Bed and Breakfast Vs. Hotel

During a recent trip to Connecticut to visit family, my wife and I decided to try a bed and breakfast instead of a hotel stay.  The main driving factor for selecting this particular trip to try a bed and breakfast was price.  During the first half of our stay, we planned to visit with family and found a reasonably priced hotel near my hometown.  Since we were also celebrating our one year anniversary, we intended to visit Foxwoods Casino and have dinner at our favorite restaurant Craft Steak, during the second half of our stay.  We attempted to book a room at Foxwoods Casino and were met with a $229.00 price tag a night.  Finding this a bit overpriced for a simple room, used only as a place to sleep, we decided to look elsewhere. 

We did a quick search of the area surrounding Foxwoods Casino for hotels.  Some of the closest ones were up to 30 minutes drive away to find a less costly option.  This drove us to the bed and breakfast option.  We found one in a perfect location within a short 5 -10 minute drive of Foxwoods Casino; The Inn at Lower Farm Bed and Breakfast.

Over the past few months, we discussed our perceived pros and cons of the bed and breakfast experience.  I have to admit, I fell victim to most of the stereotypes and hype of the B & B folklore out there.  Some of the misconceptions I had ranged from thoughts that bed and breakfasts did not feature private bathrooms and they were noisy, to the fact that B & Bs were not worth the money, or that are reserved for the rich and the average person likely could not afford the amenities.  I found none of this to be true.We reserved our stay at The Inn at Lower Farm requesting the “Romance Special."  This deal included a bottle of wine and a box of chocolate truffles upon arrival.  If you click on the Romance Special link, you can scroll down and see a description of this great deal and also the actual chairs we sat in and enjoyed this special!  Also, since this is a bed and breakfast, breakfast, as the title suggests, was included. The innkeepers, Jon and Mary, were more than welcoming and made us feel right at home. During our first night, the entire Inn was booked, so we were unsure if it would be noisy or seem crowded; it was not.  The room was well appointed and all rooms featured a private bathroom. We found the inn’s grounds to be well maintained and the seating areas located in various areas of the property were inviting and overlooked scenic areas.  We enjoyed a lovely CT evening while sipping wine overlooking the beaver dam.  The best part, by far, was the delicious breakfast that we looked forward to daily.  Always filling and always fresh ingredients like fresh cut fruit or ricotta pancakes. All of this within a short drive to the very places we wanted to visit and some we had not considered like our short trip to Mystic Pizza so my wife could relive a little movie history and get a t-shirt like the one Julia Roberts wore in the movie of the same name. We now recommend to all of our friends the road less traveled.  Try out the bed and breakfast and see for yourself why so many other Americans do the same.  The charm and welcoming feeling of not just being another hotel guest has its own value in this unique environment.  I only wish I took a few pictures to do this post justice!  http://thereviewlady.blogspot.com/2009/08/first-impressions-bed-and-breakfast_13.html - A blog article about how to select a bed and breakfast and what to avoid - by "The Review Lady"http://www.tnooz.com/2011/05/10/news/bed-and-breakfasts-kick-gas-and-transcend-the-doily/ - an informative article on a few bed and breakfast locations offering "go green" style discounts - posted by Dennis Schaal