This inn has new owners since early 2011. Let me first say that it is a beautiful setting and nicely decorated, and I am not at all a complainer. We have stayed at many wonderful B&Bs throughout Vermont. I just want to relate my personal experiences. We found their website and saw a mid-week special on the website "any room in the main inn, $99 without breakfast, $125 with breakfast. When I called, an employee told me all rooms at the main inn were taken, but their Cider House building rooms were being discounted from $285 to $200. I booked the Cider House room.
While up there, each day was a ghost town at the inn. Three cars in the parking lot, no one else at breakfast, fireplace not even on in the lounge, no one else around. Even at night, their restaurant was empty. They sent a waitress home one night. The day before checkout I inquired as to why I was told the main inn was filled when I called, but obviously was not true. I was told FEMA "blocked out" the rooms. After I asked to speak to the owner, she first tried to tell me the rooms were all taken, then tried to tell me Room six was available, but I had turned it down while initially calling which was a lie, then she tried to say the "special prices" were not on all rooms, etc. I had even checked the website again before I had approached the front desk, so I knew I was not crazy. I told her I felt scammed. FEMA may have called about room availability, but they surely didn't pack the inn. Also, I had mentioned to her that on two days, the main lounge, a nice room with a fireplace, was occupied by a camera crew, and was told by the staff that they were shooting photos for future advertising of the inn. When I menbtioned this in the telephone call to the owner, she remarked "well, you could have sat in there, no one was stopping you." Well, it was filled with electrical cables, camera lighting stands, the crew, etc. Not too Vermont-like. Lastly, I asked the owner why we were told upon check-in that breakfast the next morning would have to be at 7:15 or 9:15. She advised that she had her rotary club meeting in the restaurant at 8:00 am. I don't see how that meeting could not have been held somewhere else, or after the guests breakfast. Just like the photo shoot, for customer service you work around the guests . . . they are paying for a relaxing stay. The owner adjusted my room rate, but I do appreciate that, but she was rude and did not want to talk to me any further. All I asked her was to see it from a guest's point of view.
Our last day, breakfast was delayed because as the server told us, the chef had to run home as she had child care issues. He dropped our bagel on the way to our table serving us, and then related a story as to once at another restaurant he dropped a roasted duck while about to carve it tableside . . and as they had no more duck available, he just took it into the kitchen and washed it off and brought it out again, telling the patrons it was a new one. Made us kind of wonder what happened to our bagel once he brought it back to the kitchen! The inn obviously is operated on a skeleton crew in the slow season, but guests expect the same level of service whether it is busy or not. The new owners need to remember that in this economy, a B&B stay is a luxury and a treat for guests, and it is those guests that will keep them running both in good and bad times. We would not stay there again.
