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Dylan P
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
1513
The Owner's Heart is Elsewhere
Review of Bruce House Inn
2.0 of 5 bubblesReviewed 19 Jun 2017
My wife and I are huge fans of B&Bs. This was our fifth B&B experience and the first that I regretfully cannot award five stars to.

Upon arrival, Pam (the owner) let us into the Inn, greeted us, and explained that she was running late because she was busy at a Pub she had recently opened. She was nice, but lacked that sense of enthusiasm and passion you typically expect from owners of an Inn. She went over a few things like how to operate the front door, suggested a restaurant for dinner, and apologized that there were no cookies out for us, which she would bake while we were out for us to enjoy upon returning to the Inn that night. She showed us to our rooms and let us know we could call the office phone which would forward to her cell if we needed anything.

We had left the Inn to go for a hike. Upon returning, Pam was no where to be found and neither were the promised cookies. Also, the water cooler was empty, and the mini fridge was un-stocked aside from a half bottle of coke and carton of creamer. Of all the inns we have ever been to, even Hotels, there were an assortment of drinks, and snacks, available to guests at all times. We had neither available to us. We left for dinner, hoping that she had just over-looked it and that drinks would be restocked and some snacks, at least cookies, would be available upon our return. They weren't. Very disappointing.

The rooms were nice and looked similar to, but not as inviting, as the pictures online. We stayed in the Washington Room. The mattress is certainly showing it's age... you could feel the springs pushing through the top. The sheets, though, were soft and comfortable. Our friends stayed on the third floor in The Monks Room. It was very hot and muggy, and the window unit (there to supplement the central air flow into that room) did little to help cool the room. Granted it was a 90-degree day, our friends found it very hard to cool down. Other than that, the room amenities were as described.

At breakfast, the owner apologized for not baking cookies. She explained that she was needed at the Pub and didn't have time, and that she was up until 1am and had to get up at 6am to make breakfast for the other guests. She packed us a couple for the ride home. Breakfast itself, eggs, bacon, and waffles with berries, was presentable and delicious. However, the butter packets served on our plates were so old that the seal had broken and they had opened, dried out, and discolored. Same can be said about the creamer which was equally as old, curdled when we put it into our coffee, and tasted horrible. These things happen, sure, but when paying a premium to stay at a B&B, they shouldn't. This just further reinforced the fact that the owner's heart isn't in it and the little details, at this point, are just over-looked.

The Inn, in general, lacked that cozy, at-home, feel. The decor was sparse and there was no common room for guests other than the breakfast area, which was uninviting. The building itself seems to have a lot of potential, but is not getting the attention it deserves. It feels empty inside. It 's as though the owner continues to run it as a source of income, but is truly focused, maybe even distracted by, the Pub she has recently opened, which is a shame, because we expected so much more after reading through the excellent reviews from others. I hate to be harsh and Pam seemed like a sweet lady, but It is evident that things have begun to decline. I can only hope that she puts her heart back into the Inn or hires someone to run the show while she manages the Pub.
Date of stay: June 2017
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Reviewed 4 January 2017

We stayed at Bruce House to celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary. The Columbia Bruce room was cozy, quiet, and relaxing. Pam provided us with lots of recommendations about what to do and where to eat during our stay. Breakfast was scrumptious and filling! Port wine and cookies also added a nice touch. We hope to make it back at some point to ride on the Allegheny Passage bike trail.

Date of stay: November 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
1  Thank Karleen S
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 21 December 2016

We spent 3 nights at Bruce House as we explored Cumberland at Christmas. So nice to come in from the cold to warm up in our delightfully cozy room. Each morning we had a delicious and filling breakfast with creative fruits and eggs and muffins. Pam was a wonderful host. Will definitely recommend to friends and would readily return.

Date of stay: December 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Location
    • Sleep Quality
    • Service
1  Thank EKayH650
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
InnkeeperPam, Owner at Bruce House Inn, responded to this reviewResponded 21 December 2016

Thanks for taking the time to post such a nice review! I'm sorry you didn't have more time to enjoy the inn and hope you return in the future for a longer visit. Merry Christmas!

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Reviewed 19 December 2016 via mobile

This place could not have been more cozy and quaint. My husband and I were only staying one night but everything was great. We had the third floor to ourselves and it was so warm and clean and beautiful. We had to check out around 6am and the innkeeper was sweet enough to leave us muffins. We plan on spending a longer trip in this inn the next time we visit Cumberland.

Date of stay: December 2016
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
1  Thank Melissa O
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 13 October 2016

We spent two nights at Bruce House to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary. We couldn't have chosen a more relaxing and beautiful place. Our second floor room provided beautiful views; church steeples and lights from the town below. It was comfortable and evertything we needed was there. The owner, Pam, remembered every detail of my dietary needs/allergies and served most delicious breakfasts each morning. When we arrived on Friday evening, we were greeted by the 6:00 ringing of the church bells... It was beautiful.

Room tip: Washington Room on Second floor - front corner room
Date of stay: October 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Value
    • Rooms
    • Service
Thank therammz
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
InnkeeperPam, Owner at Bruce House Inn, responded to this reviewResponded 21 December 2016

Please forgive me for taking so long to respond to your lovely review! As you know it was a bit of a crazy time, but we are on target to open the British pub, and hope you will return and visit us again. You were wonderful guests, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas and 30 more years of happiness!

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Reviewed 21 September 2016

This review will be similar to the last review on TA. Stayed for 2 nights as part of a trip to Falling Water. Great place, great host, the room (the library) was even nicer than depicted on the web site. Pam's suggestions on places to see and eat were just right.

Date of stay: September 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Value
    • Sleep Quality
    • Service
Thank maryland2and2
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
InnkeeperPam, Owner at Bruce House Inn, responded to this reviewResponded 22 September 2016

Wow! Thanks. it was such a pleasure to host you and I am glad you enjoyed your visit! Guests like you make my job so easy!

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