We stopped here unexpectedly after a day of hiking. We had planned to drive 3 hours back home, but were pretty tired and did not want to make our 1 year old and dog sit in the car any longer. I came across this hotel because it was kid and dog friendly, but the history (more on that later) piqued our interest.
We got there somewhat late, around 9pm. From the moment I got there, without a reservation might I add, the staff was outstanding. The suite we wanted wasn’t available, but we were upgraded free of charge to a bigger room, which was so kind. The next morning the staff entertained our baby while she burnt some energy before our drive home and were once again SO kind. I have been to hundreds of hotels across 46 states and the staff at this location was easily the sweetest I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
The room: My only criticism and reason for 4 stars rather than 5 was that the shower could use some love (like extra extra love). I’m not sure if there is hard water in the town, but it was pretty bad with orange, pink, and black all over the floor/ lower wall. The inner shower curtain was also orange. We didn’t let our baby touch the floor during her shower because it was so gross. I did see another review with pictures about this, so this appears to be an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed. Otherwise, the room was great. Upgraded while maintaining the original features of the building. Overall, the building was beautifully upgraded without taking away from the original charm. Sounds from other guests wasn’t loud at all like a lot of the other reviews I have seen said. The fridge made some loud noises every few hours, but it wasn’t a huge deal. The pillows were very soft, so if you need firmer pillows you may need to bring your own!
The history: I saw a handful of reviews upset about the history of this Inn. Personally, I found it quite easy to find information on this location and what it was in the past. For those who feel they were lied to, I’m shocked you didn’t consider the history of a clearly historical building even if the hotel did not mention anything about it. At check in I was pointed to a historical guide, which I appreciated as both a history “nerd” and someone in the psych/medical field. The current owners do only touch on the more palatable history, but their goal isn’t to be know as a haunted sight, rather to be a boutique inn. This is INCREDIBLY common, especially on the east coast, so to say they are trying to erase or cover up history is a stretch. There are without a doubt sad things that occurred here, but that is true for most of the land in Virginia as a whole. We did notice construction near the cemetery and hope that whoever owns that part of the land chooses to allow the many unmarked graves to continue to rest in peace.
For anyone wondering if it is haunted: we did get some weird vibes as the night went on, but nothing major to note. If you consider yourself an empath you may feel the heaviness from what it was in the past.