Welcome to the Inn
I have to be honest, I don’t think of myself as a Bed and Breakfast kind of guy. I’m too much of an introvert to take a chance on sharing some part of my travel experience with basically random folks. Accordingly, I’ve never looked into a B&B. Well, until last week.
One of my coworkers retired, and instead of going to the tried and true restaurant across the street that we always go to, the planners of her party took us a mile away to the Connecticut River Valley Inn. While standing outside on a covered patio, one of my coworkers pointed to the little outbuilding and suggested that maybe I could use that for Thursday Doors. Initially, I didn’t want to be “that guy” who spends time at a social function off pursuing a different interest. I mean, of course, I am comfortable with that guy, but I didn’t want to draw attention to it at this event. Until the owner of the Inn offered to give us a tour of the inside.
She encouraged photography.
We tried this with the doors open, closed and one open and one close. The owner was so supportive.
When I told her about Thursday Doors, she said the thing we door addicts all would want her to say: “feel free to close any doors you like, if it would make a better picture.” Once the inside tour was complete, I didn’t feel bad at all about snagging a photo of that outbuilding.
The Inn is just south of the retail district of Glastonbury, CT.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not sure why people that were desperately trying to escape the perceived tyranny of England, named everything in the “new world” after something in the old one, but…yes, I digress…again.
As the name implies, the Inn is also close to the Connecticut River. A very scenic river trail is about a 2-3-minute walk away from the beautifully landscaped grounds of the Inn.
The rooms at the Inn are romantic. OK, that’s not my word, but I would agree that they could be perceived as being romantic. I would say that the rooms offer a very nice New England “period” experience. Don’t take that to mean rustic or B&B-scary, as in shared bathrooms and no Internet. The rooms we toured all had their own bathroom and there is free WiFi throughout the building.
Our event was catered, but the Inn’s kitchen had the appearance of a room in which very nice meals are prepared. The common areas, which include a formal and an informal living room and a dining room look like a nice place to hang out for a while, even with a few strangers. Maybe getting to know them. Maybe letting them get to know me…maybe.
I would recommend this Inn to anyone looking for a B&B in central CT. I would especially recommend it to someone from outside of New England and for anyone coming from another country, looking for a non-blah-hotel experience. The New England ambience, the gracious host, the location that offers outdoor activity, walkable retail and proximity to some very nice restaurants, combine to present a nice base from which to work or explore.
Enjoy the photos in the gallery.
This post is part of Norm Frampton’s fun little series called Thursday Doors. If you visit Norm’s page, you can see his door(s) and you’ll find a blue linky thing near the bottom. Click that to add your own door or to see all the others.
Wow… I’d like to live in a place like that. Thanks for sharing it, Dan. Great fireplace “doors” too. Yes, it’s a departure for your posts, but it can be good to shake things up a bit now and then. Have a thriving Thursday. Hugs.
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It’s funny, I actually thought about your serials as I was walking through. I was trying to imagine how I would describe these rooms. I was going to pass on the doors, until she offered to give us a tour. Have a great day Teagan.
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You walked right in to a great opportunity. Beautiful setting. I like the doors to the dining room.
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The rather narrow double doors work so well. They don’t require a lot of swing room and they fit the decor of the rooms so well. Thanks for stopping by!
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Wonderful interior doors, Dan. At least yours are inside and hanging (unlike the interior doors in my post this week). ;) What a beautiful place to visit.
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Thanks Jean. I’ll be checking your site later, but doors usually look better when they are on hinges in a doorway – I’ve had plenty of experience with doors in other situations.
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We’ve just bought a small cottage and all the interior doors are off their hinges as the previous owner had made an attempt at renovating. There’s so much work to do, I think it will be a year before we get around to hanging them. Maybe we should make the doorway into arches and leave it all open plan. Hmmmmmm.
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I have a collection of beveled glass cabinet doors from an old school building. I have plans to use them, but…
Good luck.
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Now that sounds just like the sort of place I would like to visit and stay at. Great selection of doors and such a cooperative hostess.
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The hostess was so welcoming. We’re thinking of suggesting this place to our overseas visitors.
