Champlin's Marina and Resort

Been reading the online reviews about the changes and was hesitant. Just got back from a 3 night stay and loved it. Great dock staff. Love no rafting. Improvements starting to take shape. Look forward to continued improvements. We will be back.

This was our 8th visit to Champlin's and only our second since 2019. We were somewhat disappointed to say the least. Here is a list of what we thought changed for the worse since our last 2019 and prior visits. Poolside bar and restaurant were closed all but one day of our visit. No live music poolside; Kids arcade and bumper boats - Gone Garbage in the dock receptacles overflowing constantly-smelly and unsightly; No upgrades to the showers/restrooms - No shower curtains; lack of ventilation; No Ice Cream! Old convenience store now closed; Only one bartender at tiki bar-long wait times for drinks; Miscommunication with dock master about staying an extra-night. We were first told it was OK, but then were forced to leave after OK was rescinded. Quite frankly, all the talk on the website about the improvements made to the facility are smoke and mirrors. The cost for us to stay was up over $100 per night since 2019. Would be OK with that if there were actual improvements made. Seemed like a bit of false advertising. All in all, we had a good time during our stay but really felt like things went downhill v. our prior stays at Champlins. We are hoping the foregoing items are addressed in the near future!

great facility. very clean. dock staff very professional

We had high hopes with the change in ownership; however, sadly they fell short. They removed all kid friendly activities that made it family oriented. They made grounds more attractive but, not functional moving grills to a location that is not easy to access carting food. The restaurant and snack bar were closed and the cafe had very limited options. The pool is still not heated and the cement around pool needs resurfacing. All in all very disappointing.

Excellent dock staff. Love the changes and improvements too the facilities!!

Marina staff/ dock hands were excellent

First time at Champlin’s and we were pleasantly surprised. Staff was great getting us in and set up. Looks like they have invested a good amount in the property and docks. Best mudslide on the island as well. We will be back.

Champlin's seems to be the premier marina in New Harbor on Block Island. The rates are highest, but the facilities are very good, and a slip was available on 2 weeks notice for a Sunday night & Monday night in July. Dock staff was friendly and helpful. There is a well-kept swimming pool (lots of kids) and a bar and restaurant adjacent, although the restaurant was closed during our visit for lack of staff. Closer to the docks they have a carry-out "cafe" with hot pizza, boxed sandwiches & salads, beer, etc. and a bar overlooking the harbor on the second story over the dockmaster's office at the outer end of the central pier. We were told that the marina has recently been bought by new owners who have invested a substantial amount to improve it. We did not use the showers, but the bathroom's were clean. By comparison with Newport (as a reference point), Block Island is less intensively thronged with visitors, but the downtown area is full of pedestrians and the roads are full of bicycles. Car, moped and bile rentals are readily available, the coast is scenic from roads as well as from the water, and there are plenty of restaurants. (This was our first time there.)

Baily and the team on the docks and in the bar were great wow what a difference new management made. The place is spotless and well kept up. They are working on a few items but I am sure all will be ironed out. It is a must-go place without the rifraf and a pearl of the Longisland block island sound area.

Great marina a little change but not going to stop me from going every year. Some times change is good. Can't wait to go back again soon.

My friends and I have stayed several times at Champlin's over the years with always a great experience. Unfortunately it looks like we will be heading to one of the other marinas in Block Island. I have a 29 foot and my friends boats are 25 and 26 feet. With the new owners it is a 35 foot minimum charge each night at $9 a ft plus electric. This is a big increase per foot over the previous years. It seams like they only want the larger boats as customers which is a shame because I really have enjoyed my stays there. I wish the new owners much success.

A lot of changes some good some bad, way overpriced for dockage

Like the way new owners have cleaned the place up. Bathrooms could use an upgrage. Dock hands where great when docking. Had a great time but very expensive.

We were there for 6 hours they charged me 420 dollars (28’) didn’t give me any water or shore power and told me to leave before sunrise

The property improvements made a difference. The grounds were very clean and cleaning crews continually paced up and down the dock to maintain the cleanliness. Had a great time at champlains. Always such a fun atmosphere. Enjoyed a mudslide!!

