Tara - A Country Inn — Hotel in Clark

My husband and I just celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary at Tara—marking our 23rd year of visiting. Unfortunately, this visit didn’t live up to the wonderful experiences we’ve enjoyed over the years. We were a bit apprehensive about the new package changes, but decided to give them a try; however, the overall experience left us disappointed. Our first concern arose at dinner in Stonewall’s. In the past, we’ve always enjoyed the convenience of simply finishing our meal and heading up to our room, with all charges seamlessly added to our account. This time, we had to wait for a bill and pay any overages, tax, and tip on the spot. Having to bring a wallet or purse to dinner took away from the ease and sense of being “houseguests” that we’ve always appreciated. It felt more like dining out at a regular restaurant rather than enjoying an all-inclusive experience. To make matters worse, we misunderstood the new policy and thought we only needed to tip on the dinner overage, assuming the gratuity on the $100 portion would be added at checkout. We were embarrassed when we received a phone call in our room asking if something had gone wrong with the service due to the low tip. We clarified the misunderstanding and personally brought an additional tip and an apology to our waitress; however, the situation put a damper on what was supposed to be a special evening. All of this could have been avoided if the previous billing system—where all the charges were simply added to the room—had remained in place. During dinner, we also overheard several other guests discussing similar frustrations about the package changes, particularly the removal of the Sunday brunch as an included option. It seemed that no one was pleased with the new structure. We were also aware that the indoor pool had been removed, but we hadn’t realized the sauna was gone as well, which was disappointing—especially during the cooler months when indoor amenities are appreciated. Additionally, we found the billiard room was locked, which was disheartening, as playing a game of pool has been part of our anniversary tradition for 23 years. It feels as though many of the little touches that made Tara special are being taken away, yet prices continue to rise. The final issue occurred at Sunday brunch. We decided to pay for brunch despite it no longer being included, but there was confusion about the billing. Our waitress seemed unsure of the new pricing structure, and we were initially charged $32 per person—the public rate—instead of $25 as overnight guests. The mistake had to be corrected, with the first bill voided and the correct charge applied. Again, this could have been avoided if all restaurant charges had been simply added to our room at checkout. In summary, the new policy seems to have created confusion for both staff and guests. Some visitors are grandfathered into the old package while others are not, creating inconsistency and frustration. The seamless, all-inclusive feeling Tara was known for has unfortunately been lost. We understand that rising costs may necessitate changes; however, simply adjusting the total package price—while keeping the experience as it was—would have been a far smoother approach. We’ve been loyal guests for 23 years and have introduced multiple family members who have also been coming for over two decades. Between our three families, we’ve brought a considerable amount of business to Tara over the years. It saddens us to say that, unless these changes are reconsidered, we may have to look elsewhere for our next anniversary celebration. We truly hope you’ll take this feedback to heart. Tara has always been a special place for us, and we would love to see it retain the charm, convenience, and warmth that made it so memorable for so many years. On a positive note, I do have to say that the staff continue to be as lovely as ever, and we look forward to our conversations with Betsy every year! Update*even though Tara did respond to our review, we never did hear from the manager (even with a direct email being...

We came across the two sister sites (Tara and Buhl Mansion) over the summer, and thought they sounded great for a romantic weekend getaway. We decided to stay one night at Tara first, thinking it would be the more novelty experience, and two nights at Buhl, expecting it to be the more comfortable location. I really wish we had done the opposite, because Tara was a delight!

Tara didn't seem much to look at when we pulled in and I was initially concerned; especially since it wasn't even clear how to get inside. But my fears soon faded as we started down the beautiful arched-trellis walkway past lovely greenery and a slew of statues drawing us into the period. By the time we reached the door the real world had melted away.

The receptionist wore an incredible dress that truly fit the motif, and showed us around the first floor public rooms; all exceptionally ornate and wonderfully restored. It was at this point we realized the front of the mansion faced away from the road, and the lawn and gardens outside were private, well kept, and appropriate to the theme. This was truly a unique experience!