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Just the thing for a door addict. You sure know how to use a great opportunity, nice series!
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Thanks! The owner was so accommodating, she really made it easy.
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I have stayed at two or three B&B’s in my lifetime, but none of them come close to this one. The house and furnishings are gorgeous and the inn is so inviting. I could see myself hanging out there all morning with coffee and a good book.
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I’ve never stayed in one, and I never would have thought that I might like to. This place was pretty inviting. They have some very comfy looking outdoor chairs, too.
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It’s a lovely place, Dan. Good find.
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Thanks. I’m glad we were there.
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Lovely place with beautiful doors, Dan. I’d enjoy staying there. We’ve stayed in B&B’s before and enjoyed them. There’s now Airbnb, https://www.airbnb.com/, making it easy to find a B&B wherever you are. Our daughter used it when she and I visited Napa and found a lovely place. Not all of them require lots of interaction with hosts, but it can be lots of fun.
janet
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Thanks Janet. I have friends who have used Airbnb with good results. I tend to stick to Marriott when I travel, but this place was an eye-opener.
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Charming. I like the idea of a B&B but I don’t care for more than a day of it. It’s a people’s people kind of thing, isn’t it? Shared meals and meeting new people. Nah, I’m a cottage-unto-ourselves kinda person. Still, I like the idea. Great door, I love the door! :)
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Thanks! You sound like me. This would be perfect, if I could afford to rent the whole thing :) I’m just not much of a people person. Still, this would be a great place to experience Connecticut. Sometimes, staying in a hotel, you might as well be anywhere. I do travel where the event and the meals are in the hotel and I don’t get out unless I go for an early morning walk. Miami? Chicago? Toledo? not much of a difference.
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What a lovely place!
BTW … My understanding of the puritans is that they wanted to recreate the ideal version of England.
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Thanks, and thanks for the explanation. We also have lots of New-s New London, New Hartford, New Britain, etc. I guess it all makes sense.
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Yes it does Dan… Let’s rebuild the world but with us in charge. A legacy that continues 🙏
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Good pics, Dan. I’ve always liked B&Bs. They certainly have more character than most H&Ms (hotels and motels). In other words, better to stay in the Bates house than the Bates motel. Hmm, wait a minute …
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Thanks Paul. Now I’m trying to think of episodes of TZ that might be influencing your dcision. I can think of the booby-trapped hotel room, and the place where the Howling Man was penned up. No clear winner there. Then there’s the casino where Franklin met his demise, and (sorta) The Lady Anne. I’m sure that I’m missing a few, but…
Your example isn’t encouraging either. Maybe I’ll just stay home :)
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Great post Dan, this looks like a wonderful place. Like you I used to be hesitant about trying the B&B experience but being the social butterfly she is, years ago Honey was able to convince me to give it a try. Now when we travel for pleasure we usually look for these places first, rather than chain hotels!
And how cool is it that you have coworkers who help/contribute to your door addiction?
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Thanks Norm! I tend to only travel for business these days, but this is a charming place if you ever need to be in central, CT. My door addiction is well known, and fortunately, my friends and family members are enablers rather than people planning an intervention :)
The owner was so nice. She was offering to move things out of the way, open/close doors, etc. What a gem!
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Wonderful gallery. I can’t say that I am too keen on mingling either. I am way more brave and welcoming of small talk when I have a camera in hand. I think that was because a camera denoted work, and you can’t be an unfriendly working photographer. Can you? But if it is just me, I am a lot more timid and would not want to share breakfast and small talk with strangers. Perhaps in this setting, I might warm up to it? Either way, I am glad you got the tour and showed us:)
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Thanks. This was the best of both worlds for me. I got a tour, some good food, some wine and some photos. I only had my phone, but it worked pretty well.
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I call that a win win win then!
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I am not a B&B kind of gal, either, but this is pretty! I’m glad you took a photo of the outbuilding because that is about my favorite door. It looks like a potting shed and now that is my kind of building.
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Thanks. I actually think you may be right Lois. There were some tools around that indicated active garden work and planing. Good eye there! I had other pictures of the outbuilding, but the sun was shining right on the windows and the photos have lots of flare and haze.
