It only took us four years to decide and give it a try. Our daughter goes to UNH and we usually…read morestay at a chain hotel located in Portsmouth or Dover. We were happy we gave it a try. It's a beautiful old building with lots of history, character, and charm. Definitely romantic! The grounds were well maintained and picturesque. We booked our one night reservation on line and checked in with no issues. Our room was located in the second building and the room was bigger than we expected. Lots of character in the room. Old wooden beams on the ceiling, wood floors, etc. Everything worked to perfection and the bed was very comfortable. Our stay was during a heat wave and the air conditioning worked very well. We weren't able to grab a meal because the tavern was closed for a wedding party. We were a bit disappointed with the continental breakfast served to our room in the morning. It consisted on plastic bottles of orange juice, oranges, yogurt, granola, plastic wrapped muffins, and a package of wrapped hard boiled eggs. No coffee or tea. Our room had a Keurig with only two Keurig cups. It would have been great if the Inn had served a hot breakfast in the restaurant but most likely due to Covid, it wasn't possible. On the other hand, it would have been nice to have the Inn partner with a local bakery and serve a basket of fresh muffins, bagels, croissants, hot coffee, etc. The price of the Inn for the night was very reasonable and there was plenty of parking in their private lot. Staff was friendly. Location was very close to downtown Durham, UNH, and a few miles from downtown Newmarket. I certainly understand why this place would be great for a wedding. We already booked a stay for a night on our next visit in mid-August.

We've been coming to Durham for 2 years and never stayed here before. Well, we are pretty sad…read morebecause this place is the perfect mix of friendly and beautiful New Hampshire charm. From the timber framing to the renovated bathrooms and bedrooms, it's amazing. We also had dinner and cocktails here. The food is wonderful and the staff is excellent. I hate leaving such a great review because it means getting a reservation will get harder!

Awesome evening! My wife booked this for her parents 60th anniversary. They came out and set up and…read morewere patient with us as we had a mixed group of adults and late teens. I've done a couple of these and this was the most fun and relaxed experience to date. Very clear instructions and support and just overall nice people.

Come in with your own wine, leave with your own drunken painting!…read more My friends and I recently kicked off a bachelorette party with a trip to Art with a Splash. We were joined by 2 other groups of ladies celebrating bachelorettes for an afternoon session of wine and painting the NH seacoast. Jim was a great teacher who put an emphasis on there being no right or wrong way to paint your scene, so long as you're enjoying it - it was nice to feel like we could make our art without a lot of pressure to get it perfect. For people who did want to aim for something higher, he came around and gave specific advice and/or touched up paintings himself (only when asked). It was really fun to see how different people's paintings turned out. The only downside: no food provided (but we knew this upfront) and the room was a little cramped so it was hard to talk to some of my friends, even during the break. Still, I am now a fan of this kind of painting and would definitely return to this kind of class. Just make sure you make your reservation in advance - these things fill up quickly!

We used Runaway Bar for my daughter's wedding and are so glad we did! We had a custom menu of…read morecocktails and beer on tap along with a basic bar for other requests. Heidi was so easy to work with and was genuinely interested in getting to know the bride and groom so she could be clear on what their vibe would be for the celebration. She worked with them to come up with their unique cocktail menu. She made sure to understand the flow of the day, so that the mobile bar was accessible during cocktail hour and dinner and then later closer to the barn where the dancing took place. Runaway Bar provided stunning & tasty welcome drinks with flower garnishes to welcome the guests to the ceremony. The bar itself is adorable and the three bartenders were friendly and professional. I am so glad we chose Runaway Bar for the special day and I highly recommend Heidi and her services.

Located one flight up from street level and on the first floor of the Grand Hotel is the latest…read morelocation of Kitchen Chicks. Great spot to grab to go items as well as your daily coffee fix. They have breakfast sandwiches ready to go. There are cookies as well that looked delicious. The breakfast sandwich I had one morning was excellent! Simply egg and cheese on an english muffin. No complaints. I also grabbed a yogurt from the dairy case that contains portions of cheese as well. In the case are prepared items such as meatballs, grilled salmon, salads, other proteins and sides. Super friendly staff is glad to help you out.

I wrote a negative review about their quiche! yes a small dish but I did not like…read more and yes..I did not give a good review... but this easter cater, of ham soup and veg and dessert was just great so needed to post....one dish not liked but a dinner that was just great,

A great experience with Lavender Haze Bartending. Athena was so kind and her personality really…read morestood out to us. The planning process was really fun, getting to decide our signature drinks and creating fun names for them. The day of they were on time and setup ready to go for cocktail hour. The drinks were amazing and the staff were so sweet! They were overall wonderful and I'm lucky to say I loved everything about my wedding!

Athena bartended our wedding in September 2023. I could have asked for a better bartender! Full of…read morepersonality, smiling, chatting with all the guests, and of course amazing drinks! Even, my grumpy at most times dad commented on how fun she was. But, what really made her stand out is she really went above and beyond..even when our caterer left earlier than expected Athena stayed to help clean. Thank you Athena for being a part of mine and Cams big day! Hiring Lavender Haze Bartending will be the one of the best choices you make when wedding planning!

Took a drive up this past weekend for the Disney After Dark Burlesque show. It's a classic old…read moreschool theatre tucked in the downtown area of Dover. The facility and property has been well maintained. The new ownership and staff working were very outgoing and kind and helpful. I think the lady serving the liquor was part of the ownership or management. Very nice and welcoming. They are going to be showing Hocus Pocus, classic 90s Halloween film this season. Along w Rocky Horror Picture show and other classics from the golden era of film. Horror movies like Halloween or Friday the 13th would be great as well. It's a great and perfect throwback to yesteryear with the layout and how they do things. The owner said they do trivia and Cuban dance lessons among other fun events there. It's really a great find and I wish more towns had these small local joints where it's intimate and fun and a great experience. The burlesque show was awesome. All the woman were attractive and the show was great. My first ever. Looking forward to my next visit at the Strand. A great spot when in Dover to visit.

I like this place it has...... Movies. Not only that if you…read morelive nearby and know the area you would know it has a secluded ally type of parking lot that's great for finishing up that " cigarette" before the........movie.

Kate and her Beautiful Days team were such a pleasure to work with…read more Throughout the planning process, Kate listened carefully, asked us questions to pinpoint our tastes, and provided options to accomplish the look we were trying to achieve. In the end, Kate understood our "vision" perhaps better than we did, using a few photos we provided as inspiration to create arrangements, centerpieces, and other decor that blew us away when we arrived at the wedding venue and saw them for the first time. Kate and her team are true artists and pay attention to every detail! We could not have been happier with Beautiful Days and would highly recommend them for your wedding or any occasion.

This is the text I sent to Kate at Beautiful Days the day after my wedding. You really should not…read morehave a wedding without her. "I want to thank you so incredibly much for what you did for our family. Not only are you amazing at your job, you have such a wonderful spirit and energy to help us get things done and laugh with us at the same time. You kept me and my mom at ease all day, I didn't spend one second worried about anything and enjoyed every minute. The decor was beyond my visions, you are so talented and gifted in SO MANY ways. We are forever ever grateful for you."

The Castle on Charles is the place to book your event. We had the reception for our wedding here in…read moreOctober and everyone loved it. Herman went way above and beyond to make sure that we had a stress free evening and that all of our guests had an enjoyable and memorable night. Many of our guests said that it was the best wedding they'd ever been too. We don't have a single complaint and couldn't recommend this venue enough. Don't hesitate to set up a time to check it out, it's super affordable, flexible, and the best bang for your buck that you'll find.