedding so I was in a rush while checking in. Lady seemed nice, took my card, I signed receipt, and she gave key. No complaints. I got to room which over phone was described as «king size bed with deck and view of water». The room was very tiny almost no room in it other than the bed, bathroom was also tiny. I was also greeted by neighbors next door midday door open ton of people inside wine being poured all around. Day light and I was not trying to sleep so no complaints but funny since they looked like older rich business owners. Later in evening upon my return I got to see that the room while clean definitely needed some updating, the walls were paper thin (I think I could hear my neighbors breathing throughout the night) and my screen door to deck didn’t close or lock. This are all minor things especially from horror places I have stayed before but I was expecting more from what their site and phone conversations described (and for the price).

Father of the Bride Review
1) Arrival and florist: Arrived at the Inn on a Thursday. Our room was in the main building. The building was clean and in good shape. The main building has central a staircase that is difficult for handicapped/​disabled/​old folks but two grandmothers over 90 stayed in the «motel» section which is on a street level and seemed to work out well.
2) Day before wedding: Met with florist who had been recommended by the Inn’s Manager. The flowers that were being placed in the Inn were being coordinated with the flowers that were to be used for the wedding. Very nice touch.
We met and talked with Laura, the event manager (and owner?)for the Inn. She was very cordial and professional. You can tell she’s been managing functions for a while. She did a fabulous job throughout the wedding and reception. She was present the whole day and night of the wedding managing things. Just Great!
3) Day of Wedding: Both the wedding ceremony and reception were held at the Inn. The venue for the wedding was decorated with flowers. Very pretty. The reception took place on the porch area as well. Set up very professionally. Laura handled the logistics perfectly.
a) Wedding pictures were taken outside of the main building as well as down the street at Stage Fort Park. Stage Fort park was in so-​so condition although it seemed that there were some good background shots. Haven’t see the pictures yet. The plantings outside the building were in fine condition allowing a goodly number of pictures to be taken there.
b) Wedding reception: There were about 100 guests at the wedding. The bar (open) was handled well. Two bartenders who knew their job.
c) Food was a buffet style. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. I personally had no complaints. Food was presented well and of good quality.
4. Post reception: The inn allowed the guests to move into another area for addition food and drink. The doors to the area were closed so that the guests who had retired wouldn’t be disturbed.
5) The groom’s parents presented a nice breakfast for all the guests the morning after in the same area as the reception. Buffet style. Food was very good.
6) Overall impressions of the facility: Main building was very pretty and in good shape. I saw a couple of the rooms in the motel section. They seemed to be OK but I didn’t get to see them all. I had no complaints.
Summary: The wedding and reception was managed very professionally. This day was a perfect wedding day for my daughter and son-​in-​law. The building and grounds could be rated an 8 or 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best.

This B and B is in a breathtakingly beautiful 19^th century Victorian Mansion. It is well kept both inside and out, and the staff is friendly and helpful. We had a lovely, nice size room in one of the turrets, very cool sitting area with curved windows. Price was reasonable for this amazing house, and they accepted a AAA discount even during high season. This place is truly a four to five star accommodation. I noticed some reviews that rated less, but they either rated the restaurant in the wrong place, or stayed in the Inn rooms on the same property. The web site is very clear that there are rooms in the house proper, and less expensive rooms in other buildings. We did not go in one of the other rooms, but they still seem like good value given you have use of the beautiful grounds, restaurant bar, and outdoor seating areas.
The only improvement I would suggest, is opaque blinds in the rooms. The current ones are translucent and the summer sun was bright and came up at 6:00am.
Overall our stay here was outstanding, and the restaurant and bar on site are convenient and very good. We like to walk and going to the Waterfront and Harbor was an easy 20 minute stroll.

