Visiting other B&Bs

[egoodell]

I'm waiting to hear if you spoke to the innkeeper about your complaints?
I would first speak with the innkeeper. If nothing was done and it was obvious the place was just there for the money and not about to improve I would write it up. I don't want people booking a B&B that operated under false pretenses as it makes it tough for us who operate correctly. Better to steer people away from an unhappy experience.
But, if they made attempts to correct and were out to improve I would give them the benefit of not writing a review.
RIki

 

[Copperhead]

I have been holding out on commenting here. We have been places where things were not as they should have been. In some cases a mention to the innkeeper did the trick but in one instance the innkeeper was the problem not the place at all. In that case since the innkeeper knew what he had done, there was no sence calling him out on it and it was a festival time so there were no other places to go. Now from what I hear, what he did was common for the area, and while I know he felt bad, he must have been told by others how to make the most while you can. If I were to write a review, it would be on the town site, not his providing others with the knowledge on how to deal with any of the towns B&Bs.
Now on the other hand we recently had an anonymous message sent to us, not out to the public but through a service so they feel they were telling on us: 'property not well maintained inside or out, not worth what we paid.' I would have loved to hear this straight from the guest so I could inquire just what needed to be addressed. Have we turned a blind's eye to something or things? Given the rains we have had lately the yard is not the best, but heck that is par for the area right now. We just spent the night in a couple of our rooms thinking we may notice something as a guest that may be overlooked during cleaning.... while we have noticed some bolts needing another twist or 2, a stain on the ceiling that is showing through - time for Kilz until we can repaint it all... we found nothing that would constitute as deserving this comment - no paint or wallpaper pealing, no mold.... Cobwebs - guilty on the light fixtures outside which we cleaned the week before. We are in the south and it is summer, I don't need to say more.
All other guest comments have been favorable so we are going on the assumption that this guest is just sore cause they could not afford the trip. But what if this comment had been placed on TA, that could have a high impact on my future.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I think that if the OP got the impression that it was just business as usual and that the problems were long term ongoing ones, I would send an e-mail to the innkeeper and see what the response was. Only after that would I post a negative on TA.
I received an e-mail from a guest a week after they stayed with complaints. I had not been here when the guest checked out and she told DH that she had a mouse scurry across their room. I think the thing that really set her off was that she felt DH didn't take it seriously. DH has minimal guest interaction and was caught off guard. In her letter, it seemed that after she saw the little mouse, she went looking for other things to be wrong. A cobweb, something a bit out of place, etc.
I really appreciated the guest sending me the e-mail instead of going straight to TA! I replied back to her and told her what we had done to fix things and it all ended splendedly. In fact, she thanked me for my response and told me that she appreciated that I didn't respond back in a defensive manner.

 

[Samster]

Did you read the TA reviews before you stayed there? Do the innkeepers even know what TA is?? Sounds like they're completely clueless on several fronts - in which case I would not be afraid of posting an honest, objective review at all. You're probably not at risk of offending the aforementioned oblivious innkeepers and you would be doing a favor to future potential guests, alerting them as to what to expect.
Just because you're an (aspiring) innkeeper doesn't mean that you don't have the same privileges that the rest of the traveling public does!.

Just because you're an (aspiring) innkeeper doesn't mean that you don't have the same privileges that the rest of the traveling public does!

I agree that it's fine to post a review - after all, all of us are allowed to post reviews of other inns (good or bad) when we've stayed at them, regardless of our status as innkeepers. We are travellers, too. I just think it would be nice to be the kind of guest we'd like to have - one who would alert us to problems before they write a negative review.
Let me just say, I've had an innkeeper stay here - taking full advantage of my 'to the trade' discount - and then write a snarky review complaining of things he did not mention to me, and making some completely false statements. That's not cool.
.

Just because you're an (aspiring) innkeeper doesn't mean that you don't have the same privileges that the rest of the traveling public does!

I agree that it's fine to post a review - after all, all of us are allowed to post reviews of other inns (good or bad) when we've stayed at them, regardless of our status as innkeepers. We are travellers, too. I just think it would be nice to be the kind of guest we'd like to have - one who would alert us to problems before they write a negative review.
Let me just say, I've had an innkeeper stay here - taking full advantage of my 'to the trade' discount - and then write a snarky review complaining of things he did not mention to me, and making some completely false statements. That's not cool.

