While one can really only speak from ones own experience, I do wish to make a comment regarding another couples experience, on the weekend of April 19, 2008 at the Inn. The Inn is a magnificently restored house in Manchester Vt. on a winding road, just outside the town center with long views of the mountains. No expense was spared in the restoration, while still maintaining the historic character of the Inn. The public and guest rooms are individually unique, beautifully decorated and always spotless. We have visited several times, and always found the innkeepers or their staff, to be warm and helpful. This particular weekend there were lively conversations among the guests, both mornings while Ted discreetly served the multi coursed delicious breakfast. Chris came in from the kitchen at one point to make us aware of the brand new recipe she was trying out for us.
An innkeeper walks a fine line, as to either being a part of guest conversations, or remaining in the background, so as not to be intrusive. We have stayed at inns where we wished the innkeeper would disappear and let us eat and converse in peace, as we are not looking for entertainment or constant hovering.
However, what we like is to be pleasantly welcomed, well fed, and helped out in activities or dinner reservations, and we have always experienced this from Chris and Ted. I want to note here, that we were on a return visit, graciously extended for a six month period, as we had to cancel the day of our prior arrival due to a death in the family. They showed concern and a welcome back to us and we value that loyalty.
This was our experience.
PM & GM

I still cannot get past how the Inn Keepers could not manage a smile, "Welcome" or "Good Morning" during our stay. While the guests were very diverse everyone was open and friendly creating a pleasent atmosphere, at no time did Ted even break a smile or say a word during breakfast. His stone face did serve his guests but how much does a smile cost? We never even saw Chris and this was slow season. A quick pop out of the kitchen to say "Hey" would not have too much to ask. The room was fine but very warm at night with no hope of a fan since the thought of talking to the nearly non-existant Keepers was way too stressful. We spent the vast majority of our time away from the Inn and we were still amazed at how unfriendly the Keepers acted. This was not a couple of folks having a rough weekend. We, and the other guests, were treated as an imposition. We were also never asked how our stay had been. They could care less as long as the charge goes through. Do yourself a favor and find a different B&B or Inn for your special getaway.

We just returned from a wonderful weekend stay at The Inn at Ormsby Hill.

Background: My wife loves the idea of Bed & Breakfasts...However, we tend to avoid B&Bs because the typical format isn't really conducive for romantic getaways (e.g. the awkwardness of being in the home of complete strangers, feeling obligated to rush down for breakfast each morning, communal living and dining arrangements that can make for tedious conversation without the right mix of guests and the overall lack of privacy). That said, The Inn at Ormsby Hill has 10 distinctive guest rooms, so it doesn't feel at all like a typical B&B. In fact, we were very pleased with the first-rate accommodations, service, attention to detail, amenities AND privacy offered at this unique and captivating inn. In other words, we have finally found our ideal B&B!

Property: The inn is a magnificent, sprawling, colonial estate situated in a scenic valley with panoramic views of Mount Equinox and the Taconic Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. The inn's common rooms and dining area/conservatory are comfortable, inviting and cozy (with warm roaring fires in the fireplaces during our stay). The rooms are meticulously kept and tastefully decorated with early American antiques and colonial-style furnishings. The unoccupied guestrooms are left open, which gives the inn a spacious, welcoming atmosphere. This also allows guests to view the different layouts and decors of the various rooms. The room we stayed in happened to be our favorite, but we really liked the "Lincoln" room too. The inn has two common entrances; the front entrance leads into the living room and main floor common areas, while the back entrance is an enclosed staircase that leads directly up to the second-floor guestrooms. The inkeepers' residence is largely isolated from the rest of the inn. Although the inn was full, we didn't hear anyone in the hallway or nearby Lincoln room during our entire stay. Our room was very secluded and very quiet.

Room: We booked the "Taft Suite" for our two-night stay. The suite was very spacious, impeccably clean and tastefully decorated with elegant furnishings, hardwood flooring, a wood-burning fireplace, a very comfortable king-sized canopy bed and a separate sitting area. The suite is located on the second floor of the original home built in 1764. The bedroom and sitting room both offered incredible views of snow-covered Mount Equinox to the west. Like the rest of the inn, the suite is romantic, warm and inviting. The sparkling bathroom is well appointed with a luxurious double Jacuzzi tub (with a view of the fireplace) and a separate, glass-enclosed, steam shower large enough for two. The spectacular shower/sauna is about 5 feet long by 4 feet wide with 2 powerful showerheads (at opposite ends of the shower) and a built-in marble bench running the entire length. To complement the bathroom, luxurious bathrobes, towels, bath products and other amenities were also provided. It must be noted that this was probably the most meticulously cleaned accommodation we've ever stayed in, there literally wasn't a speck of dust, water spot or stray hair to be found anywhere in the entire suite. When we spend upwards of $400 a night for lodging, we expect the accommodations to be superior and the Taft Suite far exceeded our expectations. The Taft Suite is, in a word, exquisite!

Service: The entire staff is gracious and courteous and the service is exceptional for a small inn. As mentioned earlier, the housekeeping staff is particularly noteworthy. We found the owners (Ted and Chris Sprague) to be friendly and hospitable yet low-key. We felt our privacy was respected and never felt "noticed" as we came and went. We also felt that the staff went out of their way to ensure our visit was peaceful and thoroughly relaxing.

Breakfast: A scrumptious gourmet breakfast is included with the room rate. The hearty breakfasts, freshly brewed coffee, homemade granola, fresh fruit (and desserts) were all delicious. There are 3 tables to choose from in the large dining room that seat 4 to 8 guests each, so you have a choice of breakfast companions. On our first morning, the main course was a wonderful banana French toast with Vermont maple syrup, followed by ginger coffeecake with fresh vanilla ice cream for "dessert". On our second morning, the main course was a terrific apple and caramelized sweet onion frittata, followed by warm pineapple crisp with fresh vanilla ice cream for "dessert". The hot Breakfast was served at 9:00 am, but a continental breakfast was available earlier. Although we normally like setting our own schedule when traveling, the delightful breakfasts were definitely worth planning our day around.

Activities: The inn is located about 3 miles south of the picturesque New England village of Manchester, VT. The village of Manchester features stately historic homes, attractive marble sidewalks, magnificent inns, fine restaurants, casual cafes, upscale shops and quaint boutiques. There's also downhill skiing (Stratton and Bromley) within 1/2 hour's drive.

Summary: The Inn at Ormsby Hill is the most extraordinary B&B we've ever visited. Our room was exquisite, the food scrumptious and the experience quite memorable. We also truly appreciated the peaceful, out-of-the-way location of the Inn at Ormsby Hill. We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our stay at the inn and we'll definitely return the next time we visit Vermont.

we stayed at the Inn last week only for one night ( we would have loved to stay longer!) -

quaint, beautiful country inn - breakfast consisted of white chocolate pound cake, fresh strawberries with creme fraiche, and their versionn of eggs benedict - all were absolutely outstanding -

we stayed in the Ethan Allen room, a quaint room near the back of the property, separate entrance for privacy if one wants that - all in all, a wonderful stay - I'd stay there again in a heartbeat -