What a beautiful Inn. It’s straight out of a fairytale or period piece movie. The historic house is maintained flawlessly. The grounds are gorgeous and the owner is simply charming. This Inn is just as beautiful as the pictures, if not more so, in real life. Perfect for a romantic getaway. Would recommend with no reservations.
We are lucky enough to be staying in the Keeler room. It’s part of the turret facing the water, third floor. Wow what a charming room with great views. The blinds look like they are going to let light in in the morning (beware light sleepers) but that’s a small price to pay for this much charm. The room is spacious and the décor is soothing and spot on for the period.
There’s also a wedding party taking place tonight. What a perfect place for an event!

Got a reason to be in Gloucester? Make one. This way you can stay at Castle Manor and propel yourself back to a simpler time… albeit one with all the modern comforts of home.
We were greeted immediately upon arrival (by VERY friendly and helpful staff — they carried my mom’s luggage upstairs!) and after a harrowing drive, they must have sensed our exhaustion. We received an upgrade to the Family Suite, a top-​floor adjoining room in the front turret of the Queen Victorian-​style house with an incredible view and TONS of space.
The room featured complete privacy (this is a QUIET B&B), a little fireplace stove, free bottled water, free WiFi, and comfortable amenities and décor without being either too kitschy or too cold.
The restaurant, Sea Glass, is surprisingly sophisticated for both the area and has a full menu and a full bar — can’t beat that for an otherwise «homey» B&B.
If you can make your travel plans work around a stop in Gloucester for Castle Manor, it’s a must-​see. Cozy, charming, and an all around classy stay.

My fiancé and I were visiting his family in Gloucester and stayed at the Inn for a night. We weren’t sure what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised by how charming the Castle Manor Inn was! It was also very reasonable (although it is off-​peak season) at only $ 110 for the night! The room itself was very clean and we loved the personal touches– when we arrived back in for the night, they had turned down our blankets and left cookies out for us (they were delicious!!!).
We ate breakfast at the sea glass restaurant which was also very reasonable– I had the steel cut oats with all the fixings which was standard, but very good and a side of french toast and My fiancé had the full-​sized portion of French toast. I must admit, the French toast was delicious! It had the perfect amount of cinnamon and sugar and nutmeg, along with being crunchy on the edges while still maintaining the moist, fluffy inside (not soggy at all which is very important in my book)! For all of our food and coffees our breakfast was only about 20 dollars!
We will definitely be returning to stay the next time we are visiting in Gloucester!

The inn itself is charming, inviting, and well kept! There is a wonderful and decorated space at every corner of the location: bar, porch, deck, restaurant, etc. It is fairly priced, and you get more than what you pay for! The staff is phenomenal – even the owners!
The Sea Glass Restaurant inside the inn is a bit on the expensive side for a young, married couple but is perfect for celebrating a special occasion! If you like wine, there was a great selection when we went (and there are enough fun and yummy cocktail options if that’s your thing instead).
Being a wedding photographer, I also saw a lot of potential in the space for weddings and events! The venue (for a large headcount) itself is an outdoor deck that has beautiful woodwork and great accents of sheer linens and lanterns! The ceremony area looked as though it was the gazebo at the end of the deck, and I think it would not only be photogenic, but also great for any young ladies looking for a shabby chic venue for their wedding in or near the Gloucester area!
Overall, I think Castle Manor Inn has the potential to be the up-​and-​coming «best of» for Cape Ann!