Agree wholeheartedly. That is why I say innkeepers can be the worst guests. Much more critical than the avg person. Everyone is, of course, entitled to write a review whenever or wherever they want. But this is an innkeepers forum, so my reply is always in light of that fact.
Were the innkeepers dear old sweet things? And the place just went to pot? This is what I personally want to know. I might seem tough - stop laughing - but I know how it is, I have been to inns where they had deferred maintenance, another reason they were for sale, they couldn't handle it all, expense or physically. I won't write anyone a bad review, unless it was something I deemed very extreme. I might give a hotel 3 or 4 bubbles and then highlight the good things. That is just me.
Although the poster here said she wanted to leave the moment they arrived, so had to be pretty bad.
.

Guests have no way of knowing (and yes, they care not) the circumstances. We have inn-mates post about kids or guests who peeled off wall paper. Perhaps matching paper was not available or has not come in to fix a peeling wallpaper issue. And no one has ever missed a cobweb (I once had a guest write me a long complaint letter citing cobwebs on the porch - as long as the spiders stay outside I am cool with it). I KNOW things went to hell in July 2007 when I had a revolving door of guests, an Aspiring Seminar contract, and a Conference to staff a table for - all while DH was in hospital or rehab with his 6-way bypass. My grass was so bad that the bookkeeper at the plumbing shop who walked by every day came over with her granddaughter and cut my grass. So I tend to be a bit on the forgiving side because I do not know what others may be dealing with. yes, I do want clean but if it is really, really bad I think a word to the innkeeper is in order - as in, "I am sorry but it appears your housekeeper missed my room today. Is there another room available? If not, we CAN step out for dinner while it is cleaned."
.

There's a difference between a missed cobweb (after all, spiders work 24/7 and we don't) or a small piece of wallpaper that just won't stay put and something like nasty carpeting, a coffee pot so dirty that it's stuck to the burner, or moldy shower curtains/no slip bath mats. If you try reporting these issues to the innkeeper and they just shrug them off, it's pretty obvious that they must not care. So, writing a review to warn other folks that only see a gleaming website, seems to be the only action left if you're paying good money to stay somewhere. My money can be just as dear to me as anyone else's.
.

There's a difference between a missed cobweb (after all, spiders work 24/7 and we don't) or a small piece of wallpaper that just won't stay put and something like nasty carpeting, a coffee pot so dirty that it's stuck to the burner, or moldy shower curtains/no slip bath mats. If you try reporting these issues to the innkeeper and they just shrug them off, it's pretty obvious that they must not care. So, writing a review to warn other folks that only see a gleaming website, seems to be the only action left if you're paying good money to stay somewhere. My money can be just as dear to me as anyone else's.

Of course there are differences between grunge and missed. My point that I was trying to make is first of all there are sometimes circumstances that create "slippage" but also the eyes of the beholder makes a difference. The guest I referred to left me a 5-page letter about my deficiencies while I was getting raves from other guests. I do not claim to be the best innkeeper (or housekeeper) in the world, but to tell me robes that were almost new looked "tired" and some of her other complaints were just off the wall. What most people will not notice can be "beyond the pale" for someone else. Speaking to the innkeeper at the time is still the best way to handle things. THEN if it is not resolved, write whatever.
.

I think that I've said to speak to the innkeeper to report serious problems....if that's possible.
Everyone should understand there are often things that need to be maintained (sometimes major) or there can be special circumstances like bad weather, etc., that affect the condition of any property, but especially when you own these old, historic homes. Stuff happens. I had even put notes in our guest rooms apologizing for the conditions of our porches during the early Spring when the pollen is at it's absolute worst here - I would have to be out there all day long with a leaf blower and/or broom to make them look at their best, and it still wouldn't be enough!
But, I think the original post refers most blantantly to most traveler's basic expectation - a clean room, which is what I commented on.

 

[EmptyNest]

I have been holding out on commenting here. We have been places where things were not as they should have been. In some cases a mention to the innkeeper did the trick but in one instance the innkeeper was the problem not the place at all. In that case since the innkeeper knew what he had done, there was no sence calling him out on it and it was a festival time so there were no other places to go. Now from what I hear, what he did was common for the area, and while I know he felt bad, he must have been told by others how to make the most while you can. If I were to write a review, it would be on the town site, not his providing others with the knowledge on how to deal with any of the towns B&Bs.
Now on the other hand we recently had an anonymous message sent to us, not out to the public but through a service so they feel they were telling on us: 'property not well maintained inside or out, not worth what we paid.' I would have loved to hear this straight from the guest so I could inquire just what needed to be addressed. Have we turned a blind's eye to something or things? Given the rains we have had lately the yard is not the best, but heck that is par for the area right now. We just spent the night in a couple of our rooms thinking we may notice something as a guest that may be overlooked during cleaning.... while we have noticed some bolts needing another twist or 2, a stain on the ceiling that is showing through - time for Kilz until we can repaint it all... we found nothing that would constitute as deserving this comment - no paint or wallpaper pealing, no mold.... Cobwebs - guilty on the light fixtures outside which we cleaned the week before. We are in the south and it is summer, I don't need to say more.
All other guest comments have been favorable so we are going on the assumption that this guest is just sore cause they could not afford the trip. But what if this comment had been placed on TA, that could have a high impact on my future..

