When staying at the Carriage House Inn, I had difficulty connecting to the internet so I asked Mike for assistance. He too couldn't get my computer to work so he said we needed to go to Plan B. He let me use his office while he contacted a local network company. They came right out and added some equipment and by the afternoon I had great internet access. in business you are judged by what steps you take when you encounter a problem, He went above and beyond my expectations in resolving the issues. Once I had internet access I was quite happy.

Beyond that, the housse is one of the nicest places we have ever stayed, the food was beyond good and the hosts were helpful in suggesting things to do in town, places to eat, and attractions to visit. If we ever get back to Lynchburg, we wouldn't consider staying anyplace else.

I would give this a score of 11 out of 10!

I was shocked, after staying here, to read the five-star reviews. Either the reviews are not all getting through, or somehow we went on a *Very* bad weekend. I need to preface this by saying that, since I was a child, I have loved B&B’s, and it is something of a hobby of mine to travel to B&B’s to try them. Even though they are typically more expensive than their hotel counterparts, I generally consider them worth the price.

In this instance, I would rather have stayed at a $40.00 hotel because the value for the price is simply not there. My husband and I travelled there on a livingsocial deal. We spent a good amount of time talking to Mike and Kathy about their (truly very beautiful and amazingly well restored) home. They spent 5 years travelling to the home on the weekends to properly restore. It really truly is a work of art, and there is simply nothing else to say there. Also excellent-The Lovingston Winery was *amazing*. Their tasting bar is immediately by their production area, and Ed, the owner is happy to discuss all aspects of his, all-excellent, wines. I was very impressed by a delightful Pinotage (South-African bred grape they grafted into their vineyard), and pleased that every single wine we had was delicious in its own way. Great place. Great owner. Felt very welcome. Would absolutely go back.

However, as part of the discussion, it is clear their passion is in the home, not in the guests. We felt unwelcome and uncomfortable the entire time, that the hosts were more interested in the cheque they were written than the comfort of their guests.

Specific things that bothered me:
1.) It was clear from the start that the check-in time was very inflexible, and equally clear that breakfast was inflexible (9am). This is not at all standard with Bed and Breakfasts that I have been to. I’m most certainly not saying that the host needs to do everything for the customer or bend too far, but there was absolutely no consideration for whether 9am was convenient for us (or 4pm). I felt they would have been very insulted had I told them 9am is very late for me (no. I do not suggest 5am either). Also, despite asking them to help me with a restaurant choice and reservation two to three weeks in advance, they just completely ignored my request. In the past, going to comparable B&B’s, the hosts have been very happy to make recommendations to me, and have also called the restaurants to make reservations. At a hotel of comparable price, a concierge would happily fulfill this request as well.

2.) The breakfast itself was labeled as ‘legendary’. I absolutely do not understand why. Four courses should not include juice. Four courses to them were: 1.) juice 2.) about ¼ cup of sweetened yogurt 3.) a plate of canned pineapples 4.) a croissant with apples. Everything was overly sweet, no protein (eggs/bacon/etc), and we actually opted out of breakfast the next morning (because of the food and because we felt uncomfortable around the hosts). At breakfast, we were talking about a friend of ours who cooks very opulent breakfasts (just a discussion about culinary experiences, not a criticism in any way; we were trying to create conversation with the other guests); Kathy seemed very offended, defensive, and butted into the conversation as though we were being rude. Perhaps we were, but it certainly wasn’t intentional.

3.) The bath was advertised as working, and I chose the room we did based on the bath. However, Mike made it clear we were not supposed to use the bath. Why in the world would I pay $150.00 a night for no bath? There was additionally NO SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER! Really. You can get that for free in a $40.00 a night hotel room! Honestly I wouldn’t care if it were inexpensive something. But really, there should have been something.

4.) Tipping. Bed and Breakfasts typically do *not* accept tips if offered and often have no-tipping policies. If you know the rooms are cleaned by someone other than the owner, you can leave a tip for the cleaner, but never for the owners. The hosts left a note on the bed each day, and there were 2-3 places in each note requesting tips for ‘extraordinary service’ as well as ‘amazing value’ that was being provided to us. Additionally, they left tip envelopes and a stand with a written note requesting tips on the full value of the living social deal. They also said that they would send out a link for “your outstanding review on tripadvisor”, assuming that this would be the level you would rate the place as. It came across to me as extraordinarily pushy, rude, demanding, begging, cajoling, and pressuring that somehow we owe them more because they went in on a living social deal. It isn’t that I don’t understand the recession is difficult, but clearly we were very turned off. This place was expensive. At a B&B, all services are almost always included.

In the end, we paid for a very beautiful, fancy room. And it most certainly was beautiful. Just simply stunning and gorgeous. I am amazed at their dedication and skill in this labor of love-truly fantastic. My recommendation would be to call for a house tour were you interested but to stay somewhere else.

The area is fantastic, lots to do, great cheap restaurants, etc.

Visited Lynchburg Virginia in late October on our way to Ashville, NC. Without realizing it, we had stumbled on the perfect hiking and history destination, made even more special by The Carriage House Inn. Having worked for Travel and Leisure Magazine in the past, I have been fortunate enough to experience some of the world's great accomodations and the Carriage House did not disappoint. A boarding house in a prior life, Kathy and Mike have restored the home to what would seem to be it's original grandeur with every detail bringing you back to a specific time in history. Our room was large and inviting with a clawfoot tub that was the perfect antidote to a long day of hiking. The dual control bed -- yes, I could adjust the firmness to my taste while my husband adjusted it to his -- was just another one of the wonderful touches that the Inn delivered. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the delicious breakfast that was served each morning. Sweet potato pancakes with walnuts and coconut one morning and pumpkin waffles that I am still thinking about the next. It was fall on a plate and then some. The lesson learned from this trip is if you are going to a historical destination and you have the opportunity to enrich the journey through the authenticity of your lodging, do it. In this case it was further enriched by the comfort, cleanliness, hospitality and charm of The Carriage House and its owners, Mike and Kathy.

Well worth the stay. Cathy and Mike are wonderful owners who have lovingly restored a real gem of a home. The tour Mike gave us, came complete with the details of painstaking renovation of the stately home. It is beautiful and they are gracious hosts. Cathy served us a delicious breakfast and we were fortunate to have them to ourselves to chat. If we are ever in that neck of the woods again, we will look them up. You seriously can't go wrong with the Carriage House Inn!
Judy and Frank
Virginia