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.