"The more we travel," said an unhappy couple one morning at a New Hampshire inn, "the more we realize why we go back to our old favorites time and again." The reason for their chagrin? They had been forced to switch rooms at 2 o'clock in the morning when rain began dripping right onto them through the ceiling. I hasten to add that this story is not an isolated incident. Small, quaint inns here often come with their own drips, creaks, and quirks.
Of course, northern New England is famous for its plethora of country inns and bed-and-breakfasts (B&Bs), which offer a wonderful alternative to the sort of cookie-cutter, chain-hotel rooms that line U.S. highways from coast to coast. But (as the unhappy couple learned) there are reasons why some people prefer the cookie-cutter hotels. In a chain hotel, you can be reasonably sure that water won't drip through your ceiling in the middle of the night. Likewise, the beds will be firm, the sink will be relatively new, and you'll have a TV, telephone, and counter space next to the bathroom sink.
Every inn and B&B listed in this guide yields a decent, and often a high-quality, experience. Just keep in mind that each place is different, and you need to match the personality of the place with your own personality. Some inns are more polished and fussier than others; this is a rural area, so a lot of them (even some calling themselves "resorts") lack basic amenities to which business travelers have grown accustomed in chain hotels. (In-room phones and air-conditioning lead the list.)
Inn vs. B&B: Everybody Wins
The difference between an inn and a B&B may be confusing for some travelers, since the gap between the two narrows by the day. A couple of decades ago, inns were full-service affairs, whereas B&Bs consisted of private homes with an extra bedroom or two and a homeowner looking for a little extra income. These old-style B&Bs still exist around the region. I've occupied a few evenings sitting in a well-used living room with the owner, watching TV as if visiting with a forgotten aunt.
Today, B&Bs are more commonly professionally run affairs, where guests have private bathrooms, a separate common area, and attentive service. The owners have apartments tucked away in the back, prepare sumptuous breakfasts in the morning (some B&Bs offer "candlelight breakfasts"), and offer a high level of service. All the B&Bs in this guide are of the more professionally run variety (although several or more still have shared bathrooms). Other guidebooks are available for those searching for home-stay lodging.
The sole difference between inns and B&Bs -- at least as defined by this guide -- is that inns serve dinner (and sometimes lunch). B&Bs provide breakfast only. Readers shouldn't infer that B&Bs are necessarily more informal or in any way inferior to a full-service inn. That's true for many of the other B&Bs listed in this guide; with a little luck, you'll stumble into Ralph Waldo Emerson's idea of simple contentment: "Hospitality consists in a little fire, a little food, and an immense quiet."
Nail Down That Cancellation Policy! -- When making reservations, it's essential that you get down (in writing, via printed-out website confirmation, or by e-mail) some confirmation of your hotel's or inn's exact cancellation policy. Since they're going to take your credit card as a deposit in almost every case, you'll need this information in case your trip is waylaid for any reason at all.
There's an amazing variety of policies out there. Some places give you all your money back if you cancel early enough; a cutoff of 24 hours before arrival is standard as a deadline, but some lodging establishments require 1 week's advance notice of a cancellation, and some will let you cancel at 6pm on the day of arrival! Some properties refund all of your deposit, even if you missed the deadline (mostly very small places do this, when they know they can sell the room again). Most properties keep 1 night's fee if you missed the deadline. And a few give you nothing back, no matter what.
As you can see, policies range from generous to outrageous. One Frommer's reader canceled a reservation at a Vermont motel 2 days before arriving because a hurricane had just veered into her home state. "Sorry," she was told, "cancellations must be made 1 week in advance." Give me a break.
Service Charges -- Rather than increase room rates in the face of rising competition, hotels, inns, and B&Bs are increasingly tacking on nickel-and-dime fees to their guests' bills. Most innkeepers will tell you about these fees when you reserve or check in; a few will surprise you at checkout.
The most common is an involuntary "service charge" of 10% to 15%. Coupled with state lodging taxes (even "sales-tax-free" New Hampshire hits tourists with an 8% levy), the cost of a bed is bumped up nearly 25%. (The rates listed in this guide don't include service charges or sales tax.)
Other charges may include a pet fee ($10 or more per day extra), a foliage-season surcharge ($10-$50 per room), and a "resort fee" (15%-20% tax at certain resorts). Some hotels even tack on a $1 per day fee for the presence of an in-room safe, whether it is used or not.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