Been staying at Chaplin's for the past 20 years.....Most of the tome had a wonderful experience.... This year under new management many things have changed for the worst.... Good news first new owners cleaned the place up and eliminated rafting... However bad news...Champlin's is no longer a family place... Restaurant was closed, playground swing set gone, no ice cream, play room gone, new dock personally poorly trained hard to find anyone in charge on the docks, no electric upgrade for larger yacht.....Our yacht 93' Viking had to run generator the entire week... Very disappointed....Now looking for other dockage alternative for next year...Will not be back this year...

Such a nice place to stay on your own boat. Calm, nice environment. Cafe and bar are great! Highly recommend

Great stay at Champlain’s. Electric is upgraded and they arent rafting. Dockmaster and staff are very accommodating.

Everything was great we can’t wait to see the ongoing improvements

No restaurant only pizza and light breakfast Pool needs to be heated and the bar was closed Short staff on site Marina dock hands very helpful

Horrible place. Zero help docking no activities completely over priced. The faculty isn’t cared for. Pool is gross

Very attentive staff during the severe weather.

Another good stay at Champlin’s. New owners, and not all of the old amenities as before. But all in all decent. Bathrooms could use a little more work. Wish the bike rental would come back. And the store. Heard people missing the kids amenities though we didn’t need them.

We visited Champlin’s recently and we were very pleasantly surprised at how great this place has become. I guess there’s new ownership and they hired wonderful, helpful and friendly staff. Bailey in particular!!! We will definitely return soon!

We had a 5 night stay through the 4th of July weekend. Marina upgrades were great and the new no rafting policy was a nice change. No one jumping on and off your boat in the middle of the night. Dock attendants were always 5 star and continue to be. Unfortunately they are dealing with staffing shortages like everyone else. Restaurant and ice cream parlor were not open and the new upstairs bar was also without staff to operate. Same time next year I'm sure it will be top notch and 5 stars.

My wife and I have gone to Champlain's at least once a season for the past five years or so. This year they are under new management, and rates increased a bit, however, they have done wonderful improvements to property, including updates to the bathrooms decking, an all new expanded Cafe and much more. The dockhands are great, always there to assist with anything you may need.

Restaurant not open. Dockage price raised

My stay was from June 28-30. Weather was perfect. Dock hands very helpful w fuel and docking. However my dockhand after helping w docking, moved my e bike from my boat to the dock. Within a minute my wife’s $3500 e bike was blown over into the salt water and rendered unfunctional. This changed our plans for our stay on the island. my florida and Ny bike dealers said the bike was toast. I would like to see a shower for boaters closer to the docks, possibly near the dock bathrooms and also a way of unlocking the pool gate closest to the water from inside.

We stayed at Champlin's for Block Island Race Week and were really impressed with the positive, friendly and helpful attitude of the entire staff. Clean restrooms, pretty flowers, and a fresh coat of paint goes a long way. Wow! What a nice change. We'll be back.

It was ok. Charge alot for a slip, but most things closed including restaurant and laundry. Pool dirty. Awful communication, they rarely answer phone. Nobody knows what’s going on.

Good stay. Some upgrades are complete and some are in process. Hope they leave some of the charm that Champlin's had previously, e.g. the movie theater, bumper boats...

Great "vacation" spot; lots of showers and clean bathrooms. Large pool and beach on premises. Restaurant and bar, fuel, pumpout, ice all convenient. The staff was outstanding. Site is large with lots of amenities. Some were still opening such as the coffee shop and ice cream hut. Taxis await to take you into town or to the bluffs and lighthouse. Even though we were there on "Race Weekend", the service was great. Highly recommend if you are looking for a fun, "all-inclusive" feel.

Great people and very accommodating

Dock help is the best!