I am not commenting on your situation here, but just in general. If I stay at a B & B where things are so totally bad, I really do not want to tell them right to their face. Sorry :-( I have however sent an email to them after I got home....to some that is..not all. There are some who were so bad at innkeeping I just could tell it would do no good. So my TA review told it like it was. No drama...just the facts. I think I owe it to my fellow travelers to let them know. Now, if all the reviews are already terrible. I won't bother, but if half and half...I will share my experience. If everyone is wonderful then something must be up.
I recently did a review for a restaurant we ate at. Most of the reviews were outstanding. Not at all like our experience. So I had to do it. Now I find as I talk to others, they have had similar issues as ours...so why don't they post them???? People need to know.

 

[Susan]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.

 

[Susan]

What were the circumstances of your visit, Susan? Was it an inn that you have in consideration to buy?
We stayed at a couple of places when we were looking to buy turnkey that really needed some work that would have been very evident to any guest, not just us as prospective buyers, but we didn't write a bad review. And the innkeepers always knew that we were prospective buyers, but we didn't reveal this to other guests. We didn't want to affect a prospective sale.
As a paying guest, I have written "bad" but fair reviews on a couple of B&Bs when the innkeepers were either not available for me to complain to in person, or we had reported problems to them and they basically said that's the way it is, too bad. This was because of the room being dirty (and the room was well over $160/night) or broken furniture, etc. Not just a few minor maintenance items. Travelers have a right to know what they're in for when it comes to dirty or substandard conditions, I believe..

Please read my reply above! THANKS

 

[Arks]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

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[JBloggs]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?

 

[Susan]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

...I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice...

This site does send notices.

1. In the top-left area of the screen, click "My Account".
2. When the account settings screen appears, click the Edit tab.
3. Make sure your correct e-mail address is listed near the top of the screen.
4. Scroll down and make sure the checkbox is marked by "Receive comment follow-up notification e-mails. Check this box to receive e-mail notification for follow-up comments to comments you posted."
5. Click Save at the bottom of the screen.

Also, when you leave a comment, at the bottom of the comment screen there's another checkbox that should be checked, where it says:
More information about formatting options
Email me about replies to this comment.
.

Thanks! I figured it out this time and must have just been in a hurry (story of my life right now) at the time. Appreciate it.

 

[Susan]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.

 

[Penelope]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.
.

High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum -

One of our former innmates called them "dripping Vics"! So accurate!

 

[Susan]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.
.

High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum -

One of our former innmates called them "dripping Vics"! So accurate!
.

Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful! But, we are much more laid back and enjoy the more old, primitive, country style. I never know how to describe it but kind of like a Civil War style. Anyone have any clever adjectives for me?

 

[Arks]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.
.

High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum -

One of our former innmates called them "dripping Vics"! So accurate!
.

Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful! But, we are much more laid back and enjoy the more old, primitive, country style. I never know how to describe it but kind of like a Civil War style. Anyone have any clever adjectives for me?
.

I never know how to describe it but kind of like a Civil War style. Anyone have any clever adjectives for me?

Well if antebellum means before the Civil War, then I guess you like Bellum style!

 

[JBloggs]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.
.

"So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be."
The website is the first impression. This is what baits the hook. Going there and hoping it might be nice is, well, you know the rest of the story. Running a professional B&B means all areas of operation, not just baking muffins.
If they don't care about the website, which is to attract business, then the rest is...gravy.

 

[Susan]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.
.

"So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be."
The website is the first impression. This is what baits the hook. Going there and hoping it might be nice is, well, you know the rest of the story. Running a professional B&B means all areas of operation, not just baking muffins.
If they don't care about the website, which is to attract business, then the rest is...gravy.
.

I agree, JB, but, I have been to some delightful B&Bs whose websites were not necessarily bad, but weren't what we would call contemporary. Just because a website is behind the times doesn't mean that they don't care about it. Maybe they just don't know enough to realize it is in desperate need of updating. On a recent 8 day trip during which we stayed in 5 different B&Bs we met a few elderly owners who had never updated their website simply because they didn't know better. Granted that isn't the way we will do business, but a less than adequate website doesn't predispose an inn to poor quality. Some lifestyle inns aren't actively chasing business and are happy with the status quo - and may be darling places to visit.

