We spent two nights at the Alpine Hilltop Haus Bed & Breakfast in Helen, GA. Our overall experience was a very nice one, yet I come away from there with mixed feelings.

As far as the owners making you feel at home by being warm and friendly this would be rated a 5 plus! Upon arrival one of the owners came to our car to greet us and throughout the stay they made us feel very much at home.

Our room was very clean, yet it seemed to lack something…the bed was very cozy and comfortable with a lovely down comforter, the fireplace was very inviting and romantic. The room really didn’t seem to have any type of “theme” just that it is painted blue (so the name comes from this) and it had a bit of this and that for decorations.

The only place to hang clothes was right behind the entry door on a 4 hook wall hanging – no actual closet. The dresser was very tiny and narrow, but it did hold our things after they were folded up a few times to make them smaller. There was not an actual furnace to heat the room, it was more like a space heater built in to the wall that did throw heat, yet we were a bit chilly at times.

I was a little surprised as the bathroom was a very tiny room with a commode and only a shower (I feel like this should have been clearly explained in the website and maybe I misunderstood the description…I love to soak in a tub and missed this). A small sink was just outside the bathroom in the bedroom. The bathroom was decorated in a lighthouse type motif.

When staying at a Bed & Breakfast I look for things that are out of the ordinary by going the extra mile to give you that warm and fuzzy feeling and I just didn’t find this here. The bathroom had no type of lotions, shampoo or soaps to choose from and our towels were not replenished each day with clean ones (we were given two bath towels, one hand towel and two face cloths). The bathroom trash was not emptied until after our departure and the trash can was the only one in the room, so we made do with a few plastic bags we brought with us for the added trash.

I made our bed and felt like perhaps they’d come back in and go back over it while we were gone, but this had not been done.

The fireplace was always loaded with kindling, paper and logs so it was ready to be lit and we did appreciate this added touch! Also, extra wood to put on the fire was not an added cost since we did burn the fireplace both nights for several hours.

Breakfast was served at 9 a.m. promptly both mornings and the atmosphere was warm and inviting just off the kitchen looking out at the lovely backyard. The Christmas decorations and tree were still up and this added to the homey feeling. I was happy about the 9 a.m. time for breakfast vs. 8 a.m. at other B&B’s we’ve stayed at…8 is just a bit too early to be up and dressed when you are on a vacation.

Both days we were served a wonderful baked egg dish with toast, one day with bacon and the next day with red potatoes and homemade applesauce, juice and coffee. The breakfast was certainly enough to carry you over until dinner time with a small mid-afternoon snack.

The owners were very helpful as far as giving you information on where to dine, what to do and see and just general friendly conversation that makes us enjoy the B&B experience.

I feel a bit apprehensive about scoring this stay a 4, yet I do feel there is room for improvement and that is why it is not rated a 5.