Stayed at the new and improved Champlin’s. Appreciate the amount of clean up they have done to the property, no more dreaded rafting, polite, knowledgeable and super helpful dock hands! Most important you can still get the famous mudslides, but you will do so on a cleaned up dock, new tables and chairs. It is pricey than it used to be, but you can justify with all the improvements. Keep up the great work Champlin’s!!!

Great Marina! Massive renovations and improvements almost complete. Staff were helpful and kind. Don’t miss the “world famous” mudslides at the dockside bar.

Great spot. Convenient. The dock crew is excellent and friendly

The marina looks great, not everything is open yet but close. The dockmaster, Bailey, did a great job communicating with me and was very accommodating. The new no rafting policy and dockage fee will certainly change the experience at Champlin's. We look forward to returning.

Champlins property is so clean and beautifully decorated with lovely flower pots. I really enjoyed my breakfast at the Galley House- the avocado toast w/scrambled was delicious and the view was incredible. The staff were very friendly and attentive. I look forward to my next visit in July!

Great trip. They’re definitely making tons of improvements to the property. Still getting up and going, but staff was very informative and supportive. Looking forward to out 2 other trips this season.

arrived at the marina sept4,2020, labor day weekend , as we had a reservation for a 3 night stay. On our arrival at 3 pm we found the marina to be severely overbooked, large boats rafted 3 abreast . i was directed to my slip by the dock staff which did not have enough water for my 42’ boat, causing damage to my props.i was assured by the dock master that his insurance would compensate me for the damage. now 3 months later and i have received no compensation from the marina or their insurance

The attitude here is 10-fold better than Payne's. More amenities and much better service. We were there 2 weeks ago. Showers were cold so they gave us a room to use the shower. They made an effort for all our needs. Their amenities were all open despite very few boats during this fall week. Enjoyable stay!

We were not warned that the showers would be cold!

Never Again Have stayed here several times before and wouldn’t plan on ever coming back. Rude dock master, Fixed Docks, Cold Showers and it’s loud. Better off in the harbor on the hook.

Big mistake going there on holiday weekend...boats rafted up 3 deep, parties until 3am, no face masks. A total zoo for $350/night. What a deal!!!

Staff were great help tying up. WiFi didn't work at all. Restaurant was great. Try the dock.

As always we made a stop at Champlain’s for our annual summer vacation and it didn’t disappoint. The pool was great; the dock hands are exceptional.

Easy to get to mooring Very prompt and professional launch service Nice facilities

staff was very helpful

Not at floating dock. Very difficult to get off boat unless walking on other persons boats.

This was our first time at Block Island. We were looking forward to a great experience, however practically from the beginning our mood soured very much to the point of being very upset with several things: 1. The marina was overcrowded with boats, where they were stacking us two to three boats deep and three boats wide and these were not small boats. Most boats were 50ft+. It felt like everyone were on top of each other.... 2. We stayed at the marina for three nights (Friday to Monday), but it was impossible to leave the dock by boat and go for a swim in the bay area. 3. Dock crew was very experienced and quick, but unceremonious and never bothered to ask permission to board the boat during the docking or when they were tying other boats to ours (stacking us three wide). 4. The close proximity of the neighboring boats at times was uncomfortable. 5. Although our Dockwa reservations was correct in the Dockwa system, upon checking in at the office, I discovered that they had our reservation screwed up in their system. The person at check in was border line rude saying that my reservations were only for two nights instead of three and my pricing was way higher in their system. Only after insisting to see the manager, whom I had to wait for to come from another office at the other side of the marina, this problem was resolved according to my original Dockwa reservation. 6. There were no welcome packets given to us with the information about the marina and its amenities. 7. WIFI was not powerful enough to reach our boat, although we were only fifty feet away from the dock office. In summary, this was a very frustration experience, which will keep us away from Champlin's for any foreseeable future.

NICE MARINA,,,GOOD HELP

We loved our stay at Champlin's. The Dock help was wonderful - very experienced and helpful. The only suggestion I have is the shower room could be cleaner. I noticed dirt and trash 2 days in a row in the same place.