 

[JBloggs]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.
.

"So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be."
The website is the first impression. This is what baits the hook. Going there and hoping it might be nice is, well, you know the rest of the story. Running a professional B&B means all areas of operation, not just baking muffins.
If they don't care about the website, which is to attract business, then the rest is...gravy.
.

I agree, JB, but, I have been to some delightful B&Bs whose websites were not necessarily bad, but weren't what we would call contemporary. Just because a website is behind the times doesn't mean that they don't care about it. Maybe they just don't know enough to realize it is in desperate need of updating. On a recent 8 day trip during which we stayed in 5 different B&Bs we met a few elderly owners who had never updated their website simply because they didn't know better. Granted that isn't the way we will do business, but a less than adequate website doesn't predispose an inn to poor quality. Some lifestyle inns aren't actively chasing business and are happy with the status quo - and may be darling places to visit.
.

Susan that is the same thing as "This place is so great we will just keep it our little secret, so it stays small and special"...and out of business.
Proof is in the pudding.

 

[egoodell]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.
.

"So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be."
The website is the first impression. This is what baits the hook. Going there and hoping it might be nice is, well, you know the rest of the story. Running a professional B&B means all areas of operation, not just baking muffins.
If they don't care about the website, which is to attract business, then the rest is...gravy.
.

I agree, JB, but, I have been to some delightful B&Bs whose websites were not necessarily bad, but weren't what we would call contemporary. Just because a website is behind the times doesn't mean that they don't care about it. Maybe they just don't know enough to realize it is in desperate need of updating. On a recent 8 day trip during which we stayed in 5 different B&Bs we met a few elderly owners who had never updated their website simply because they didn't know better. Granted that isn't the way we will do business, but a less than adequate website doesn't predispose an inn to poor quality. Some lifestyle inns aren't actively chasing business and are happy with the status quo - and may be darling places to visit.
.

- and may be darling places to visit.

They may be darling places to visit, but they won't get the business an up to date website will get.
RIki

 

[EmptyNest]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.
.

"So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be."
The website is the first impression. This is what baits the hook. Going there and hoping it might be nice is, well, you know the rest of the story. Running a professional B&B means all areas of operation, not just baking muffins.
If they don't care about the website, which is to attract business, then the rest is...gravy.
.

I agree, JB, but, I have been to some delightful B&Bs whose websites were not necessarily bad, but weren't what we would call contemporary. Just because a website is behind the times doesn't mean that they don't care about it. Maybe they just don't know enough to realize it is in desperate need of updating. On a recent 8 day trip during which we stayed in 5 different B&Bs we met a few elderly owners who had never updated their website simply because they didn't know better. Granted that isn't the way we will do business, but a less than adequate website doesn't predispose an inn to poor quality. Some lifestyle inns aren't actively chasing business and are happy with the status quo - and may be darling places to visit.
.

Anyone who is doing a real business knows how important a good website it. Some older innkeepers are just stuck in a rut and will not change.They are happy with their 15 year old site and that 's the way it is. They also don't want to spend the time and money involved to get a new up to date site.

 

[Joey Camb]

As always we get the post and run on this forum, perhaps after some amount of time, we will hear the rest of the story. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is what always occurs here, we offer feedback and then null and void on their end. We shall see.
I wanted to know about the innkeepers, that is foremost in my mind. God forbid someone use my spiderwebs against me, I am a mere human, and cannot do it all here. So I hope they were treated well and in some weird way they can overlook some of the deficiencies before we all end up in straight jackets.
New drainage pipe installed, this meant digging a 200 foot ditch from the back of the property to the front by DH in the heat - after his 50 hour a week real job, area behind cottage was dug up and still dup up, brick work in piles, I put an orange cone out there to try to prevent guests from going back there. That was, hm 3 months ago. Mulch pile in parking lot, nearing on 2 months, it is moved wheel barrow by wheelbarrow full, husband is near to a heart attack from all the labor around here.
Just sharing this as it is beyond my control. I am but one person here. Had to get DH ticked off to finally move more of the mulch, in his ire. Why have it delivered in our peak season? Doesn't matter, he is he and I am me, he will do what he wants to do. This is how it is when you own and operate a B&B. (Just sharing this, it is easy to write a TA review and nit pick and never know more than a one night stay and what you perceived, this is why I would mention it if it is a big deal, otherwise move on.)
Like people on farms say "This is an operating farm" so excuse the mess. It happens..

