Pilgrim Sands on Long Beach

Expect to see lots of families and couples at this hotel. Guests are drawn by its beachfront location that doesn't bust budgets. This older, motel-style property is all about enjoying the waterfront. Room balconies and patios overlook the property's expansive paved deck that has lots of comfortable loungers and armchairs to watch the tide come and go. The Sandcastle Lounge also has outdoor seating just outside its large windows. Inside, the lounge has red leather, high-back chairs along bars directly under the windows so patrons can enjoy the views while dining or enjoying a drink. Its marble tile floors, fireplace, and wood beam ceilings spruce up the modest establishment that can get lively on summer weekends when it has live music. The lobby is vintage seaside motel, with a “Head to the Beach” banner behind the simple front desk, and racks of postcards and tourist brochures. 

The Pilgrim Sands is located directly on quiet and relatively gentle Warren Cove in Plymouth Bay. It offers a private beach that’s directly outside its back doors down a short flight of steps. However, the beach is rocky, often covered with seaweed, and mostly inaccessible except during low tide. But Long Beach’s public beach that has more sand and better facilities is a nine-minute walk or three-minute drive away. The hotel is mostly isolated from walking to other restaurants and attractions, with the closest restaurant being an eight-minute walk. However, all the attractions in the Plymouth Cultural District, including the Mayflower II replica ship and Plymouth Rock, are just a seven-minute drive. Plimoth Plantation and the Plymouth Country Club are three-minute drives (about 15 minutes walking). The heart of Cape Cod in Barnstable is a 40-minute drive, and Provincetown at the far tip of the Cape takes approximately 90 minutes. It’s about two hours to Martha’s Vineyard via the ferry. Approximate drive times to Boston Logan International Airport and T.F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island are 55 and 70 minutes, respectively.  

Guest rooms vary at the Pilgrim Sands, as select rooms have received renovations more recently than others. But overall, rooms are clean and well maintained, if basic and sparsely decorated. A beachy color palette of grays, blues, and tans are found throughout. Some rooms have matching light wood furniture and gray-blue carpet in a handsome herringbone pattern. Other updated rooms have wood plank-style laminate floors in a walnut hue. However, some units suffer from heavier gray carpet and darker wood furniture, which makes them a bit dim and dreary. Rooms offer plenty of space for comfort with armchairs or small tables included in the furnishings. Bathrooms are generally average motel models with acrylic vanities, beige tiling, and shower/tub combos. But one Double-Double Oceanview room we saw had marble tile floors and walls and a shower stall. Room options are separated by Oceanview and Plantation View (partial views of the distant Plimoth Plantation). King, Double-Queen, and Double-Double bed options are available, as are two suites that have kitchens and two bedrooms. Oceanview rooms have small patios or balconies. Standard amenities include mini-fridges, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi that is a bit spotty, according to some past guests. Ambient noise can be readily heard from the rather thin walls.  

This oceanfront hotel has some surprising amenities for its budget category, including its Sandcastle Lounge that serves a free continental breakfast. It also offers a bar-food menu for lunch and dinner, and features live music on weekends in the summer. The lounge and the expansive patio just below it have sweeping views of the ocean. The hotel has its own private beach, but the water is too high to enjoy it except during low tide. Even then, it’s rocky and often has lots of seaweed, but a public beach with better facilities is a brief walk away. The outdoor pool is quite spacious. The indoor pool that’s open all year is smaller, but it has an adjacent whirlpool. Its enclosure also has lovely murals depicting ocean scenes. Free Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the property, which has a public computer station with internet access in the lobby. The hotel also has meeting space for up to 72 people, as its deck and lounge can be used for private events. Parking is free, and some spaces are right outside the rooms at this motel-style property.