A B&B that's not too frilly, not too "shabby chic", not too austere. It is just right. Made moreso by the outstanding internet special we happened upon. The room was small, but not unpleasantly so, the bathroom could use a bit of updating but was always clean and well-kept. The staff was very, very helpful in guiding us to good food, good wineries, and interesting things to do that were off the beaten path. The breakfast and afternoon hospitality were good although since we opted to use the Blackbird as our base of operations for 10 days while we toured Napa Valley, we had a lot of repetition in breakfast quiche and pastries.
Since this was our honeymoon, and my new husband's 1st B&B experience I was concerned that all would go smoothly. My concerns weren't warranted. He enjoyed the B&B so much that we've subsequently stayed in several others.

The Blackbird Inn is a beautiful craftsman-style property but unfortunately, it does not live up to the website hype. The Inn was lovely, but noisy and the breakfast was a huge disappointment. The website touted it as this wonderful meal and it was far from that. My husband refused to partake after day one. It consisted of a repurposed quiche every morning and stale english muffins and bread. The fruit was good as well as the coffee. We walked downtown each morning to get breakfast and considering that breakfast was part of the overall cost of our accommodations, I was greatly disappointed that I had to buy my breakfast each morning. Our "deluxe king" room was comfortable but the bathtub was an absolute nightmare and anyone over the age of 60 or in poor health would be hard pressed to get in and out of that horribly constructed tub! Also no magnifying mirrors in the bathroom which makes putting on make-up for anyone over the age of 40 a struggle! The Staff was very friendly and helpful, but other than that I was very disappointed with the Blackbird Inn.

Stayed here for 1 night, and while the room and inn were lovely (Renee MacIntosh would have been proud), unfortunately the whole experience was marred by the fact that we left our electric toothbrush there, but it could not be found apparently when I phoned about it the next morning. It wasn't just the theft we were annoyed about, it was the inconvenience it caused. It should have been turned in by the housekeeper when being cleaned. Otherwise, food good and ambience a-plenty, loads of character, but unfortunately sited on busy intersection. The manager also thoughtfully upgraded us which was appreciated.

Despite the poor breakfast (not enough protein) and afternoon hors-d'oeuvres (old veggies), there are many wonderful aspects of the Blackbird Inn. The style of architecture (craftsman) is ideally represented in the furnishings and types of wood. There are eight rooms to choose from, each with its unique touch. Of course the upstairs room with balcony is highly sought after and is consequently more expensive. But there are enough on-line specials to help amortize the somewhat high prices, unless the film festival in Napa or the tourist crunch begin. Many guests stay here as a base from which to explore the various wineries, and the staff eagerly provide personal assistance and several brochures and coupons. We decided just to stay in Napa and leave our car parked in the small but charming parking area off of Jefferson (no one mentioned the parking lot!!). It's a delightful 15-minute stroll down First Street to the Oxbow Market, modeled after the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Along the way are countless restaurants from which to choose. Having dined at both Martini House and Campton Place, we were eager to try Todd Humphries' Kitchen Door in the Oxbow Market. It's not really a restaurant in the style most of us recognize, but rather a kind of food emporium. There are tables and one does order at the counter and wait for the food to be delivered. Good wines and eccentric food (i.i. Armenian Fold).

Actually quirkiness sums up our stay at Blackbird Inn, but I mean this in a positive way. The cook trying to heat up breakfast fare managed to set off the fire alarm so that we could all meet the local fire department from a couple blocks away. The inn is locked from 8 PM until 8 AM, and guests are given keys with a set of explanations as to how to use them. But I must save the best for last: Elise. Rarely has either of us ever received such a cheerful welcome. She went out of her way to explain the inn's history, attractions in the area, the room's features. I might expect such service at the Four Seasons. If some find the inn a bit dark, there are plenty of lights to help. And since we are dealing with Craftman-style architecture, it really isn't feasible to brighten woods with a stain or paint. Now if only the manager could work on those food presentations...