Exceptional Staff, Unclear Priorities for Long-Term Guests — Chatham Bars Inn
Chatham Bars Inn is a beautiful property, and many of the people who work there are exceptional. I want to start with that, because it is genuine and important.
The heart and soul of this place lies with the on-the-ground teams who consistently show up for guests. Valet, front desk, food & beverage, in-room dining, housekeeping, concierge, and engineering were staffed by individuals who were professional, warm, and deeply committed to guest experience.
In particular, I want to recognize:
Drew (Manager, Valet)
Miladin (Manager, Valet)
Michael Dalere (Valet Manager)
Gregory (Valet)
Max Murphy (Valet)
Billy (Valet)
Campbell (Front Desk)
Jodi-Ann (Front Desk)
Katie Hayes (Concierge)
Barbara (Concierge)
Ali Powers (Manager, Food & Beverage)
Paul Fox (Manager, Food & Beverage)
Matt Kehoe (Food & Beverage)
Sharon Davis (Manager, Housekeeping)
Clifton (Housekeeping)
Nastacea (In-Room Dining)
Felicia (In Room Dining)
Kianna (In-Room Dining)
Chris Dooling (Engineering)
These individuals — and the teams they represent — are the reason guests fall in love with Chatham Bars Inn and want to return. They embody hospitality in its truest sense.
I also want to be very clear about Claudio, the Resort Manager. He genuinely tried to help, and he is one of the few people positioned just below ownership who I believe can remedy what is currently misaligned. His efforts did not go unnoticed, and this review is not written to diminish them — quite the opposite.
Unfortunately, despite the excellence of these teams, my experience ultimately did not end well — not because of service, but because of broader structural priorities at the resort.
I was prepared to stay for an extended period — several months — paying well over four figures per night, and I would have happily returned year after year. However, it became clear that long-term guests like myself are not prioritized. The sales structure appears heavily invested in maintaining legacy short-term clients, neighborhood memberships, internal relationships, and promotional activity, often at the expense of the guest experience.
The impact of this is most evident in shared spaces. The pool and veranda were frequently overrun by non-staying members and their families, including large numbers of children, making it difficult to enjoy the resort as a hotel guest and raising reasonable concerns about crowding and sanitation. This is difficult to reconcile with the pricing and expectations of guests paying premium nightly rates.
Additionally, some sales-driven practices — including hosting young influencers and their guests on a complimentary basis — further overwhelmed the grounds. At times, common areas were overtaken by large groups focused on photo shoots, selfies, and social media promotion. While marketing has its place, this activity noticeably interfered with the atmosphere and experience of paying guests seeking a refined, restful stay.
Taken together, these overlapping priorities — memberships, legacy short-term clients, influencer promotion, and individual sales relationships — created an environment where there was simply too much going on, and no clear hierarchy of who the resort is ultimately serving.
In short: the people who work at Chatham Bars Inn are outstanding. The systems governing access, priorities, and long-term guest retention are not aligned with their excellence.
I would have returned — enthusiastically — had there been a clearer commitment to protecting the experience of long-term, high-value guests and to recognizing that the true reason people stay and come back is far broader than sales relationships or promotional exposure alone. I believe this is something that can still be addressed at the leadership level.