We stayed in the Plantation Suite, which I fully recommend. The room was even larger than we expected, and the way it transitioned into the bathroom over the spacious jacuzzi tub was very well done and very conducive to a romantic weekend. There was a tray with champagne and cheese and, best of all, a cookie with our names on it. Water pressure was fantastic allowing us to fill the huge tub quickly, and we never wanted for hot water. The suit included a separate 'study' area that seemed out of place, but it worked well as a 'closet' for our luggage to keep it out of sight.

There were a few downsides to the suite: The windows, unfortunately, had no real view. And while there were doors that closed the tub off from the bedroom they were louvered, meaning that when you used the bathroom you had 'limited audible privacy'. The shower was also uncomfortably small; we could hardly move and ended up with a bunch of bruises! It's also worth noting that half the rooms are on the second floor and there is no elevator, so if you have difficulty walking be careful which room you book; though we were offered help carrying our luggage to the room.

We had dinner that evening at Stonewall's Tavern. Nothing on the menu interested me much, but I thought it would be nice for my fiancée. But they were happy to customize a dish to my liking and I ended up enjoying one of the best chicken breasts I've ever had. We both walked out extremely pleased, and despite the high cost of the meal I think it was well worth every penny!

One big complaint I had was shared across both sister properties: they allowed a variety of breakfast time options but the latest available was 9:30-10:00am. This is great for morning people. For the rest of us, especially on a weekend as we're trying to catch up on sleep, we hardly want to be out of bed by 10am, let alone eating. We checked the 9:30-10:00 box and I grudgingly set my alarm for 9:25am before bed, and was very unpleasantly awoken by a knock at the door at 9:08 with our food the next day. I really did not appreciate that!

I'll also note that we were set to meet with the manager, Bill, about possibly having our wedding at Tara. This trip was a combination romantic getaway / wedding venue shopping trip. However, the morning of our meeting Bill cancelled last minute. That was a little inconvenient, but when we emailed him back about rescheduling for one of the other days we were there he never responded. Given all the things that need to go right on a wedding day for it to work, ghosting seemed like a real red flag, so we crossed Tara off our list.

Between the early breakfast, no bathroom privacy, and being ghosted by the manager, I had to knock one star off. However, I would still recommend for a nice...

Let me first start by saying my husband and I LOVE Stonewall’s. The food is delicious and the waiters & waitresses are absolutely awesome! We do HIGHLY recommend this restaurant! Our past visit, however, left us with a bad taste in our mouths (figuratively speaking; pun intended). As we were waiting for the dessert tray to be presented to us, my husband noticed the manager (who I think is named Bill? But I’m not positive) totally belittling his staff. After an unusually busy evening, the dessert tray needed some attention before being presented, so our waitress freshened it up for us. Before she brought it to us, though, the manager told her it looked awful, it was unpresentable, and that she should be ashamed of even thinking of showing it to customers. He grabbed the tray from her hands, knocking over one of the desserts, ruining others on the tray. He took it back to the kitchen. So rather than having an understandably untidy presentation (which neither my husband nor I would’ve even noticed had it not been for his actions), our poor waitress had nothing to show us & had to describe everything on the menu. We could tell she was somewhat distraught after her encounter with her boss. The way the manager handled the situation was disgusting. It’s such a shame because the waiters, waitresses, and hostesses have always been so kind to us, and it makes me incredibly angry that the manager yelled at them within earshot of customers. I can’t imagine what he does when the customers aren’t around. I would love to leave a positive review, but poor reviews are the ones that get noticed.

REBUTTAL: First, I don’t believe our waitress’ name was Meghan. Doesn’t sound familiar, but unfortunately I don’t remember her name now. She was great, though. Second, I never said our waitress took the tray to the kitchen to freshen up. Third, when she came to our table to tell us about the desserts, she DID say one of the desserts fell over & ruined others on the tray, which is why she didn’t have anything to present us. Fourth, her facial expression when she came around the corner was clearly of disgust and annoyance. Maybe it was because she had a hard day, but the interaction my husband witnessed would seem to explain it. Fifth, this isn’t even about the dessert tray. We couldn’t care less about the presentation. This is about how the staff is treated. They deserve respect because they’re the face of...