The Margate Resort

We stayed at this hotel for a wedding in July, 2025. The price for two nights was $822. For that price, we expected luxury. That is not what we got. What we got was a basic road side motel. Indoor/outdoor carpeting (not surprising as it is on a lake), AC kept defaulting to 73 degrees ; Toiletries were basic. Towels were small. There was not even a box of tissues in the room. Families placed chairs at the door of their rooms. Again, fine for a road side motel, not for an expensive "resort". The only saving grace was that it was the wedding venue and, thus, convenient. BUT NOT AT THAT PRICE!

We recently stayed at The Margate Resort in Laconia, NH for our first family getaway since welcoming our five-month-old baby, along with our 10,11, & 6-year-old children. The property itself is undeniably beautiful—nestled right on the lakefront, it offers stunning views and convenient access to the water, which our kids absolutely loved. However, while the setting exceeded expectations, several aspects of our stay left us disappointed—particularly in terms of hospitality and guest accommodation. We had originally booked a double bed room on the ground floor and paid an additional $75 for early check-in, which we were happy to do given our travel schedule. The trouble began when we decided to extend our stay by an extra night. Despite having just checked out and expressing our desire to continue our stay, we were told we’d need to switch to a king bed room and pay an additional $15 each for two cots. This was not ideal, especially with a baby and two young children in tow. What was most frustrating was that, even though we were already guests and had spent significantly on food and drinks at the resort, we were not given any priority for re-check-in. We were made to wait until 4 PM to access the new room—leaving us outside in the heat with our children, including an infant, for several hours. This lack of flexibility and consideration was disheartening. The most disappointing part of our stay, however, was the dinner on our final night. We had hoped for a nice adult meal to close out our trip, but what we received was far from acceptable. We paid $30 per plate for steak tips that were overcooked, tough, and served in a portion size more fitting for a child’s meal. I even took a photo comparing the plate to a container of Easy Mac—it was that underwhelming. The rice was mushy, and tasteless. As someone who works in the hospitality industry, I found this particularly unacceptable. It was enough to make us skip breakfast the next morning altogether. I truly wanted to love this resort and recommend it to friends and family—especially since many of them frequent the area during peak times like Bike Week. But based on our experience, I’m hesitant. The property itself is lovely, but the guest prioritization need serious attention. When families are traveling with young children, especially infants, a little flexibility and empathy can go a long way. I hope this feedback is taken to heart, because with a few improvements, The Margate could truly be a standout destination. Unfortunately, this was a letdown for our first experience at the Margate. We had such a high expectation and travel often with our children, this was the first for me that I found the stay more frustrating than accommodating.

The renovations for this hotel were a great surprise! I loved the easy-to-clean flooring (no carpet) in the rooms! The room was clean which is my #1 concern. I loved that we could do a 1-night stay as our schedule didn’t allow for more. It was a convenient drive to Gunstock and the kids loved the indoor pool and hot tub. The woman who worked at the front desk was such a sweet and welcoming person! She was very accommodating and friendly!

3 star hotel. Place is dated but clean.

Loved the outdoor bar, lake view is great!

Beautiful property by the lake. Free parking outside, shopping center across the street, a short drive to Weirs Beach and nice indoor pool and spa for cold weather. We enjoyed our stay.