Ess D.
Yelp
This review is for my B&B stay in the Nisbet Room of the mansion itself. (Click on bottom of review to see all photos I've posted or jump to Page 4 of photos to get to most recent pics.) I really wanted to love this place (I really did!!!) & was so excited to book it for my 54th birthday. I've stayed at many Select Registry B&Bs as well as upscale resorts in the same price range so that's where I draw my comparison from. Any room $300+/night needs to meet certain standards & Duke Mansion fell short overall. This did not feel like a B&B stay with the personal attention given at other Select Registry properties. It felt like a large historic hotel where they were more concerned with the functions, meetings & evening cocktails than their paying, overnight guests. Most other B&Bs have an evening reception w/hors d'oeuvres & wine included at no extra charge. This property has a cocktail hour where outsiders come in, they charge for alcohol allowing them walk the grounds & the interior. Had I known that I probably would have booked The Drury Inn & Suites (AWESOME HOTEL W/EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE!) and stopped in at the mansion for cocktail hour like all the others. This is great if you're not a guest paying $350/night & you're just wanting hold a glass of wine & walk the gardens. So that was the overall vibe of the house.
When I arrived, the front desk was unattended. Everyone seemed to be busy setting up for an event in one of the larger rooms. Eventually, within about 15 min, the front desk clerk showed up. No assistance was offered getting my suitcase up the mansion's front stairs or to the 2nd floor. At the other SR B&Bs, guests are escorted to their rooms. At first glance, everything looked fine but as the pics show, there wasn't the attention to detail in a room of this cost. Room repairs to carpet, upholstery & furniture as well as a sweep/clean up of the shared screened in porch is much needed. I've stayed at other properties in the $160-$200 price point in excellent condition others at $350 that were pristine...not a thing I would change. Instead of a wordy review, I'll make a list of pros & cons. You be the judge, after all, it's your hard earned money you're spending. I'm an RN...I have to wipe a lot of dirty behinds to stay at places like this. My $$$ is hard earned as is yours, I'm sure. Please be sure to look at the pics I posted...Jump to Page 4 for most recent photos.). Sometimes pics are worth 1000 words. They tell the story behind the story. Bottom line, it's nice at a quick glance but not worth the steep price during prime season! I'd say a more realistic price point for the quality of service provided & lack of amenities would be $190-$250.
CONS:
* Not a typical high standard "Select Registry" B&B experience
* No nightly turndown service like other B&Bs
* No afternoon reception (*tea, wine, hors d'oeuvres) for B&B guests (extra charge)
* Nisbet Room in need of new carpet, re-upholstery, furniture repairs & porch clean up (leaves, cob webs, ashes from previous guests)
* Some common areas had peeling paint
* Shower clogged, standing in 3" of puddled water. Front desk sent up housekeeping to Draino clog. This is a Q&A check that should be done by housekeeping between guests with each cleaning.
* No small refrigerator in room (Unacceptable at this price point. Most guests will bring a bottle of wine, champagne or sparkling water to enjoy & should be able to keep chilled.)
* No ice machine available (Need to call front desk & arrange a time to bring up every time you need ice.)
* TV/Cable "offline" not connected or disconnected in Nisbet Room
* WiFi very slow & lost connection often in yard
* Yard/grounds/gardens unkept during our stay on Aug 14th. Needed mowing, trimming & general clean up. Large brown spots throughout lawn.
* Coffee/Tea station on 2nd floor out of coffee tired, messy at times & only heavy cream available. Fruit just so-so. (At this cost Skim & Almond Milk should be available for health conscience guests.)
* Lack of customer service towards overnight guests, geared more towards meetings & functions for outside clientele.
* Blind driveway, difficult to find. One way but not clearly marked for those unfamiliar w/the property.
* Overall, not the usual friendly feel of a Select Registry B&B
* No pool, no hot tub & no work out facility
PROS:
* Front of Mansion impressive upon driving up (but tired & in need of a fresh coat of paint on closer viewing.)
* Wide parking spaces
* Clean linens
* Comfy bed
* Almond milk available on request, but call ahead, not typically offered.
* Ice water dispenser on 2nd floor beverage station (No fresh fruit slices infused. Made that suggestion on check out.)
* Attractive breakfast buffet & table settings
* Some of the staff were very friendly making breakfast very enjoyable (Inez & Mike were professional & gracious!)
* Food quality at breakfast was very good
*Probably a great venue for booking meetings/functions.