OMG!! I never received an e-mail letting me know anyone replied to my post and didn't realize that all of you had left me a message! (I am new here and maybe this site doesn't send you a notice, SORRY) I am so sorry I did not see all these replies and didn't get back to you all sooner.
So, here's lots of answers. I never like to leave a bad review and, under normal circumstances, would talk to the innkeeper. But, in this case there was an innkeeper who looked and acted like he was so tired of running the place and couldn't seem to decide if he was the manager or owner when I spoke to him. We were there on a visit and the place is not listed for sale. There were different people at the desk which was open from 8am - 9pm and the place had 11 rooms. Every floor and curtain in the place needed a good cleaning. I didn't want to take my shoes and socks off in our room. There were little corners and cubbies (a very old mill and add ons with lots of stairs and corners here and there) that were stuffed with fabric, dried flowers and the odd figurine or other dust collector covered in dust, grime and cobwebs. Yet, it looked like someone dusted, vacuumed and mopped the obvious and easy to reach things/areas frequently. The place was 80 - 85 degrees indoors. In our room maybe we were able to get it to 75. The cobwebs in the room were on the ceiling beams (11 feet ceilings) and were the type that take months to reach that size and dismal color of charcoal gray. The windows were dirty with airconditioners ill-fitted, with cardboard and duck tape attempting to block the holes. The bathroom floor was old, peeling linoleum, dirty in the corners and around the comode like it hadn't been cleaned well for months. THe cault was that dreadful dark color it can get if never cleaned/replaced. There was peeling paint and wallpaper everywhere - halls, rooms, bathrooms, common areas. The entire inn needed a good scrub and some lovin'. It seemed to reflect the down-trodden disposition of the innkeeper who was not an aged person but was mature. But at the same time it was easy to see that it wasn't too long ago that it was a charming one-of-a-kind historical getaway.
The TA reviews are few and mixed. The area has very few B&Bs and we were looking to get our army daughter (who just returned from Afganistan 48 hrs earlier) and her fiance away for a night so they could relax so we didn't want to make a big deal of it and leave because the setting was peaceful, on a brook in the woods. It was so calming and charming outside with hummingbirds and deer all over.
I suppose I should have composed a note to the owner, but there is no way an innkeeper couldn't see what was so obvious and in front of them and it wasn't something isolated to just us and our room. Maybe I need to get over it and write the letter. I just wanted to throw this out there and hear what you all had to say. I will check this again tomorrow after work.
THANK YOU all for your replies.
.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to experience that, ya see we feel for you and do not appreciate anyone in our business representing the industry this way! THAT SUCKS! I can see totally where you are coming from, I would have freaked and then left.
My next question - how was the website? Any clue there, now looking back?
.

About the website. Hmmm. It is very old and in need of revamping. No online reservation option and obviously not touched for a while, however, I have been to some very nice places that haven't had the greatest website and it's only because the innkeeper is older and not into that "technical stuff." So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be.
We, DH & I, also really enjoy old buildings, especially when they aren't victorian to the nines. High victorian makes us a little uncomfortable - like tip-toeing in a museum - but it is so prevalent that we often stay at victorians anyway. So when I saw something that was old and more civil-war era, primative, etc. I called and booked it. Maybe I should have asked more questions. I think I am going to write to the innkeeper and hopefully do so in a tactful and helpful way.
.

"So I don't like to judge a place by how technologically up to date they may be."
The website is the first impression. This is what baits the hook. Going there and hoping it might be nice is, well, you know the rest of the story. Running a professional B&B means all areas of operation, not just baking muffins.
If they don't care about the website, which is to attract business, then the rest is...gravy.
.

I agree, JB, but, I have been to some delightful B&Bs whose websites were not necessarily bad, but weren't what we would call contemporary. Just because a website is behind the times doesn't mean that they don't care about it. Maybe they just don't know enough to realize it is in desperate need of updating. On a recent 8 day trip during which we stayed in 5 different B&Bs we met a few elderly owners who had never updated their website simply because they didn't know better. Granted that isn't the way we will do business, but a less than adequate website doesn't predispose an inn to poor quality. Some lifestyle inns aren't actively chasing business and are happy with the status quo - and may be darling places to visit.
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Anyone who is doing a real business knows how important a good website it. Some older innkeepers are just stuck in a rut and will not change.They are happy with their 15 year old site and that 's the way it is. They also don't want to spend the time and money involved to get a new up to date site.
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I think part of the problem is a lot of people simply don't understand how the internet works they see it is ive put up the sight (ie like a sign) and thats the box ticked.