We stayed the Barrows House Inn this summer and had a wonderful time. The property has a main house and a number of smaller buildings with a few rooms in each. The Inn is spread out on a large parcel of land and there is a large beautiful garden adjacent to the main house. I found the room we had to be very nice, although I would agree with the other reviews it hadn’t been updated in some time. Nevertheless, it wasn’t run down, just a bit old. Our building (Truffle House) had a large porch out front with rocking chairs, tables, etc., a great place to just relax. The Inn also has a pool, although we didn’t use it, this is the one area that could use a fresh coat of paint and a bit of landscaping. The restaurant, which is in the main house, has a great menu and the food is very good. There are probably better high-end B&Bs in nearby Manchester, but the Barrows House Inn is very nice and I would stay there again. I would recommend going to their website and picking your room by looking at the pictures, that is what we did and we weren’t disappointed.

The Barrows House is quite nice looking from the outside however, our room was another matter. The room was small and cheaply decorated, neither of which would have alone prompted this negative review. What upset us was the condition of the room. In general, everything was old and in need of replacing. The carpet was ripped in the bedroom and the bathroom was in horrid shape:

Overall, it was obvious that the bathroom had been put in 50-60 years ago and nothing had been replaced or maintained since. The shelves were cheap rusty metal ledges, all fixtures were rusted and the floor was covered in peeling linoleum. The valve that flips the water flow in the shower from tub to shower only worked halfway, meaning that you got a weak shower and water pouring in from the tub spout also - after 5 minutes you were shin deep in water as you took a shower. I mentioned this to someone in charge of maintenance (may have also been one of the owners-not sure) and was told that it would require a part - too bad I guess.

Bottom line:
I know it’s a B&B and not a chain hotel and so there is some quirkiness to be expected at times, however $200+/night for ripped carpet floors, a bathroom in complete disrepair, and overall shoddy neglect is just a plain rip off.

Very disappointed, Extreamly over priced in relation to the other B and B's in the area. They seem will fee you to death, no breakfast included!!!

If they offer drinks in the lobby it will seem that they are complimentary but the are not. My wife and 3 kids had cider and found out later that they wanted $5.00 dollars!!!!! Greed is an amazing thing.

Do your self a favor and price other locations.

We stayed at the Barrows House during Fall 2004. The grounds are gorgeous, and sitting in the breakfast room by the windows, enjoying the lovely views and falling leaves is truly special.

Overall, however, this didn't feel like good value for money. The rooms are quite expensive and the standard isn't quite up to other inns charging similar prices in comparable destinations. Everything in our room could have done with updating. The lampshades, the throws, pillows, etc. The tea and coffee provisions in our room were almost empty when we arrived, (no tea, sugar or decaf coffee left, but empty packets were in the basket) and neither were they refreshed at all during our stay by housekeeping. The entire bathroom needed renovation. The outside stairs to our room were old, weak, steep and slippery.

A perfect example sums up our experience and perception of the value and hospitality. I was initially excited to find apple cider in the lobby on a cold day upon check in, but then surprised and disappointed to see that there was a charge of $1 for a cup. This is the type of thing I don't expect at an inn at the mid to high price range.

Dorset itself is a darling little town, a picture perfect town with marble sidewalks and white buildings lining the common. We were glad we chose to stay in Dorset, but next time might try another one of the inns.