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What beautiful rooms! I love those skinny bathroom doors, and the shelving around the window. Connecticut is now on my imaginary bucket list!
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Thanks Marian. You never know where they might have a book fare or an author’s retreat or a wine tasting ;)
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What a pretty little place. I’ve never stayed at a B&B but I’ve heard they are usually lovely experiences. I must make a point of trying something new!
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Thanks Joanne. I’d go with “you stay and let us know how it was.” I guess I’m not that adventurous.
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ok – I’ll take one for the team ;)
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Atta girl!
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Oh, your featured door is beautiful today, Dan, right down to the spider web-esque window detail! Like you, I’m a BIT torn when it comes to B&Bs. I love the idea of it… right up to the “common area” stuff. No, no, if I’m staying in a B&B, it’s because I want to have quiet time in a comfortable setting, ALONE with the person I’m there with. I don’t want to even SEE strangers. Well, unless they’re bringing me food. But just set it down and go, thank you. No socializing required. ;P
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Thanks Wendy. I am leaning toward your view of strangers, especially if I were traveling with someone. I mostly travel for business, and I’m more interested in proximity to the places I need to be.
I really like: “I don’t want to even SEE strangers. Well, unless they’re bringing me food.”
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I’ve only stayed at one B&B and it was lovely, but it’s rarely my first choice when looking for accommodations away from home. I think I’m put off by all the extra rules, and curfews of a lot of B&B’s.
This B&B looks lovely. I really liked the Potting Shed door, and all those French glass doors.
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Thanks Deborah. I love the glass doors throughout the house. They keep the place from feeling as small as it probably is, but they allow for some privacy without the complication of walking up to a closed door. I didn’t know about rules and curfews. I guess that’s something people have to consider.
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Wow, what a beautiful inn…I will have to keep it in mind for our next driving holiday! Thanks for the recommendation – your photos are beautiful too!
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Thanks. It looks like a wonderful place to stay, if you’re tired of the hotel experience.
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I think modern B&B’s are rather like that: ensuite and free WiFi. But they are rather more expensive than they used to be :-). I’ll have a little about “old” Glastonbury on my blog next month :-). No doors though :-)
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Thanks Bee. I look forward to that post.
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Beautiful Dan. I was struck by how low the ceilings appeared. Were they eight footers or less? I know the earlier generations were not very tall but for some reason these looked shorter than most.
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I’m 6’2″ and the ceilings seemed less than 8′ but the glass doors really do help make the place look and feel bigger.
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We have 9 and 10 footers so I was wondering.
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That’s a nice height. No such luck here.
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:-)
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Since my work (retired now) was with people, on my vacations I wanted to be without people, except for hubby. I admire people who do a B&B, because no doubt they’ll put up with the guests’ peculiarities:) Enough said. Love these doors well-fitting to the rest of the interior, and the chess-floor. For me it is Vermeer (his and several of his time, had chess floors in their paintings).
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Thanks for the comment and the extra bit of history – I love learning stuff like that. I’m with you, I travel enough and spend enough time with people. When I travel for leisure, I like to choose the people I spend time with. I could try something like this, if I were in a new area or a different country, but unlikely.
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That was great to have the owner support you. It is great publicity. I love bed and breakfast places, but I never stayed at one overnight.
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She was so very gracious, I really appreciated the tour, because I had never stayed in a B&B. When she encouraged photos, I was very happy. We might start suggesting this place for some of our foreign visitors. Much nicer than some local hotels.
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Dan, this was a beautiful door presentation and I like many special and unique features. My favorite room was the dining room in your photo with the pretty antique chandelier. :)
The fact this is a 1790 home is wonderful. I liked the paned glass semi-circular window above the front door. I think the way they allowed some wear and tear on the exterior posts and their bases on either side of the door to be interesting, Dan.
My ex and I stayed in a B & B in Providence, RI. It was lovely and “cozy.” We took the famous Cliff Walks tour, he wrote stuff up for a RI magazine or possibly the local newspaper. I have a photo of him in front of a brown wooden shingled cottage with white trim. (He usually flashed his “Ohio Magazine” press I.D., which no longer exists.)