Always one of our favorites. Sock hands are amazing. BI Oyster Bar on premises has outstanding food!

Great spot!!! Staff was excellent clean facilities

The dock crew is very friendly and accommodating.

I wish the Governor of RI would visit this place. No social distancing, no masks being used by the staff and guest, and bathrooms were discussing. We originally were planning to stay two days but got the heck out of there after one. Stay away!

Great stay. Dirty bathrooms. Other than that everything was great!

First time ever boating to BI and was very happy with the marina. Very accommodating and professional. I was however very disappointed in the ice cream shop and snack bar. The guy at the snack bar took my order for a breakfast sandwich and orange juice. Sat there for 30 mins waiting and then he asks if we needed to order. He never put the order in! To add to it he made zero effort to redeem his mistake. The ice cream shop is of course over priced. That’s not my issue because you expect that. What you don’t expect is a stale waffle cone and a cup of frost bitten ice cream. Not to mention the young guy behind the counter not wearing gloves while handling food.

Place was great. Dock hands great.

It’s a very nice Marina and the employees were great. My only complaint was there was no music whatsoever. I understand the whole COVID thing, however, people are still paying premium rates and it didn’t have the vacation vibe that we all pay for. A guy/girl with a guitar or even some background music by the pool or by the tables would have added a lot to the experience.

Great dock master and dock hands! Tons of fun! Will be back next year!

We have been coming to Champlin's for 18 years with our family and friends on our boat. We enjoy and love Champlin's and Block Island. Professional, knowledgeable and courteous staff and the best Mud Slides on the Island!!

Great stay! Staff was awesome:) Pool and restaurant On site was a plus WiFi could be better... I was not able to pick up WiFi in marina area:(

Our location at the marina was fantastic. We rafted with our friends which was previously planned and Champlains was able to accommodate. Marina staff are professional and all wearing masks. Block Island Oyster Bar served an excellent dinner and of course the bar on the dock has the best mudslide on the island.

always a great time! The Marina staff is always so accommodating...

This was my first time in Block Island and Champlins was the perfect spot. Our 2 day stay was absolutely perfect from even before we arrived. I read a lot of reviews of Champlins and was actually hesitant because of some negative reviews out there. I felt I had to submit this just to counter all of that nonsense. The communication in advance of our stay and all the way up to the dock was outstanding. The dock staff was incredibly helpful and friendly. We came in during some rough weather and they made sure our approach and tie up was flawless. The marina is in a nice quiet spot and just a short ride or walk to town. Bike rentals right on property cabs available in minutes any time of day. I can’t recommend Champlins enough.

Despite limited staff due to Covid the facilities were maintained well and kept clean. Staff was helpful and courteous. Block is definitely open for business with minor inconvenience regarding store and restaurant capacity rules. But other than that Block was the same - beautiful and relaxing as ever.

We love this marina. The dock crew is the best. The bathrooms and showers were disgusting. Especially during a pandemic. We were surprised they were not satanized or cleaned at all.

Champlins is always a great place for relaxing with friends and having a good time. They have everything you need on site. They need to work on keeping the bathrooms and showers cleaner.

The dock hands were AMAZING! fit my 40'er into a space like a glove and same on the way out. I never thought they could get me out. VERY well taken care of in that respect. Con: When I arrived and was put into the slip there was no welcoming, information, direction on amenities etc. I had never been there and was surprised with the cost of the dockage compared to others in the area that there wouldn't be more of a "service oriented" type of welcoming. The place was great but I had to figure out everything on my own with no direction on anything. Would be a nice addition for this higher end location.

Great stay great weather the dock hands were very helpful !!

Been staying here for years, and still very happy with the marina. Great staff, and awesome mudslides!

All staff members and dock hands were extremely courteous, responsive and professional. Pool was clean and warm! Breakfast sandwiches and bakery area are also very good.

