I sincerely apologize for not responding to this review earlier but my review alerts go to an email address that has been malfunctioning for a few months, so I was unaware of it.

I think if you look over our reviews, you’ll find that you’re right, “to each their own”, as many find my “clutter” invitingly comfortable.

I’m so glad that you enjoyed the gardens and my breakfasts, so that your stay was not a total loss. We stay in Manhattan frequently & stayed in city hotels in Europe, when we lived in Germany, as well as relais and gasthauses, much older than our c.1714 inn. You’re certainly right that the various city “noises” even on a modern hotel’s 24th floor and the modern “sounds” that come through walls constructed in the 18th century and beyond, can be distracting, but we’ve always considered them part of that particular ambiance. If you look around, even in the U.S., most homes built for people of means were on major thoroughfares, and believe me this was no poor family’s house, and every modern hotel in this area is right on the same road we are, Baltimore Pike a.k.a. Route 1. I’m surprised that you didn’t take advantage of the sound machine prominently displayed, for light sleepers.

As to our plumbing, it is all recently updated, even the “reproduction” high tank, European style toilets are new, and I’m so sorry that your husband found the standard size toilet seat uncomfortable. Re: hot water- We do have a prominently displayed sign, in two of our rooms, explaining that the water should be run into the sink for a few minutes, before taking a shower to bring up the hot water, as they are each the furthest away from their respective hot water heaters. as is true in any old house

I suspect that your problem with the stream of water from the shower was caused by either the occupant before you or you or your husband adjusting the dial on the shower which controls the force of the flow, as it worked before you came and after you left.

Again I apologize for any discomfort, but what concerns me most is that although Chip stresses at check-in that the slightest concern should be brought to his or my attention, (That same request is printed on the invoice we hand you at check-in) in a three night stay neither you nor your husband mentioned anything, to either of us.

First let me apologize
When you said goodbye, after our phone call you were very pleasant and I had no idea that I had displeased you in any way. And if you had told me so, I might have said some of what follows:
When you called it was late and I was dozing off. I answered your question about gluten free accommodation in my usual way.
We have been accommodating folks who have asked for gluten free meals for years. I can think of 20 or 30 people over the last two years who have given us very positive feedback on our handling their special needs. One lady asked for a recipe.
When you mentioned that what I said wasn’t what you were inquiring about and you used the term “cross contamination”- you took me by surprise. Not one guest, who has asked for gluten free has ever mentioned “cross contamination”. I realized that I didn’t know about what you were asking, and it was different from what we had encountered before. (I have since done research on the Celiac Disease Foundation website)
I never want any guest to come here and be uncomfortable - but I especially don’t want them to come and be uncomfortable (or worse, sick) because I gave them a false sense of security or a “sales pitch”.
So I told you there would be regular breads and foods on the table if there were other guests.
I also told you that we are not a restaurant and have a normal family kitchen.
I wanted you to know the situation so you could make your own decision as to our ability to handle “cross contamination”. You were not satisfied and started to ask about “ordering …
I did cut you off because you were not picturing our situation. I told you that we can’t just take orders but we can work ahead of time to accommodate special needs.
If repeating the same info is a rant, then I again apologize but frankly the seriousness of harming someone with special dietary needs that could come from “cross contamination” scared me and I wanted you to decide if we were capable. Again you politely thanked me and said goodbye.
I have since learned that some people with celiac disease need to have their food prepared with separate utensils and bowls. While other situations require a good cleaning between preparations of the gluten free and the gluten contained foods.
Because of your alerting me to this situation I will now ask folks what their needs are, when they advise us of their situation.

Note to Trip Advisor
I am concerned that this review was made after a phone call and not after a stay. Did they click a rating for the things below, as well:


Service

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Value

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Sleep Quality

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Cleanliness

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Location

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Average

Rooms

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Swimming Pool

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Room Service

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