We stayed two nights at Rutland Road in the Osborne Room. We really appreciated the nice bedlinen, tea and coffee making facilities in the parlor and the authenticness of the whole house. It is convenient for the subway and situated in a leafy residential road with access to bars and restaurants nearby. It was quiet and we didn't clash with other residents when using the bathroom, all was easy, thank you Mark.
We stayed in the Lafayette apartment near Fort Green Park in Brooklyn.
We really loved our stay here. The apartment is in a nice street, opposite of a park.
Subway station (Lafayette) is on walking distance (5-10 minutes) and City Bikes are closely as well.
Spacious apartment, with a separate bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.
Great place to explore Brooklyn and Manhattan!
There is a lot that is good about Lefferts Manor, where we stayed for six nights in April. It is very convenient for Prospect Park subway station from where the journey into Manhattan is rapid. The lounge/dining area downstairs is furnished to suit the age of the property and is comfortable in a homely sort of way with books, games, a computer for the use of guests and a variety of hot drinks from which to choose.
The area is quiet although Manhattan isn't far away. In 'the city which never sleeps' this was a definite plus point.
We stayed in the McManus Room on the third floor, sharing a bathroom with two other rooms. Here, the bed was comfortable, though a thinner duvet would have been appreciated.
The furniture was adequate, but not in first class condition, though once again, it suited the age of the property. The rugs needed cleaning or renewing. The window frames were peeling so much they must have been rotten and there was a large hole in the plaster, Generally, this left us with a feeling that the place was rather run down and needed repair and redecoration. This applied to the flaking varnish on the stairs and bannisters as well.
Another guest has mentioned ants, and there were indeed ants in the room as well as one or two downstairs on the tea table. I know ants are difficult to tackle unless their entry route can be established, but it does need addressing.
My biggest beef with the room was the bedding. It was very crumpled, which gave it a previously slept in appearance. One expects the bedding to look clean and cared for in a bed and breakfast.
We knew before we arrived that we would have to share a bathroom, and this wasn't a problem in itself. However, I agree with the guest who mentioned the half glass door. Although it was frosted, you had a view of guests inside and it was fairly clear what they were doing. Fortunately, you could hide round the corner when taking a shower. It did remind me of my days staying in youth hostels. Maybe a translucent blind on the door would do the trick, much as there is on the window.
The bathroom too, retained its period features but it had not been decorated or repaired sufficiently. Tiles were cracked and the toilet cistern often failed to fill up so the top had to be removed and the internal workings adjusted. There was no plug on the washbasin if you just wanted a wash rather than a full shower. A light bulb needed changing in one wall light. I know this sounds a bit picky, but they are all small irritations that are easily rectified.
The water was scaldingly hot when it ran through. You had to take great care in the shower and I could only turn the tap off with a face flannel as it burnt my hand. This is a more serious issue as it could have health & safety implications.
Finally, it was strange to see no-one other that the cleaner during a six day stay. There was nobody around to address any issues. It was like living in the house of someone whose benevolent presence was apparent - keys left under the umbrella stand, friendly notes in the room and on the walls - but who never appeared. We felt the lack of human contact!
All that said, we enjoyed our time in New York and the peculiarities of Lefferts Manor had grown on us by the end of our stay. Thanks for the hot chocolate!
I enjoyed my one night stay in this charming Bed and Breakfast in Brooklyn. It was relaxing and quiet--I was in the Parlour Suite at the back of the house. The claw foot tub in my room was charming and I had an opportunity to take a good soak. I will definitely stay here the next time I visit Brooklyn!
I was really pleased with the Lefferts and SO glad that I didn't opt for a soulless chain hotel room! Parking IS limited after dark (we took one quick spin around the block at about midnight on a weeknight) but were happy with the 24-hour parking garage nearby! Other parts of Brooklyn don't have garages so this was a relief- we ended up leaving the car and taking the subway into Manhattan the next day, total parking charge was $25 which I thought to be very reasonable!
Check in was exactly as described in the confirmation e-mail and very straightforward. Enjoyed the tub in the Parlour Room, the cozy bed and a cup of coffee the next morning.
The location was absolutely charming, as was the room and I didn't even have any issues with the shared bathroom. What I did have a problem with was the fact that I would constantly wake up to ants on the night stand, in my bed or on the floor without leaving any food out whatsoever. Even when there was food it would be unopened or completely sealed for my breakfast or snacks throughout the following day only to be ruined by ants piling into the wrappers.
Another issue is that all of the other guests as well as the woman who cleans the place were very loud. The stairs and the creaky floorboards aren't a problem, I know it's an old house. But they would speak/yell loudly in all corners of the house as well as sing throughout the halls at 7AM. I'm sorry but on my vacation I don't exactly want to get up at the break of dawn.
The last and final thing is that I got a good show of a naked man in the restroom because he didn't lock the door when he was showering.
Overall the place was cute but there were little things that need to be taken care of.
We are very sorry for your experience. We have never had any complaints about ants in our nearly 10 years of business and had no idea you were having a problem, otherwise please be assured we would have addressed the issue immediately. We do apologize on behalf of any noisy guests. We ask all of our guests to speak softly in our common areas and our housekeepers are always quiet when they work and do not arrive until 9 am. We have always prided ourselves in providing guests a calm and relaxing atmosphere in historic Brooklyn. We appreciate your feedback and will do our best to ensure our future guests can expect an enjoyable and quiet getaway.