Great location, mudslides (best on the island!) and facilities (very spacious and clean). Food & drink is good & convenient, though pricey. The yogurt parfait would be even better if the granola was on the side vs on the yogurt & soggy. Dockhands could use more training in customer service and boatmanship. It seemed most were not adept at managing lines - especially when assistance is appreciated (smaller boats without bow thrusters or uncooperative winds or new captains). The number of dockhands greeting incoming boats was also very inconsistent. Often the boaters were assisting one another though that also seemed frowned upon by the staff.

Always excellent. First time we got one of the floating docks. Was good to arrive early and leave a little later than others!

We,had an amazing time. Great weather and fabulous staff. Thank you

The marina was very overcrowded we were tied up four boats deep so we had to climb over 3 boats to get to the dock, total fire hazard.

Dock staff is amazing!!

Always a good time. We go to champlins with our boat every 4th of July. Great dock party! Lots of fun people.

Enjoyed our stay. Marina seemed close to 1/2 capacity. Management did a good job providing a clean safe enviornment.

great! helpful staff, much better then anticipated with the corona virus to worry about they did a great job with social distancing and all . Very enjoyable stay! but then my family and I always enjoy ourselves at Champlins! Its the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Block, and lets not forget there mudslides ,best on the East coast.....

We have been going every Labor Day Weekend and enjoy participating in the Christmas decorating contest. Even took 4th place this year. Everything you need is at the marina...food concession and bakery, gaming arcade, laundry, movie theatre, pool, bathrooms and showers, bar at end of dock, bike rentals. Dock employees are very knowledgeable and assisted all with dockage.

Great stay. We went and watched the Maiden movie at the on-site movie theatre. Visit was too short. Will be back.

Love staying at Champlins the staff is awesome best dock hands around

Great spot and professional staff

Mostly marred by a few issues around times the showers being open until (6:00pm, which is entirely too early to have a full day at the beach and try to get back in time to clean up), and poor placement of vessel. The biggest reason for the 2 stars was because the manager of the property, Randy, was rude, dismissive and overly apathetic to any customer requests or complaints. he actually called one of our issues 'trivial.'

Always a Great time at Champlin's Marina!!!!

We requested not to be rafted, my wife recently had ankle surgery and I did not want her climbing over boats. They put us on the 1st finger on the left and it worked out perfectly It was Halloween at Champlins and the festivities were wild, after hanging out for a while we were able to return to our peaceful slip Great job Chanplin's Geoff Tapper

Great fun. Helpful staff.

Always a great time! Disappointed that we were forgotten 3 times in the lineup for a dock (1.2 hours).

Always a great time. Incredible staff!

Champlin’s is always Champlin’s. It’s quite annoying when they unplug your electric to slide the boat over and $25 a night for a 30 amp and $50 for 50 amp is crazy

I wasn't very happy with the marina. The dock hands were good. But the place was dirty. Trash cans overflowing. Pool was dirty. They closed the bar and restaurant for a group that was there. They rafted us 3 wide. My wife fell trying to cross swim platforms. we are 60 and its not always easy.

My stay was better than I thought it would be. Could not get power at my location and needed to run the engine several times to charge batteries. Dock hands could be better trained - they are dealing with expensive boats. Rest rooms & showers were much better maintained than what I remember in the past.

I waited several days to write the review to be fair. We would never stay at this place again. It is clear safety of boats and personal is not a priority to the owners. Boasts tacked 2 to 3 deep with no access in or out of the marina creeks. The lack of trained personal is clear and evident. I give it 1 star due to the location only!

The deck crew were very helpful. Need to have the shows and large bathrooms open 24/7

Great place for kids and adults. Stayed for a week - Block Island is awesome!

Fun time. Lots of action on the docks. Can be loud late into the night if your docked on the inside parts. Great facilities

Great time was had at Champlins. Staff was knowledgeable and helpful. Grounds were clean and neat.

