Samantha G.
Yelp
My husband and I have different ideas of what constitutes a good weekend away: He loves the outdoors, sleeping under the stars, and cooking over an open fire. I like nice meals, cushy accommodations, and shopping. So, he planned what should have been the perfect compromise away weekend on the Eastern shore: one night of camping at Tuckahoe State Park followed by a relaxing stay at a B&B with water views in Oxford.
Upon seeing my room, I wanted to be back in the tent.
I will start with the positive, which was the food. We had breakfast at the inn because it is included in the room rate, for up to $18 per person. While other reviewers have commented on the high prices, $18 certainly goes a long way at breakfast! I found it extremely reasonable. We enjoyed french toast, egg/crab Benedict, coffee, and multiple sides, and our bill was still zero dollars. Service was polite-- not exactly speedy-- but on pace with what I expected--this isn't New York City, after all. We sat on the end of the porch and enjoyed the tranquil view and the wonderful meal. A woman even came by and asked if she could take our picture in order to paint it later because it was so picturesque.
Another great attribute of the Inn is the location: besides being right on the water, you are right in front of the ferry dock, which comes every 15 minutes. You can get on with your car and then take a short drive to St. Michael's. It's very convenient. Within very short walking distance along the water from the Inn is the Scottish Highland Creamery, which has great ice cream. You can also walk to a small market, a bookstore, and a few other restaurants. The location of this Inn is exactly what you want for a quiet weekend getaway.
Also positive were our interactions with the staff. The staff was friendly to us and promptly showed us to our room. When I locked myself out of my room (oopsies! It locks automatically!), the woman at the desk was very kind and not at all annoyed. The waitstaff was very friendly and polite, too.
Unfortunately, I was very disappointed, and even grossed out, by our room. It's important to note that we did not stay in the main Inn building. I have no idea what those rooms are like. We had booked one of the Bottle Cottages. They are using the word cottages very loosely here, as both cottages are simply one tiny old house from the 1950s (1960s, maybe?) that has not been updated. The website description describes the Bottle Cottage as, "Large rooms with two in the cottage. More modern with seating areas and direct water views. Televisions are provided in these more modern rooms."
Calling the screened-in area a porch is a joke. The two provided chairs cannot even fit side-by-side in it. There is nothing modern about the bottle cottage: mismatched floral wallpaper and upholstery, two twin beds pushed together, old, stained carpet. It was really, really, unappealing. There was black mold in the shower and everything just felt dingy, stained, and old. Even my husband, who loves to "rough it" was skeeved out. He agreed to go to the car and get our sleeping bag from camping, and we slept in that instead.
I did not complain to the management because there was nothing they could do and it was only one night. What were they going to do? Replace the carpet, shower, and bed before my eyes? For $240 a night (198 on a weekday), I expect way, WAY more. The worst part is that the room was stifling. It was not even a very hot weekend and the room was so musty and hot. I wanted air freshener, a candle, a fan...anything..so badly! We had been warned not to touch the air conditioning or it would "freeze up," so we just suffered through it, ending up on top of our sleeping bag instead of in it.
For me, the whole idea of staying at a B&B is to have a nicer experience than home. I was very happy to come home to my modest, but clean, apartment at the end of this weekend. However, if I were back on the Eastern Shore, I would not hesitate to stop back at the Inn for brunch and water views.