Anderson Bed & Breakfast
★★★★☆ 4.3 (8)
"First impressions are everything. The large house with three guest rooms, two smaller queen size en suite ($129) and a much larger king size with a separate vestibule and sofa ($149), is well kept inside and out. A lovely 1920's stone and wood structure, the Andersons have unfortunately modernized the house extensively inside, losing most of the early 20th Century charm expected of a B&B. The furnishings are also predominantly modern and tastefully done, but they seem out of place in a B&B.Dawn, the lady of the house, seemed very nice, but had to leave on errands when we arrived, so her husband Phil briefed us on the details of the house and showed us to our room, the smallest of the three rooms, a.k.a. the "Peters" room. He briefly showed us the other two rooms only because the doors happened to be open and I had enquired about seeing them, but that was the end of it.We were told that there would be only two other guests arriving that night, staying in the other small (Parsons) room and leaving the larger Van Maanen Suite free. As we were unpacking, the other couple arrived and I overheard the conversation as they were just outside our door in the hallway. Dawn had returned by then and was showing them to their room, stating "I had you in the Parsons Room, but I'd like to upgrade you to the Van Maanen Suite at no extra charge if that's OK with you". Strange, I thought, because we had arrived much earlier and it was obvious that these were, like us, not return guests, but we were made no such offer to stay in the empty room even though I had told them it was my wife's birthday. What are we, chopped liver?When I came down to get our luggage from the car, Phil was cooking dinner. I asked him about the obvious Dutch influence in the house's decor and he referenced Dawn's Dutch heritage, telling me about their trips to the Netherlands, but cutting me off and not wanting to hear anything about my visits there. He then told me, "We're having family over for dinner 'in the dining room' (which takes up most of the main living area) at 6:30", sounding like a rather big hint that we were probably not welcome in the main area of the house even though we were paying $130 per night to stay in their B&B. I told him, "Don't worry Phil, we will make ourselves scarce", to which there was no reply. When we came back from dinner around 7:30pm, the house was full of family and children, making it uncomfortable and impossible to enjoy the main area of the house, including the large adjacent enclosed porch, so we sequestered ourselves to our room. Even though I do not agree with the modernization of a historic home, the house is nice and the rooms comfortable and clean. There was a TV with cable in the room, although FS1 and the NLDS was not available, and the Wi-Fi was fast and dependable. Although we had restricted access to the main living area, there were several books available to read as well as a large screened-in porch which we were unfortunately not able to enjoy.I was hoping to get some ice water before bed, but the open kitchen is "off limits", clearly listed as "PRIVATE", so I had to make do with tap water during the night. The bed was comfortable although rather small for a "queen", but we had no way to control the temperature in the room and it was very hot, uncomfortable for sleeping as I like sub-70 degree temperatures to sleep and it was closer to 75 degrees in the room overnight. I also prefer darkness in the morning, but the curtains were thin with no blinds, allowing the morning sun to wake me up at 7:30 whether I liked it or not.We were asked to designate the exact time we wanted breakfast the night before and it was ready at 8:30am at the appointed time when we went downstairs in the morning. The "upgraded" couple from Texas were at the table when we arrived as were coffee and juices. Breakfast consisted of what was described as an "apple pancake" made with eggs from the chicken coop out back, as well as tomato, grapes, melon slices, and three small kielbasa. The egg was somewhat dominant in the pancake and not to my taste, but I finished it nonetheless as not to insult the host. The coffee, juice, and kielbasa were all good.In all, the house was nice, as was Dawn, and centrally located. The limited access to the living area due to the impromptu dinner party and the kitchen being "PRIVATE", Phil's somewhat controlling, know-it-all demeanor, and the excessive heat and light in the room made for a leIn all, the house was nice, as was Dawn, and centrally located. The limited access to the living area due to the impromptu dinner party and the kitchen being "PRIVATE", Phil's somewhat controlling, know-it-all demeanor, and the excessive heat and light in the room made for a less than perfect stay. At $130+ including tax, comparatively speaking, Anderson B&B was at least $30 overpriced.CombatCritic Gives Anderson Bed And Breakfast A Very Generous 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!"
"I stayed in the sweet cottage. A comforting respite after a long drive, the cozy house was super clean and had everything I needed for a good night's rest. The owner was friendly and helpful. I haven't posted in Yelp in 8 years but staying at the Tucked Inn motivated me to refresh my account so I could review it. Kinsley is a quirky and charming spot. though like many small towns has seen better days. But the architecture is interesting and there's a colorful carnival history to the place, which happens to be at the exact midpoint between NYC and San Francisco,"
"This home is absolutely magnificent. Built in the early 1900s, the home boasts many original fixtures and so many amazing stories of its rich history. The owners and their pets are so welcoming and warm. We enjoyed walking around the neighborhood taking in the rich history in the other homes and buildings. The downtown area is walkable, really looking forward to the new brewery, but even without it there are many options for food, drink and fun. We went in the winter, so some of the town's amazing activities were down (like the water park). We're already looking to book our next trip in the summer. Thank you to the Sopers for their hospitality and for opening the doors to this historic home!"
