Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Date of visit: July 2010
This decent sized B&B (with 9 rooms for rent) on the north side of the city appears to have a lot going for it based on the web page, where the pages show a single picture of each of the rooms – showing well decorated rooms but without any indication of size. B&B guests can enjoy a pool and hot tub, an after-dinner drink cart that is rolled out in the evenings, and a full breakfast in the mornings. The building itself certainly has some historical charm and the Principal's Office room has a decent view over the city. There are also nice gardens and a sitting area near the pool where you can sit out and enjoy the view.
It should be noted that the rooms were up 3 flights of stairs, with no elevator, so it is not appropriate for people who are not able to easily traverse stairs. Unfortunately, this disclaimer is not on the web pages.
The breakfast was a nice, if standard, B&B breakfast. It was, however, essentially self-serve, with a hot quiche brought out when you sat down and the rest of the food lined up buffet-style. Items that ran out were quickly replaced. This has the advantage that the owners can accommodate a range of breakfast times, and allows you to pick only the items and portions you want. While this set-up is uncommon for many B&Bs, I think it worked out pretty well for us.
In person, I was a little disappointed. While the proprietors seemed to go out of their way to make sure the boxes were checked (e.g. separate bathrooms - check , pool – check, breakfast – check, guest fridge - check), the quality of what was provided was not always at the level that I would expect for the price. For example, the guest fridge was a dorm-sized fridge that was shared among all of the guests, not one for each room, so it was hard to actually put drinks away; the towels and soaps provided were the same quality as one would find in a Motel 6, not a nicer hotel; and the room was not well stocked. There was no obvious place for standard items such as a spare roll of toilet paper (which we had to explicitly ask for since there wasn't enough left on the used roll). In addition, the proprietors were aloof and not as outgoing or friendly as most of the B&B owners I have met over the years. We certainly did not feel like we were welcomed into their home.
There were also minor maintenance issues with the room. Of particular concern was a screen missing from our window – which was the only way to cool down our room (there was no air conditioning, so the room was stifling hot on the 90+ degree day we were there). Having to keep the windows open all night also forced us to listen to the train coming through the city regularly – not conducive to a restful sleep. While central air may not be possible given the age of the building, window air conditioners would have been much appreciated and done a lot to alleviate our discomfort.
The rooms were clean and average – although a little on the small side – however, the bathrooms were exceptionally tiny. Beds were queen size, not king. Very few of the rooms had tubs; most had showers only. The sink area was so small it was impossible for 2 people to get ready at the same time - there was simply no room to put 2 people in that area. Definitely not an advantage when you are trying to get up and out. The rooms were also not exactly as they appeared on the web. A major annoyance for me was that I had intentionally picked a room where the bed did not have a footboard (according to the web site photo). However, when we arrived, there was a footboard. This may not sound like a big deal, but since I hang over the bed several inches, it can really disturb my sleep.
Finally, there were some tacky aspects to our stay. For example, there was a tip envelope in the room for housekeeping – something I haven't ever seen in a B&B before – and most of the paintings in the hallways had prices on them. While I don't mind the pictures being for sale, it would have been nice to have that information in a single place and let the guests enjoy the pictures without making them feel as though they are overnighting in a gift shop.
Overall, I would suggest shopping around a little before staying here. Prices at other nearby locations vary a lot, and it is likely that a better deal can be found elsewhere. If not, there are certainly worse places to stay. This is a middle-of-the road B&B in a place without a lot of other options, so it is definitely worth considering. I would stay here again in a pinch – but certainly not in the heat of summer, and only after considering other options.
Terence
City Escapes Nature Photography
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