Only Chain Hotel on the Island: Edgar Hotel Martha’s Vineyard Review

Background:

A friend and I wanted to visit Martha’s Vineyard as we had both never been before. Hotel options on the island are extremely limited and very pricey during the peak summer season. And, the only chain hotel that is “bookable on points” is the Edgar Hotel Martha’s Vineyard, Ascend Hotel Collection (which is part of the Choice Hotels Group). We were looking to stay in June 2023, and cash rates for the weekend Friday and Saturday night stays at the property were quite high at $700 a night including taxes. Weeknight prices fluctuate greatly and are often more than 50% cheaper than weekends during the summer. But, I saw that with Choice Privileges points, it was available for 30,000 points a night. During the time I was planning to book, I was pleased to see a 25% discount on purchased points. So, I purchased 60,000 points which came out to $463.50 ($231.75 a night). I thought it was a great deal, and I wrote more about the process of purchasing points here.

Arrival and Check-In:

We arrived on a JetBlue flight into Martha’s Vineyard that got us in around 11:30 am, and a quick 15-minute Uber got us to the hotel right before noon. The outside of the hotel looks more like a motel, but it was well kept up. Free self parking is available.

The standard check-in time is 3 pm, and our room wasn’t ready yet. The front desk associate did say it could be ready around 1 pm, so we decided to head into town for lunch and come back after. We got back to the hotel around 2 pm and our room was ready which was appreciated!

The lobby area is quite small but does have a Keurig Machine.

The Room:

Our room was a short walk from the front desk (with indoor corridors). The hotel is quite small, with only 41 rooms and 2 floors.

In between the bathroom and bedroom area, there was a decently sized closet. It had an iron/board and even 2 robes. Generally, one wouldn’t expect robes from a three-star hotel, but since it’s in Martha’s Vineyard and they charge premium prices, it was a nice addition. There was also a safe in the closet, but it was locked and didn’t work.

The bedroom area was quite large and featured two queen-sized beds with nightstands on each side and in the middle. The beds even felt a bit larger than your average queen-sized beds. The beds were relatively comfortable. I had no complaints there! One thing to note is that the ceilings were really low in the room. 

There was a full-sized desk, but no desk chair. A Keurig machine was provided with a few capsules as well. A 55-inch smart TV was in the room, and you could connect your device to the TV via Bluetooth if you’d like. Plenty of TV channels were also available. A mini fridge for personal use and a microwave were provided too. And, there was one chair near the window.

The view from our room wasn’t anything special, just of the parking lot. The wall unit AC had its own remote and worked quite well. Also, there were plenty of charging ports throughout the room which was helpful.

Overall, the room was quite solid and met expectations for a 3-star property.

The Bathroom:

It was quite spacious and had a lot of counter space which was great. Lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and 2 bars of soap were provided. They were Archie Toiletries in the Green Tea and Willow Scent. It was a pretty decent scent, and I thought for a hotel of this caliber that it was quite nice.

The combined tub/shower showed its age, but the water pressure from the shower was good. The hardware could definitely use a revamp though, and a regrouting of the tub. The lampshade in the bathroom was also stained and should be replaced. On the plus side, the towels were all very clean.

Service + Amenities:

Service was a bit weird, with some associates being very standoffish and others being super friendly. The TV was a bit confusing to get working since there were 2 remotes, so we called the front desk for assistance and the associate was very helpful and came by quickly to help. There aren’t really any amenities at the hotel as there isn’t a pool or a fitness center. There is a full-service restaurant on site called the Town. It’s open for dinner on weekdays and for lunch + dinner on Saturday and Sunday. It looked quite big and had a good amount of crowds during our visit. We tried grabbing a drink on Saturday night there, but it was closed for a private event. 

Location:

The location is great, just a short 15-20 minute walk to the center of Edgartown. There’s a Stop and Shop Supermarket connected to the same parking lot which is great to get snacks and groceries. Additionally, since we didn’t have a car, it was perfect that the bus stop was just right in front of the Stop and Shop, and multiple lines went through there. We heavily relied on Bus #13 to get to the other large town, Oak Bluff, which is only about a 15-minute ride.

The Verdict:

Overall, we had a pleasant stay at the Edgar Hotel Martha’s Vineyard. The rooms were comfortable and the location was very convenient for a first-time visit to Martha’s Vineyard. For the price paid with points, I cannot complain. But of course, my sentiments would be different if I had to pay the full cash price.

 

Have you stayed at the Edgar Hotel Martha’s Vineyard before? How was your experience? Comment below!

 

Happy travels,

Ty

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Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!