I stayed at this lovely Inn with my film crew a few weeks ago. To be completely honest, I was a little naive about what the B&B experience would be, and was worried about putting my director & producer up at a place that might not meet their standards - But let me tell you, I could not have been more pleasantly surprised!
The rooms were beautiful, spacious and comfortable. Everything you would expect from a high-end hotel, and more! My personal favorite was the array of products in the bathroom. Not the standard, tiny, generic 'hotel-shampoos'... No, these were full-sized, well-made products! It felt like home - that is, if my bathroom at home was much cleaner, more elegant & spa-like.
The Inn-keepers, Marilyn & Gregory were nothing short of fantastic. They were knowledgable about the area, and super friendly - but have perfected the art of being helpful without smothering their guests, as can be a inconvenience for some travelers. They made us feel incredibly taken care of, helped us with dinner reservations, informed us of the history on the area in an engaging way... the genuinely full package. Any time I had a question, I knew where to turn.
Now on to what I miss the most... The breakfast. I arrived super early in the morning on my first day. Marilyn settled me into my room, and told me I was welcome to come out for breakfast at 8.30. When I left my room, I expected the standard selection of cereal, english muffins, and orange juice. Not at the Hawthorne Inn! Instead I walked out to a beautifully set family style dining table, where Marilyn & Greg served the other guests and I a delicious, holiday-worthy 3 course meal. For the calorie conscious traveler, I'll assure you, it was healthy and light and fresh. Granola, customized omelets, fruit, toast etc... They even respected & remembered people's dietary wishes and, without hesitation accommodated the vegetarians, etc. I mentioned in passing that I was allergic to egg yolks on the very first morning, and every breakfast following that one, they made my plates individually catered sans egg yolks without me even asking - even the french toast. My own mother doesn't even remember to do that.
We were on a weird schedule, and rudely rolled out of our beds later than the scheduled 8.30am on most mornings. At most places you'd be out of luck, and left to fend for yourself, but they still somehow managed to get all of us fed each morning without any sign of annoyance.
It goes without saying that my colleagues and I really enjoyed our stay there. I for one, was genuinely sad to leave and have to come back to my breakfast-less, less home-y apartment in Los Angeles.
Thanks again to both of you. I look forward to having another excuse to travel back to Concord & stay at the Inn.
Carmela Makela read more