Yet another in a long line of substandard Gloucester restaurants. First off let me start by disclosing that this review is of the RESTAURANT not the Inn. The Inn seemed charming and well done… but we have no direct experience with it. This is for the «Seaglass Restaurant».
First off, we probably should have been wary when the other two restaurants we were trying to get into were booked until 9:30pm and when we called the Seaglass they said «Oh no… that shouldn’t be a problem. We’re not usually that busy on Saturday nights.» Uh oh… and what night would you by busy then? Sunday’s after Bingo? Tuesday afternoons? Anyway… on to the review…
The good stuff:
**The waitress seemed moderately amused that she had a second (of the 20 or so in the dining area) table to wait on and was pleasant.
**There did NOT appear to be surface rust on the silverware
** The building appeared to be made of quality wood plank none of the windows were boarded up.
…OK I’m stretching… I know
The bad stuff:
**The wife and I both ordered the French onion soup. On a cool October night, French Onion soup is perfect victual. Unfortunately this was just sub-​par soup. It seemed as if no one had skimmed the fat off of the beef broth before making the soup and it left a fatty film in your mouth. Also, one of the magical things about a good FOS is that quality Gruyère when broiled en croute has a wonderful acrid flavor that’s perfectly balanced with the smooth broth and onions. This relationship is the reason we still serve an 18^th century recipe today. The Seaglass did NOT use high quality Gruyère and it looked as if they kept the toast and cheese in the soup as part of the prep for service. There was no crunch. There was no strong Gruyère flavor. Just disappointing.
**I got the queen cut prime rib. Thank goodness I did as it’s difficult to goof. Aside from the rib roast being horribly trimmed; at least ¼ of the cut was a huge wack of fat on the tail end, it wasn’t bad. I would rank it in the lower half of prime ribs I’ve had. They also sent out this weird tray of «dipping sauces» for the prime rib. Poorly made Hollandaise, horseradish cream and what I imagine was supposed to be a demi-​glaze. One taste of each and I reached for the salt. The off-​season green beans were bizarre. They were about the diameter of a pixie stick and tasted like a hybrid between green beans and celery… never had tht before; pretty nasty. The best part of the meal was the baked potato.
** The wife got the Butternut Squash ravioli with baby spinach and roasted grape tomatoes. This is also where the evening went from disappointing to downright terrible. The first indication was when she needed to borrow my steak knife to get through the ravioli (!!!) After the first bite it was apparent that this was not going to work. My wife being much more tolerant than I am was about to try to soldier through it when I asked her if we could send it back. The prices at this place are definitely «send it back» as opposed to «we’ll deal». The waitress was pleasant enough about it though and offered to get my wife’s second choice (Chix Pot Pies) out ASAP. This is where it gets surreal…
**How to describe this Chicken Pot Pie… well…this ain’t you’re grandmas’ chix pot pie recipe. This looked like a middle school volcano experiment. No joke. There was a base layer of chicken pot pie innards at bottom. On top of that was a large soufflé like cone of puff pastry and exploding out of the center was mound of runny mashed potatoes. We should have taken a picture. None of this would have been a problem, however, if it tasted anything like… well anything really. It was the blandest chicken pot pie we had each ever tasted. Not only that, but it appeared as though the veggies hadn’t even been trimmed before being put in the gravy slop! Carrot greens in the sauce? The wife took two bites and we asked for the check.
In education circles, I think that you call this a teachable moment. We learned that if all the other restaurants are booked, and your’s isn’t, there’s probably a good reason.
Diners beware…

Recently moved to Gloucester and are trying out restaurants we havent been too yet. We had an amazing dinner! Seaglass Restaurant at Castle Manor Inn was a great find. The mussel appetizer was great and the lobster ravioli was the best we have ever had. The truffle honey fries were incredible. Our waitress was attentive and the pace of service was spot on. We met the owner, Laura, and even got a peak of the rooms — beautiful.. Highly recommend.
You won’t find the restaurant name on Unilocal — it’s under the B&B name.

First thing that happened was that I was unable to reach the Inn by phone so I made a reservation online including supplying my credit card. But when I did not get a confirmation by the next day, I called. I was told that they don’t use the online service. I think that is really unprofessional. Then I found out that, unlike what was stated on the website, the room I was in did not have internet service. I was traveling for work and I depend on the internet. But I figured it would be ok, I would just go to the main part of the Inn and use the internet. I asked the owner if I could use the wireless internet in the lobby. She said yes. I spent 20 minutes trying to get online. She never told me the internet was down. And it stayed down another day. Then I checked out. I made the staff aware of the problems, thinking they might comp my breakfast but they didn’t.
There is no reason for this kind of stuff. It is laziness. The rest of my stay was fine. Things were clean. Rates were affordable. I hope they get things sorted out.