John Joseph Inn

The rooms and property are beautiful

Very unwelcome arrival…we parked and I took a few pictures of property. The owner came out as if we were trespassing and asked if he could help us. We said we were checking in and he looked puzzled and asked if we had just made the reservation. I said I made it 2 months ago and he was still confused. Then he asked if I made the reservation through ******* and said sometimes those reservations don’t come through. He said our room was not prepared and sent us away for a coffee. We left for 2.5 hours and returned to find no one around, so we called the phone number in the foyer and he was picking up his kids and got there a few minutes later. He proceeded to take us up to our room and showed us in. We asked how the fireplace worked and he got on the floor and turned it on. He did offer a bottle of wine for the reservation confusion. Of note for any future guests, there is no hair dryer in the room, however the shampoo dispenser in the shower was completely empty anyhow. Overall, the property and room were very nice. However, the owner was not warm or welcoming at all. We felt like we were an imposition. Also of note, the sign shows that it is an Inn and restaurant. We saw no restaurant. We were under the impression this was a B&B, as that is what I googled when this Inn popped up. When I asked about breakfast, which we’ve always had in every B&B we’ve stayed in, he told us about 2 restaurants in town. Would I recommend? No, the Innkeeper’s welcome sets the tone for your stay.

I booked a room here on Aug. 24 for a stay on Oct. 19. Perhaps I made a mistake by booking through *******, but here is what unfolded upon our arrival at 3:15 on Oct. 19. When my husband and I pulled into the parking lot I got out of the car and took a picture of the Inn. The Innkeeper came out and in an unpleasant voice asked if he could help us. We said we were checking in and he said I don’t have anyone checking in today. He asked if I had just made the reservation and I told him I made it 2 months ago. He started scrolling through his phone and said he did not have a reservation. At this point I had pulled up my reservation confirmation and he said when booking through ******* 90% of the time the reservations come through, but mine had not. In any case, the room was available, however not made up. He requested we leave and drive back into town for a cup of coffee. We left and thought if the room was not made up it would probably take longer than a cup of coffee to prepare for new guests, so we ended up finding a restaurant for an early dinner. It would have been nice if he had asked for our phone number and offered to send a text once the room was ready, but he didn’t. We arrived back at the Inn around 5:45 and walked inside and could not find anyone anywhere. We finally realized there was a placard in the entryway with a phone number on it. My husband called and he said he was picking up his kids and would be there in a few minutes. Once there he took us up to the room and flipped on the lights and gave a very rushed tour of the accommodations. I asked how to turn on the fireplace because there were no directions or switch on the wall. He got on the floor and lifted a cover and pushed a couple buttons and it came on, but he never explained how to turn it off. As he was ready to leave I asked about breakfast in the morning and he said there are a couple restaurants in town he could recommend. I was very puzzled because his sign says John Joseph Inn and Restaurant. We’ve stayed in many Inns and B&B’s and a nice breakfast has always been included. I guess it was my mistake for not researching more carefully. I just assumed for $300 that breakfast would be provided. At any rate I would not recommend staying here only because of the attitude of the Innkeeper, which I believe was John Joseph. The room was very nice and spacious and had our arrival been more welcoming than it was I would have given it a higher rating. I don’t know where the breakdown in communication was between ******* and the Inn, but it certainly set the tone for a less than expected stay.