As a group of three, it can be difficult to stay in a bed and breakfast. Thankfully, the ORI offers a room in the property across the street from the main building with two queen beds. Silvernail 5 is a tastefully appointed, spacious room with very comfortable furnishing and plenty of room for three ladies with a lot of luggage! The location is outstanding if you plan activities in the downtown area, and parking was a breeze. Sure, there is some street noise during the day, but we are not the types that spend the day in our room. The best part? The dining room is just across the street and offers outstanding local cuisine (containing fresh, high quality ingredients) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We indulged in the five course dinner one evening and the full breakfast each morning we stayed. I am not sure why some reviewers called to food “bland” or “uninspired”. I am a city girl with pretty high standards, I do a lot of cooking, I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the country and I feel that I am a pretty good judge of food. I feel that those who speak poorly of the ORI kitchen either don’t know what they are talking about or dined on a freakishly bad night. Please, give the Old Rittenhouse a try and judge for yourself, you will not be disappointed.

My husband and I stayed in Room #11. It was wonderful. I had read the previous reviews on tripadvisor and was a little apprehensive by some of the negative reviews. I do feel most of the people with the negative reviews are not familiar with staying at B & B's. The owners were more than friendly, greeted us and showed us to our room with enthusiasm . The room was beautiful, filled with beautiful antiques, whirlpool, steam shower, and a view of lake superior. Easy walk to town and access to the ferry. It made for a very relaxful and romantic getaway.

My husband and I just came back from a three night stay at the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield. I have wanted to stay there for many years, and we finally did for our 30th wedding anniversary. What a wonderful stay we had! The bedroom was very sumptious and beautiful. We enjoyed a fire all set up for us every evening. Our view of the lake was incredible.

Several reviewers have said some negative remarks on here, but my feeling is they don't have a lot of experience with bed and breakfast inns. My husband and I have stayed at probably 30-40 over the years, and the best thing about them is they are all different. No two are exactly the same. That is the fun of going - to have another great discovery! This inn is a beautiful, classic example of Victorian decorating at it's finest. The Victorians used a lot of dark, rich colors and heavy fabrics. I found that to be acurate here and very tastefully done. I loved all the fantastic antiques featured at the Chateau and the main inn. But one of the things I liked best was the artwork throughout.

We ate the full breakfast every morning and it was out of this world! Well worth the extra money over the continental. The Wild Rice Pancakes with apples were to die for. We also ate dinner there one night and I have to tell you my slow roasted pork chop was two inches thick and fell apart with my fork. No knife needed and I didn't give any to my husband like I usually do when I am full. I was practicly moaning with each bite, it was so good.

The owners were wonderfully friendly and hospitable and even gave us a tour of all the rooms unoccupied in the main inn. How fun! We stayed in the Master suite in the Chateau and the king bed was soft and plush. There was not a speck of dust anywhere, and the floors sparkled in our bathroom. The only small complaint we have was that the shower head is low (we are tall), and we had to bend over to rinse ourselves off. Also, the water pressure could have been better. But these are minor details. (Can you tell I am married to a master plumber and probably more picky?)

We would not hesitate to stay again. Next time, we want to try room 11! Thanks Mark and Wendy for a great stay!

We were really looking forward to visiting the Old Rittenhouse to celebrate our anniversary, but left very disappointed. The staff seemed a bit disinterested and aloof, but we overlooked it. The food was adequate, but didn't seem quite enough. Our room was also not as nice as advertised. Even though things were not quite what we expected, we still tried to focus on enjoying ourselves. We were looking forward to a nice fire in our room that evening, but had a problem with the wood not burning properly . We brought this to the attention of one of the staff members twice, but all we were given was some newspaper. My husband spent most of the evening frustrated trying to start and keep the fire going, which did not lead to an enjoyable evening for either of us. When we later brought this to the attention of the owner the next day, he was rude and insulting. The overall rating would probably be higher if we were not for this response. Needless to say, we cannot recommend the Old Rittenhouse.