Salem R.
Yelp
This place is now called the Copper Swan. I really wanted to like it. It looked charming in the photos and despite the mixed reviews on different websites, the recent ones seemed mostly okay. But I couldn't tell you whether I would or wouldn't have liked it, because I never actually stayed there.
I'd read up on the area and debated for several days over where I wanted to stay. I thought about a chain hotel but I like to have a local experience when I stay in smaller places, so I decided to go with the B&B option. I tried calling a number of times over the course of a couple days, but was unable to get through. The phone would just ring and then disconnect. On my last attempt before I was going to give up, John answered. I mentioned that I'd thought maybe they were no longer in business because there had been no phone connection for a couple days, and he said something that didn't make much sense about replacing his phone. He was very pleasant and we spoke a bit about the area and things to do. He gave some recommendations for meals and while he seemed a little distracted, he was chatty and personable. I hadn't planned to book immediately- this was meant to be more of an informational call- but he seemed friendly so I decided to just go ahead.
I had reviewed the website and was aware that the property has a main house, as well as an out building, which is the Carriage House. I informed him that for personal security reasons as a solo female traveler, I preferred to stay in the Main House, and also that I had a service animal. While he still remained friendly, I immediately detected a very slight change in tone. Let me be clear- I have had a service dog for eight years. I am very well versed in ADA law and compliance. I know my rights, and I am not even required to inform ahead of time that I have him, but I do so out of courtesy. I've traveled extensively, and I know very well when someone is trying to evade compliance. It was very clear that John did not want me to stay in the Main House, as he kept referencing "dog-friendly" rooms in the Carriage House.
There were two rooms available at a rate of $170 on the website, one in the Main House and one in the Carriage House. Again, I emphasized that I preferred to stay in the Main House for my peace of mind, but he pushed the Carriage House instead. His comments were really odd, didn't make sense and were actually a little creepy- "it's better than the Main House because you won't run into anyone," "you're actually safer in the Carriage House because your room opens right to the outside," "the Carriage House is more secure because you have your own outside steps" (I'm not really sure how direct access to the outside makes a room MORE secure...), and he reiterated that the room was "dog-friendly".
Now again to be clear, hotels are not legally allowed to exclude a guest from a space due to a service animal. I always try to be respectful of any place I stay however, especially smaller properties that may have fewer resources and staff. In fact, I always travel with lint rollers to clean up before we leave, and I will often even bring my own bedding. I have encountered this fight too many times to count though, so I have learned to pick my battles. Given that he seemed to be making an effort to accommodate, and the price was the same, I decided not to make a fuss and confront him about it since it was only for one night.
As he was making the reservation, he again seemed distracted or flustered. I mentioned that I could see the room on the website (which again, showed a rate of $170) and was happy to book directly to save him the trouble. He said he preferred to do it himself. During the process, he referenced the rate being $180. I politely corrected him, and he referenced a fee for my dog. I again specified that my dog is not a pet, but a trained and working service dog. At the end of the call, he said he would send email confirmation shortly.
This had all taken place during early afternoon but by the evening, I hadn't received confirmation. By the next morning, I still had not received an email so I called to follow up. He sounded flustered, and said he would do it right then. By 4:30pm, I again still had not received confirmation so I checked my credit card statement and saw that a charge had been made for $234.65 the day before. I called and when he answered, there was no greeting, just a "yes?" His tone entirely changed and he claimed the added amount ($65) was taxes. I don't know about other states, but room tax in MA is not 40%.
I have much more info but am running out of space. Details can be viewed on TripAdvisor. Short version is that because he couldn't legally charge for my service dog, he charged me for an upgraded suite I didn't book instead, thinking I wouldn't catch it until too late. This is verified with screenshots below. This man is not trustworthy or ethical. I cancelled and stayed somewhere much more honest and welcoming.