Really nice place to go visit

We spent two nights at Champlains this week. The staff members were friendly and helpful, the pool was dirty, the docks were decent, the surrounding area is beautiful. On our first night they put us on the outside end of the farthest dock towards the inside of the harbor. We went to bed around midnight and at 1am my wife woke up startled saying that someone was on our boat and that she heard footsteps on deck. My first assumption was that she was crazy but after a few minutes she convinced me to go on deck and have a look around. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary so I went back to bed. A half hour later she heard the same noises again. Regretfully I stayed below deck this time and went to sleep. The next morning we awoke to our coolers being robbed. Our boat and the boat next to us. They took water, alcohol, Gatorade, and $1,000 worth of yeti coolers and fishing lures. The manager that morning was somewhat helpful in calling the police for us. They refused to show us the surveillance camera footage but claim they gave it to police. They told us conflicting stories once that they had footage of another patron leaving the bar and stealing our stuff, bringing it back to his boat, and then a story of teenage pirates coming in on paddle boards and robbing us. Later that day I went back to the office and found a short and stumpy dismissive and arrogant grumpy little elf of a man in the place of the manager. I later found out this little guy was actually the owner!!!! I simply asked him if they had anymore information on the robbery and he immediately got a rude tone and asked me if he looked like the police. I told him there was no need to be nasty and that I was only asking because the manager had told us that there were other cameras that he wanted to have the camera guy check for more evidence. He told me to call the cops if I wanted more information. The whole thing felt shady, as if he was protecting someone. Maybe it was his employees that robbed us who knows. Anyway at no point did we ever get any sort of apology, no offer to move us to a more secure location even though the place was empty the next morning. No offer of any sort of compensation whatsoever. The lack of concern, lack of apology, and the attitude and complete lack of customer service by the OWNER made this experience horrible. The last day I felt obligated to let others know of what happened so that they could secure their belongings and not have the same experience. The cocky SOB of an owner came out and asked me if I wanted to borrow a megaphone to tell people. Do yourself a favor and stay at any other marina other than Champlains. Right next door is Payne’s and it looks like a great spot. We will be staying there our next trip to Block. Again ****BEWARE AND BE WARNED—— STAY AWAY FROM CHAMPLAINS****

Nice location , however I had a reservation for two nights . I entered the marina around 1:00 pm requesting my slip assignment and is dumbfounded when the Dockmaster advised me to stern in perpendicular to the tee head between 160 footer and a high speed ferry . Are you shitting me???? Ok so we tied off to the dock and to the 160 foot charter yacht . A few hours after we set all our lines and dock side water and electric we have to now we tie parallel to the tee head . Adjusting again . Ok after a long day we are settled . The next morning we leave for a few hours and the dock hands untie everything and move our boat with zero notification down to the are the 160 footer was near. No phone call no notice . Make a reservation and be treated like they don’t care .

Always a great time...something to do for everyone

Block island is tiny! 6 miles long by 3 miles wide. Champlin’s is at the end of a natural harbor. First class staff, showers, pool, breakfast place and snack bar, really good restaurant right there. No town around, but you can walk 1.5 miles or cab to a pretty Victorian town with 4 miles of sand beaches. Definitely coming back.

I have stayed at Champlins on and off for 20 years. It is always very good, clean and their dock staff is excellent. I must say this was the best trip there we have had yet. They have made some nice updates. I think it is the best place to dock on Block and the mud slides are fantastic. With that being said Payne’s has a great new outdoor bar be sure to walk or dingy over there!

Sorry to report, the resort overbooked the marina. We had reserved a four night stay ,but had to leave after the first night . They reefed us out as the fourth boat from dock, with boats of 15 ft beams. So, no power, no water and had to crawl over the bows of the other three boats to get on dock. The dock master and staff had great attitude and understanding of the situation . If we were in our twenties to early forties ,probably could have managed ,but in mid sixties not so manageable. I’m sure any other weekend the ,stay would have been just fine. Beautiful area. I do worry about the possibility of a fire , that could be disastrous.

Location and amenities are great! Dock staff is second to none... We will return! TY for a great holiday stay

Great marina. Good service. Only complaint were out of control drunk party people on another boat. The marina should have a quiet time after 10:00 pm.

2015 Boater's Choice Award Winner as Voted by Members and Visitors of Marinas.com