From the editor of IslandofNantucket.info

I recently had to make a trip to Nantucket on short notice. Not the easiest thing to do in July but not impossible either. The goal with Nantucket is always reserve early. Unfortunately sometimes things happen. On July 17, 2011 at 6:58 p.m. I called the Easton House and spoke with Judy the owner. I requested availability and pricing for six nights. I was told $275 per night. Most lodging on Nantucket is quoted before the 11.7% tax so just to be sure I asked if the $275 was plus tax. I was told yes. Judy then volunteered that if I took the entire six nights she would "eat the tax". In my vocabulary that means she would adjust the price such that including tax, the total price would be $275 per night tax included. Even so, this was more than I was willing to spend for middle of the road lodging. I told her I would get back to her and hung up. I called around and found other lodging that was less expensive but not available for six straight nights. My goal was to get as few nights as possible at the higher rate and move to another inn for a lower rate for the remaining part of my stay.

I called Judy back on July 17, 2011 at 9:20 p.m. and made the following proposal to Judy: "If you give me the room for $275 TAX INCLUDED for THREE nights, I'll do it." Judy said "ok".

After staying three nights, I went to checkout. I was handed a bill for $825 ($275x3) plus $96.54 tax. I was shocked. I tried to explain to her that the bill did not reflect our agreement. She said "I can't do anything about the tax." I tried to explain to her the conversation we had when making reservations, but she wasn't even interested in listening. Perhaps she forgot what she agreed to or didn't write it down, or even misunderstood. I know what I agreed to. I would never pay $307 a night for a room.

To sum this up, for the following reasons I have given the Easton House a "Not Recommended" rating:

I agreed on a negotiated rate only to be charged more when checking out. The owner wasn't interested in discussing the discrepancy.

The Easton House does not take credit cards which is a significant inconvenience. They will take your credit card number to hold the reservation but they won't take it for payment. For the prices the Easton House is charging, it's like having their cake and eating it too.

At the time of this writing the Easton House website has NO RATES PUBLISHED. The immediate question that comes to mind is what are they trying to hide? Our experience has been that reputable establishments post rates. They don't play games with making people call.

At the time of this writing the Easton House was advertising "Mid-week special low pricing - call today!" Having traveled a lot, I've been down this road before in places other than Nantucket. I have discovered in some cases these types of offers can be deceptive, variable or untrue. We are not saying that this is the case with the Easton House. I absolutely dislike any "specials" or "discounts" or "special pricing" or "half price Sunday nights" where the actual rate you pay isn't published and you have to call to find out what the special is. Special rates and discounts should be PUBLISHED.

On September 13, 2011, TripAdvisor.com ranked the Easton House on Nantucket 42st out of 44 Bed & Breakfast/Inns on Nantucket. Ironically, the two establishments ranked 43rd and 44th, The Westmoor Inn and The Beachway Guest House, have been out of business for several years now.

If you choose to stay at the Easton House, make sure your agreed upon rate is very clear. Be aware that using cash, you have no credit card type of recourse or dispute mechanism if there are any disagreements. If you are getting a mid-week "special", ask for confirmation of the price IN WRITING so there is no confusion later.