“Lovely Owners; B&B Overlooks Factory Smokestacks; Internet Trouble; Bad Pillows”
I made reservations for a weekend at the B&B and over the phone, the owner offered me $120 p/nt including taxes. I put this information into my calendar for the weekend of the trip. When I was presented with the bill, the 10% taxes were added onto the $120 p/nt. The owners are a lovely elderly couple and I'm wondering if he forgot what he told me, so I asked, "It's $120 per night including taxes, right?" And his reply was that the taxes were additional. I didn't want to argue over this, so I just paid the bill, but in case you're offered the same deal, beware.
On to the B&B. The B&B is a little drive from Charlottesville, VA, and we thought we'd stay outside of town for a more peaceful and reasonably priced experience. The B&B is located with a direct view of the Mohawk Industrial Plant, smokestacks included! Too bad, b/c the mountains are lovely. I wish that our view of them weren't spoiled.
The B&B is generously-sized with well-appointed country-style rooms that were very clean. Ours was a suite, with a lovely and homey (country style) sitting room, a bedroom with a comfy mattress and antique furnishings and a large closet One issue that proved a major problem for my husband was the pillows. They are VERY thick. If you sleep on your side or stomach, you'll wake up with a sore neck. The owners should consider storing thinner pillows in the closets.
The owners try their hardest to make a wonderful experience for their guests. They couldn't be lovelier people! The husband gave us restaurant advice, let us know about the free snacks, tea, and bottled water on the porch and cake downstairs at night. They are easy people to talk to, super nice! They, however, are not the best cooks. The eggs lacked seasoning, and I make a better french toast. Most of their food supplies are Kroger-brand (a store brand). The fruit salad on the 2nd day included canned fruit. They meant well, but maybe they could get someone to help them with the breakfasts.
The Internet went in and out, so keep that in mind if you need access.
The hosts have a dog, who they keep under control. When they saw the dog sniffing around us, they called her back and she followed their commands. The dog is a large poodle and very gentle, like her owners.
In our 30's, we were the youngest people staying there by far! This place is best suited for those over 50 who want a country-style experience while visiting and want to stay with a dear elderly couple. Just pack your own pillows:-)
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
14 May 2011
We thought long and hard about responding to this review, but there are too many inaccuracies to permit it to go unanswered.
-We never tell inquirers that our room price includes the tax that we must, by law, charge. Our own website and all of our listings on the many directories we belong to are very specific that a 10% (currently) tax will be charged in addition to the room rate.
- Yes the front bedrooms overlook a textile factory (DuPont, not Mohawk) but that factory is a vital part of the history of the city; indeed without it there probably wouldn’t be a vibrant Waynesboro as we know it.
-There is nothing “country” about anything in the B&B. It is spacious and filled with an eclectic mix of fine antiques and contemporary furniture and décor. No one has ever called it “country” before.
-The point about the pillows is well taken and will be rectified. We happen to like thicker pillows, but obviously, not everyone does. Thanks for the suggestion.
- My wife usually gets rave reviews on her cooking. The reviewer obviously does not do a lot of cooking for 8-10 people at a time. It is very hard to make something that is exactly the way that each individual likes it when you’re cooking for a crowd. Yes, a lot of our food supplies are purchased at local grocery stores (including Kroger and Costco) but most of the dishes are home-made from scratch with the raw ingredients bought at those stores. It is also hard to get good fresh fruits and produce in the early spring so sometimes we do have to supplement them with canned fruit.
- We provide free wireless internet connections for our guests. We have stayed in fancy hotels which charge double our room rates and charge extra for Wi-Fi as well. Unfortunately, we cannot be responsible for the occasional problem that our provider experiences.
- But perhaps the most upsetting thing about this review is being referred to as an “elderly” couple. We are in our mid-sixties, are very active and try to provide an elegant, friendly and relaxing atmosphere for all of our guests, Gen-X, Gen-Y and all other age groups. To say that we are “elderly” is insulting at best, and discriminatory at worst. We have many young people stay with us and most are very complimentary. In fact, one of the best reviews we have ever gotten (see BedandBreakfast.com) was from two NY City college students (Columbia and CCNY).
If a guest does not like the accommodations, views, décor, food or value that we provide, all they have to do is speak up and say that they are not happy and would like to leave. We won’t charge them because we don’t want unhappy customers.
We are not a “high-end” (no jacuzzis, hot tubs, or fancy chefs, etc.) but we do provide a thoroughly relaxing experience, good Virginia-style breakfasts and all the many activities that this area has to offer at a reasonable price.
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC