I agreed to a friend's proposal to split a room at an local Airbnb that's near Lake Morley, Vermont…read moreon May 2022. Safe to say that I didn't get enough sleep that night during my stay.
I somehow managed to finish the marathon the next morning running laps around Lake Morley without much sleep. My friend booked the Silver Maple Lodge and cottages here in Fairlee, Vermont. It was a quaint home that's quite off the beat path. It felt homely, since it was a home that's converted to an Airbnb for guests and travelers. It felt like I was in a vintage antique home where you can peak into a room and that was what it looked like in the early 19th century. It wasn't like that in reality but it surely felt like it! My main problem was the beds. We were assigned the room with two beds that had a bathroom with tub in the corner of the house. I remember getting up to use it at least 4 times during the middle of the night and creeping back to the bed to try to sleep. The problem with the bed is that it was literally too small for me. If I rolled too far to the left or right, even a half a turn, I would have risked rolling off the bed and onto the wood floor. It was that small. It was comical when I look back on the experience but annoying as hell when I just wanted to get enough sleep to be fresh enough to endure 26.2 miles the next morning. Needless to say that wasn't the case, but managed to get enough sanity to ease myself thru and thought of that bed that wasn't comfortable at all. I don't mean to be mean, but that's my experience here at the Silver Maple lodge and cottages. While the prices maybe substantially cheaper than that of a hotel in the local area, I'd likely go with the hotel for a better night's stay. Airbnb's are great, just the bed here only. Wish I could get those 4 hours back instead of trying to make sure I don't roll off the bed in the middle of the night.
The overall experience here at the Silver Maple lodge and cottages was severely mixed. On one hand, it was a good deal to split with a friend on the room rate on two bed unit in the home. The other hand, obviously was my quality of sleep - or lack thereof, during my stay here at the Silver Maple Lodge and Cottages. The home is quite nice though. It has everything you could possible need, while the guest rooms were decidedly upstairs. My friend and I bumped into other mutual friends who were staying the night there too, which was nice. My friend spent the evening having dinner in the dining area of the Airbnb, pizza and French fries while we waited out the storm to clear. Not sure if there was maid service, but after we left our leftover pizza there, it was taken care of after we gotten back from the nearby Dollar General store down the road. The service here was okay, although the reservation was under my friend's name. I was not there when he checked in. It was neat to see the 21st century improvements made on the house, since this house was aging and modern methods of upkeep was necessary as the years go by. Although my experience was lacking, along with my sleep and sanity that night, I managed to give all my gusto and finished the marathon the next morning around Lake Morley. Call it sheer will or just the wanting to succeed, the lack of sleep beforehand weighed heavily on me. Will I swear off Airbnb's completely? Not necessarily. Just depends I guess. Not to sound mean but never again here. But, if you enjoy vintage rustic Airbnb that's off the beaten path in southeast Vermont, consider coming to this hidden gem. While my experience is individual, you'll be surprised at how much the prices are compared to hotels and other accommodations in the local area.
The Silver Maple Lodge and Cottages is located at 520 S US-5 in Fairlee, Vermont. They accept major credit cards when booking your reservation online, like majority of the lodging industry is these days. As far as parking goes, they have a small but sizable amount of parking slots for those who decide to stay on the property overnight. I'm pretty sure that Fairlee doesn't have a public transportation system, so best bet would be to rent a car and get here. Amtrak or greyhound May come close enough, but you'd need a rental car. Uber and Lyft operate in the area, but can be sparse when you need one on demand. The closest commercial airport would be the Manchester Boston regional airport (MHT) or the Portland Jetport in Maine (PWM). Still a good amount of driving distance to get across state lines into Vermont. Whichever the road of life takes you, you can consider this Airbnb for your stay in southeast Vermont. While the antique house is quaint and supporting the local business is paramount, my quality of sleep that night was non existent. Take this what you will. The beds are small but might fit your style. Wasn't the case with me.
3.0 stars for the overall experience. 4.0 stars for the price and location. 2.0 for the room / bedding. 4.0 stars for the limited service.
Support local!
C