I highly recommend this hotel to anyone who appreciates historic properties and enjoys relaxing! The Colonel and I would go back in a heartbeat. We found this place semi-last minute while deciding to do a trip to Monticello for the Fourth of July. A few rooms were still open, and they ranged in price from about 165-355, pretty much in the range for that area of Virginia. We picked the 'Boys Cabin' the original log cabin homestead for the site, dating back to 1699. Booking online was easy and flawless, and we speak as folks with experience implementing website storefronts.
We arrived around 5 PM on Saturday, after visiting Montpelier. The hotel was equidistant from both Presidential homes, which is another reason we selected it. We were greeted by Kristin, who gave us a tour of the house and our cabin. We then followed her back to the reception to make a reservation for dinner and to grab a glass of wine, which we then took out onto the porch. We sat and relaxed for the hour before dinner, snuggling with the ginger porch cat, an elderly but friendly gentleman. Then we took our glasses and entered the pretty little chintz dining room, where we had a table by a lace curtained window. The style of the house is very traditional Southern, with lots of swags and chintz and crystal lamps. I love it as it always reminds me of my grandmother.
Dinner was amazing, and for such a small out of the way place (you do travel on some gravel roads to get there) it was even more impressive. The prix fixe menu is an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $55. I had a salad, pork chop, and 'Italian toast' while the Colonel had scallops, salmon wrapped in bacon, and a brulee bread pudding. We took pictures so you can see how good it was -- my salad perfectly complemented the pork chop, the side vegetables were fresh and beautifully done, and the chop came with both a risotto (perfect) and was stuffed with cornbread dressing, which I normally dislike but found to be delicious. The salmon had the same sides and was even better! Dessert was gorgeous, and I was getting stuffed, even though the portions were well sized. We signed our check and went back to our room where I promptly fell asleep for two hours.
Our room was 17th century sized, but modernization means it is about half bathroom, including a whirlpool bath. There was a large fluffy bed with I'm pretty sure a featherbed on it, taking up about 3/4 of the space. The bed was soft and the Colonel woke up once with a creaky back, but I thought it was fine. We had a fireplace that looked properly witchy, and a plate with bottle water and some homemade cookies. It was nice to have a place where no noises from neighbors will disturb you. It overlooked the pool, which is unheated, and that would have been nice had it not been for the crazy weather we had that weekend, where it was actually cold and rainy.
The next morning we breakfasted (for free) in the same cute dining room. Very generous for a 'free' breakfast -- yogurt parfait with VERY good fruit, yummy cheese grits, two pieces of good quality bacon, and some blueberry pancakes. All very festive for Independence Day. Afterwards we attempted to take a walk as the property has a nice 1.5 mile trail through some forest, but we turned back due to rain and mud. We watched a girl exercise a horse, and made friends with a nice poodle that was roaming the premises.
All in all a wonderful stay. I think it is good for families (what with the pets and the walking and the pool) as long as you plan to get multiple rooms. We sometimes bunk up but that would not have been possible had the Sprossling been with us. They are dog friendly (with some rules) and asked about any dietary restrictions. It IS a very old property, so you have to be willing to put up with quirks, and I would not pick it if you plan to plug in a million devices or watch TV (none in the room). It is a place for relaxing and socializing with your loved ones and friendly strangers. By the time I left I felt like we had vacationed briefly in another era! read more