We stayed at "The Gris" compliments of the management after an unfortunate experience in July 2008. We were completely satified this time with the warm welcome, the spacious, comfortable accommodations, the friendly staff, and the complimentary continental breakfast (fresh fruit, muffins, bagels, a variety of cereals, juice, coffee, teas) served in one of the inn's cozy, rustic dining areas. Essex,... more

We stopped here for one night and we were looking for a reasonable place to stay and this was it. It is very bare bones, no television in the room-we watched it in the common area. The shower pressure is unbelievable! The room was very clean but bed a little hard. The greatest asset is the bar, it comes alive... more

Very clean room, but very basic. We stayed in the annex. Given that the building it old, the floor is not level and our bed tilted backwards. No TVs in the rooms, no hair dryer, no bathtub (shower only), basicaly, no frills. The blanket on the bed needed to be thrown out, it was all pilly and looked to be... more

For several years we enjoyed dining with friends at the Griswold Inn during the Christmas season because their holiday food and ambience was always so enjoyable. Our visit this past weekend was anything but. The holiday singers were infrequently singing in our dining room and only came to our table one time. Instead we had to listen to a band... more

Nice, old, characterful building, rooms vary in quality and size. Ours was on the small size, but clean and with a fairly basic bathroom. The restaurant and bar again is full of character and very quaint with a good atmosphere. The Griswold is a great place to stay for a night or two if your passing through. more

My husband and I stayed at the Griswold for a long Columbus day weekend. We live in NYC, and needed to get away for some relaxation. Essex is a lovely town, albeit a little too small/quiet for our taste (I don't think we could stay for longer than a day or two -there's not much to do). The Griswold was... more

We were helping my sister in law move from NYC to Boston and needed somewhere to stay overnight in between with a 14 foot bright yellow truck. We hadn't booked and luckily we could all be accommodated in a two-storey free-standing suite across the road from the main inn. The room was beautiful and a bargain at $150 for the... more

My husband and I stayed at the Griswold Inn in the beautiful village of Essex, CT back in 1993. It was a lovely place, albeit somewhat noisy. The great part was that you could have your cat or dog stay with you. It was "pet-friendly" long before that issue was recognized as an important part of country-inn/bed and breakfeast amenities.... more

Desperate for some R & R, I booked two nights at this historic inn. It is located in Essex, "The Best Small Town in America". To get there, simply take Amtrak from Penn Station to Old Saybrook, CT. Weekdays and Saturday, there is a public bus from the Amtrak Station in Old Saybrook to Essex. It costs $1.25. However, the... more