Warren Conference Center and Inn — Hotel in Ashland

I stayed at the Warren Center on a retreat. Some members of the staff were nice and helpful. However, the evening staff was extremely sanctimonious and confrontational. The problematic employees were an ostensibly middle-aged, white, female receptionist and an ostensibly late-aged, white, male staff member.

Both of them avoided answering questions directly. When I asked where the nearest restroom was, the receptionist said back, "occupied" and provided no other details. When I asked a different question the next day, she opened her mouth, shook her head down at her desk, and shrugged, as if in incredulity at my request.

The male-presenting staff member repeatedly referred to my group as "the young people" in a way that might have been condescending (though without certainty). This alone was not a problem and was not evidence of maltreatment. I just thought that it was curious at first. However, it probabilistically suggests some contempt conditional on the other details of their behavior. For instance, when I went to sit on a couch in the lobby (to listen to the live piano music being played), this staff member approached me, walking up with their face bizarrely close to my face. Then, the staff member said that the area was reserved so that the party of older people could "enjoy" the space and told me to let them "enjoy" it. Whether or not this was true, it quickly made sense to me that the piano area was being used for a private event (i.e. that this live music was not being provided by the hotel generally). Even after I had reached this understanding, the staff member then lectured me at length (as if I were so ignorant or inconsiderate that I failed to understand the meaning of "private event"). This staff member gave me many looks of incredulity during this encounter.

Then, I asked some questions about when the piano itself could be used. This staff member acted flabbergasted and said that I would have to "reserve" the piano. I asked when I had to make this reservation. The staff member said that I would have to reserve with the receptionist. I asked if I had to do it ahead of time. The staff member said "of course" with incredulity. I asked if I could do it now. The staff member said no, that I had to do it on the day of. I asked by what time I would need to reserve if I wanted to play in the afternoon (e.g. would I have to reserve on the same morning?). The staff member mumbled something circular and gave more incredulity. I asked what determined whether I would be allowed to play. The staff member said that it depended on whether the receptionist wanted to let me and gave some circular reasoning. At this point, it seemed as if they were on a power trip, trying to make up hoops through which for me to jump, trying to make up rules that I wouldn't know but which could be treated as "obvious" so that this staff member could continue on their trip of sanctimoniousness and eyebrow raising.

After this encounter, I moved to a couch further from the party. Then, the staff member reapproached me, saying, "if I wasn't direct enough earlier, I'm asking you to leave right now," threatening me with more extreme measures if I wouldn't cooperate. It turns out that the staff member had been wanting me to leave the whole lobby all along. I had understood their request to be to leave the live piano music that had been happening. The staff member proceeded to act as if I was in defiance and disobeying their initial request. In reality, I had been entirely willing to leave the lobby if that had been the instruction given to me. Sadly, this staff member continually created ambiguity, made up rules, and was on a search for ways to act as if it was needless to say that I was being wrong or ridiculous.

I try my best to be probabilistically rigorous with the details that come next, so I hope that the reader will consider them a few datapoints (instead of definitive evidence of class-based maltreatment). I am not white. The only others (2 persons) in my group who told me of negative experiences with the staff...

Despite its welcoming exterior and average rooms, I absolutely cannot recommend this "Inn". I recently got married and booked a banquet room at the the Inn for the rehearsal dinner as well as numerous rooms for out of town guests. When I first walked in I was asked for a credit card number for the room even though someone else was paying for it and had already put a card down for the room. Apparently the woman working the counter couldnt find this and so I had to put down my card as well. After the wedding a few members of the wedding party and my parents were outside on the deck having a drink and being very courteous and quiet. We were told we were not allowed to have outside alcohol and that the group would have to stay in our rooms. We obliged immediately and without confrontation. We continued to have fun in our rooms but when the other wedding party staying at the inn showed up at 1, they partied with their own alcohol outside on the deck in a loud and obnoxious manner until 2:30 in the morning. No one asked them to shut it down, take it to their rooms or anything. Incredibly disappointing and infuriating that my family and friends are told to stay in their rooms but this other rude, loud, and inconsiderate party is allowed to run rampant.

When my best man was leaving my parents room where we were all talking, he was carrying a bottle of champagne back to his room. The bride of the other wedding party saw this and screamed at him thinking he was stealing it from one of her rooms. She was under the impression her entire party had the floor reserved which they most definitely did not. She and some of her party brought my best man to the front desk accusing him of theft and trespassing. AND THE FRONT DESK TOOK HER SIDE! It took my father going to the desk and speaking with someone before this ridiculous ordeal was "solved".

Waking up the next morning I get a bill for the room for 2 nights which my parents had paid for. Now that I look at my credit card statement and have spoken with my parents, we have both been double charged for the room(s). I now have 2 bills for over $300 on my card when I should have zero. My parents have been billed twice not only for their room but also mine. How can you mess up something as simple as a credit card payment for a room? You're an "Inn"????? Unbelievable.

Absolutely atrocious front desk manner despite our complete compliance with all requests. I cannot begin to describe how disappointed I am in this facility and its staff members. I hope someone there reads this and reaches out because I will continue to find review sites and post my experience.

Beware wedding parties, not as excellent as some...

There are not enough positive things to say about the Warren Conference Center and all the staff!! I just had my wedding there 2 weeks ago and couldn't be happier with how things turned out! We began planning our wedding over a year and a half ago and when our original coordinator left her position, we thought things might fall through the cracks and that planning might become tricky. Not so! Ashley S. took over as our event manager and was amazing!! Ashley not only answered every email promptly (and believe me, I sent her a lot of emails over the course of 15 months!), but she also took the time to answer every question I had, no matter how insignificant it seemed. During the entire planning process, Ashley helped me to figure out the logistics and all the moving pieces to make our wedding weekend flow seamlessly. When things seemed to get hectic the week before the wedding, Ashley assured me that she had done this many times and that things would work out - and they definitely did! We had our rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding at the Warren Center and that was the BEST decision about the wedding we made - it was so easy and convenient to have all our friends and family check into their rooms (or for the bridal party, the super-fun cabin!) and then be done traveling for the whole weekend! I had a specific vision for our wedding and had lots of little details I wanted incorporated into the design - Ashley not only executed my ideas, but did so in a way that was so much better than anything I had imagined! Everything from the ceremony set up to the centerpieces and the donut "cake" that she somehow managed to create for us - it was ridiculously amazing! The food at both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding itself was delicious and plentiful and we received many compliments on the "unique" menus. Ashley and Judy the catering manager on site made sure my husband and I both had plenty of time to eat as well as plenty of food! I never had an empty glass in my hand! I can't thank them enough for ensuring that we were fed and happy all night! If you're looking for a wedding venue that offers everything in one location - rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, lodging - along with a beautiful location, amazing value, great food and the most friendly and helpful staff, then the Warren...