Scot had “networked” to get us into the scheduled weekend. The hostess and host owners made omelets with guests choosing the ingredients inside. I remember ordering Swiss cheese, mushrooms and onions. There were 3 guest rooms, 4 bathrooms upstairs. The 2 other couples were in their 50’s while we were 29 and 30.
Although I enjoyed this, I would have liked it had we traveled with a couple we knew. I made the brochure for a local B & B, drawing (pen and ink) the exterior of the home set back in the woods~ on cover, the guest book table and writing up a blurb for each section (called the Tuck’R Inn.)
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That sounds like an interesting experience, Robin, Thanks for sharing that. I think a day or two in a B&B would be nice, particularly if it’s an area I haven’t been to. I tend to choose a hotel as a “base of operation” and I like to come and go as I please and I’m not sure I’d be comfortable around the other people. That’s me, but this place certainly is beautiful and beautifully maintained.
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You did what in French we call “faire d’une pierre deux coups,” meaning you took advantage of one event to cover another one. And that’s a great idea since it’s a cool post. Of course, the inn’s owner was real nice to let you photography everything. In a way it could bring her some new guests! It’s really a lovely place. Love the shelves next to the windows too. And the grounds seem beautiful.
I love this short passage you wrote, unrelated but still…
“I’m not sure why people that were desperately trying to escape the perceived tyranny of England, named everything in the “new world” after something in the old one, but…”
I often think the exact same thing!
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Thanks Evelyne. I kind of like the fact that I did a French thing :) It’s a very charming Inn, and the owner seemed equally charming. I guess you would have to be, in order to open the place up to strangers, day after day.
Someone explained the city-naming thing above. I always had that feeling, but I didn’t think about it a lot. But, frequently, when I mention New England cities on my blog, I get comments like “I live near that city in England” or some other country that we left behind, and then brought with us.
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Very Colonial looking, Dan. I love all the doors. And windows! My favorite, though, is the one leading to the balcony or veranda, I suppose, depending if you are up or down. Very cozy place.
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Thanks Cheryl. I like those doors too. That bedroom is on the second floor, and the deck wraps around the entire back side of the building.
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Sounds wonderful.
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Oh my gosh I am in LOVE with this B&B. What gorgeous pictures and I so enjoyed every single one of them. Dan, you must take your wife here for a small get a way. She would so appreciate it, I do believe. I know I would. *sigh* Beautiful post!!! The architecture of the window with the shelves, the wrap around porch, the style of the whole building, the double glass paned doors, the way the bed looks, just begs for romance. OK. On my bucket list as of right now! <3
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I’m glad you enjoyed it Amy. It does look like it would be a much nicer place to stay than a hotel room – if your so inclined. Thanks!
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NO question in this woman’s mind at all, Dan. Hotel rooms are sterile. Usually. Oh, not this B&B!
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Gorgeous place, and I’m sure very relaxing. I’ve never been to a B&B either, but I can see the appeal. Then again, to my mind all of Connecticut seems beautiful and green (this time of year), with houses on large parcels on land, wide open space, beautiful decor, and just great architecture. But this place, in particular, looks exceedingly nice.
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Well, our house is on a small parcel of green/brown and bare land. But things are looking up
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Looks like an absolutely lovey B&B. I also rarely choose to stay in a B&B but on the few occasions I did, I must say the experience was quite positive.
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Thanks. I will still probably fall back to hotel mode since most of my travel is for business. But, this did look like a nice place to be.
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Lovely door at a beautiful Inn – good catch. I’ve stayed at a couple of lovely B&Bs and enjoyed it, but I’m not big on casual chit chat with strangers so it’s work for me. My hubby loves it – salesman in him. :-)
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Ha ha – I could never be in sales. Ugh, the mere thought makes me shiver in fear. Thanks!
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If I ever visit CT, I would love to stay here. I hope they don’t burn a hole in my budget. For me this property is nothing short of a 5-star property.
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The room rate is comparable to the local hotels. If I had people from other countries coming to CT, I would recommend this place, unless they are an introvert like me. Then I’d get them their own room in a local hotel :)
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