This is one of those lessons in making sure you get what you requested. We booked the Surfside in March for our August trip. I did a lot of homework finding the perfect place for the four of us to spend the whole week during Family Week. We picked the Surfside. It had a pool, was on the beach and was walk-able to town. I had called them and they seemed very nice and accommodating.
Closer to the time of arrival we called. Again the staff was friendly and told us we were in a room on the ocean with a small kitchenette. They even gave us the room number being held for us and welcomed us. We felt very comfortable with our pick.
However when we arrived we were told our promised room was not available, it had been given away. This was family week and one of the busiest weeks on the Cape. Our new room was in the older building, we did not have an ocean view, in fact we had a parking lot view. When we got up to the room it was miserable. Tiny, no kitchen and yes a very ugly parking lot view. However we were assured nothing else in the hotel was open for the week.
I sat on the bed stunned. This room just wouldn't work for four people for a whole week. I called downstairs and got aggressive. I told them this was not the room reserved and they needed to find us a new hotel for the week. Ten minutes later the phone rang. "Okay, we do have a room open on the water." Mysteriously a room had opened up just like the one we had been promised. It was on the water, had a kitchenette and was much larger. I felt bad for being so firm, but it did show sometimes you have to be.
In reality Surfside is great. It has a pool, a killer breakfast each morning. It has a fun beach where kids can explore the ocean floor during low tide. It is a healthy walk to town, but certainly walk-able (or bike ride-able) and it has a large parking lot, plus free computer usage. Many of these basic features are uncommon for P'town. It also is a nice mix of straight and gay.
They do have two large apartments that are on the water. We booked one for next year and hope they don't pull the old switch-a-roo again. Other than this one run in, the staff was great. They were friendly and helpful.
My one word of caution is that they have two buildings. The newer one is on the water and much nicer. The older one is across the street and is older and the rooms are much, much smaller. They also have no views. When you book make sure you have a room in the newer building and make sure they don't switch you when you arrive.