Hotels on the North Shore are not just places to spend the night, they are live music and entertainment spaces, restaurants, and event venues. Each has its own eclectic style, unique history, and set of offerings that distinguish from your standard Holiday Inn & Suites. These hotels aren’t just hotels, they’re destinations, and here are some things you may or may not know about them.
Salem Waterfront Hotel and Suites – Salem
Located, as its name suggests, on the Salem Harbor, the Salem Waterfront Hotel is a multi-story hotel with all the expected amenities with a dose of compassion on the side. In 2018, the Hotel opened its doors to evacuees of the Merrimack Valley explosions, offering somewhere to stay to the hundreds displaced by the tragedy.
The Hotel also partners with Lifebridge Salem and hosts
From this location, guests also have access to nearby Pickering Wharf, cruise lines and charter boats available from Salem Harbor, and the hotel’s restaurant – the Regatta Pub. Guests can also rent out the event spaces on site for parties and celebrations of all sorts – including weddings.
The Hawthorne Hotel – Salem
Image by Creative Collective
Opened in 1925, the Hawthorne Hotel is one of Salem’s premier hotels and historic landmarks. In 2015, Historic Hotels of America awarded the Hawthorne the “2015 Best City Center Historic Hotel Award.”
For the last century, the hotel has also been an integral part of the city’s pop-cultural landscape as one of the locations used in the filming of the TV Show Bewitched in the 1970s and Joy in 2015, and the current location for the annual Salem Masquerade Ball in January and the Halloween Ball each October.
The 93-room hotel has also distinguished itself as a prestigious wedding and event venue. With two restaurants, a grand ballroom, and several other unique gathering spaces, the hotel is one of the best venues in town to host events and celebrations of all kinds.
The Beauport Hotel – Gloucester
The Beauport Hotel is situated on the gorgeous Pavilion Beach in Gloucester where it remains a striking image on the North Shore coastline. Formerly the location of a flash-freezing facility built in the 1920s, the Beauport Hotel has transformed itself into a 94-room wonder featuring a rooftop pool, a great restaurant – 1606, which hosts an ongoing music series on Wednesday and Thursday evenings which brings in performers from all over New England, and a 325-person ballroom perfect for large events. The hotel also has two smaller, 150 guest capacity, rooms for smaller celebrations.
Additionally, The Hotel hosts a Fireside Chat series where experts come to the hotel to talk about a wide range of topics, a local art showcase, and vendor fairs. The hotel also partners with Beauport Cruiselines which take guests on cruises through Gloucester Harbor.
Hotel Salem – Salem
The Hotel Salem, designed by Amesbury-based Lark Hotels, opened its doors in 2017 as a chic new downtown hotspot. Formerly the Newmark’s Department Store building, the Hotel Salem’s positioning on the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall makes it an ideal venue for food, entertainment, and nightlife.
The 44-room hotel sports three distinct spaces: Counter – a bar and restaurant located on the pedestrian mall-facing side of the lobby, The Roof – Salem’s only rooftop bar, and The Cellar – an event space which hosts live music, parties, and vendor fairs. Anyone can rent out the Cellar space for their own events as well.
Hotel Salem is Lark Hotel’s second Salem endeavor, with the first being The Merchant which opened in 2015 on Washington Street.
Formerly a historic home, rare book store, an office, and a tavern, The Merchant is now developing its local renown as one of the most beautiful places to stay on the North Shore. The Merchant also hosts an in-depth blog on their site featuring local happenings and things to do in Salem.
Briar Barn Inn – Rowley
The Briar Barn Inn, designed by Bramble Hospitality – the team behind the beautiful Willowdale Estate in Ipswich, opened its doors in December 2018 in historic Rowley, offering guests the tranquility of a farmhouse experience. With 30 boutique rooms (each with their own working fireplace), a 100 person restaurant, and a full-service spa, the Briar Barn Inn is a picturesque venue for weddings, events, and special celebrations.
Drawing inspiration from the history of Rowley, the Brian Barn Inn is a retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the North Shore and city life, without the inconvenience of the long drive. Its unique setting allows for guests to relax in rustic comfort or celebrate in distinctive style.
