Elk Forge Bed & Breakfast Inn — Hotel in Elkton

I really want to rate this higher, because I have returned here several times. I will start by saying that it's a beautiful place, in a great area. It is in Maryland, but right near the Delaware and Pennsylvania lines. We have really enjoyed our experience here before, which is why we kept coming back. I think it had been about 4 years since we had visited before returning recently. I think because of COVID, they started with contactless check-in and check-out. There is a phone in the lobby to reach the owners if needed. We had no problem with checking in and finding our room. We have always stayed in the least expensive rooms, which are up a lot of stairs on the 3rd floor. It was very hot out during our stay this time. I was concerned when it was increasingly hot going up the stairs, but it was nice and cool in the upstairs hallway, and in our room. The room is fairly small, but adequate. There's a jetted tub, electric fireplace, and TV with Roku in the room. There is a bathroom, though the double doors are a little strange, and there was no curtain on the bathroom window. It faced the roof, so I guess that was ok, but the sun shone into the room brightly at 6:30 a.m. because of that. I would definitely prefer a curtain in the bathroom. There's a dispenser in the shower for soap, shampoo, and conditioner, which was nice. The shower never got completely hot, just warm, which wasn't as nice. The rooms are all decorated with different themes. I have enjoyed the decor in every room we have stayed in. However, the bed was terribly hard and uncomfortable. I do remember having an uncomfortable bed before, but not this bad. It was a very fitful and painful sleep, unfortunately. This is the very low point of the stay for me. I was glad we were only staying one night. There are black-out curtains in the room, which I appreciate, but since there was no curtain in the bathroom, which faces the bed, with doors that don't fully cover, the sun was shining brightly in the room by 6:30. It was ok, since we hadn't slept well anyway. We went down to breakfast right at 7. The breakfast has always been good, and didn't disappoint this time. There was a wide variety- something for everyone. There was fresh fruit, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt and granola, make your own waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, and an assortment of bagels and bread with a toaster. I think the coffee was something like maxwell house, which we didn't really like. We are pretty particular about our coffee, though- and grind ours from beans each morning. We enjoyed everything else. There are 2 paths on the grounds, which we took walks on. It was more overgrown than it has been before, but was still pretty nice. There's an area that people can rent out for weddings and such, and we noted that would be pretty. All of the grounds, around the house and the rental area, were more overgrown than we have seen before. There is a spa if you want to book a massage or something like that during your visit, as well. We have never tried that. A couple of other things to note- there are books to borrow, and nice places to sit inside the house in various places. In the past, they have had water and hot tea available. We were disappointed that wasn't the case this time. Again, maybe due to covid? There were a couple of small water bottles in our room. Also, there used to be a shelf of games, and a microwave available to use on the way up to the 3rd floor. We had brought microwave popcorn, anticipating that. However, neither were there this time. All in all, I really like this Bed and breakfast. It is lovely, and the breakfast is always good. However, I don't think I will return until there are new mattresses in the 3rd...

My husband and I had been looking forward to our weekend in Elk Forge, one of my Christmas presents from him. Prior to our arrival, my husband called repeatedly for an email confirmation, which he never received. He was also promised a call back regarding this, the call never came. Upon arrival somewhere between 7 and 8pm, we were greeted by a small bag with our key and some pieces of chocolate- a nice touch. Although there were people walking around, which I finally figured out was a mix of guests and employees, no one greeted us or asked if we needed anything. The house really needs work and attention. As someone else said, the devil is in the details, and the details are in need of attention. The musty smell upon entering the house is almost overwhelming. I had been so busy during the week up until the day we arrived that I hadn't had time to investigate the area, so I was looking forward to whatever brochures they were sure to have on hand. All of the brochures I collected were out of date, one listing events for 2015. The Lancaster room was cozy. We could not figure out how to turn on the electric fireplace, so it stayed off all weekend. No drinking glasses in the room, only paper Dixie cups. No bar facial or bath soap, only liquid from a dispenser- and a sign threatening to charge for towels that have makeup on them. The trains going by at night are nothing the B&B can do anything about, but the noise at night woke me up, repeatedly. This was only our second experience at a B&B, the first being Captain Grants near Mystic which had an AMAZING breakfast- the 'breakfast' part of the B&B. As so many have previously stated, the breakfast at Elk Forge leaves MUCH to be desired. My daughters came up with a word for eggs serves at amusement parks- 'feggs' (fake eggs). The two egg dishes left out were like feggs. They were watery and I could not eat them. There was a bread pudding both mornings. Cups of instant oatmeal, a yogurt parfait table, fresh fruit, and a DIY waffle station. No meat! No bacon or sausage, no service. There was a gentleman walking around making jokes and collecting dishes, who was nice enough, but we never found out exactly who he was. If the food wasn't bad enough, we chose to sit next to a window, which could have been nice, had the window sills not been full of dead or dying little flies. I can also appreciate older silverware, but perhaps a polishing would make them a little less unappetizing to use. I would suggest skipping the breakfast and going out to eat, unfortunate since you are paying for a bed AND breakfast. We never were introduced to the owners. The woman who rang me up in the gift shop (my favorite part of the stay), I realized was one of the owners when I saw her picture in a framed news article on the wall. I made small talk, but was really no interest in where we came from or if we needed anything- nothing about us. In the end, had the weekend not been a Christmas present, we would have left early and checked into a hotel. I cannot say this B&B is worth full price, and I would...

It appears that this inn is not suitable for handicap/disabled, those with allergies to mold, mildew, dust mites, fragrances, etc, anyone with respiratory issues, such as asthma, any immune deficient or compromised individuals.(due to illness, age, pregnancy, medications, etc)

I had booked a room at Elk Lodge for a recent Sunday and Monday. The exterior of the inn is quite beautiful and seems to be in a decently quite area. Looks to be on quite unique property as well!

Unfortunately I was unable to stay as the room was damp and smelled of mold and mildew, which was blamed on the recent rain. There also were some accessibility issues. I am handicap and struggled with acess.

One issue to be aware of is the inn is not fully handicap accessible. I explained my limitations in detail before arriving. There were narrow halls and doors, as well as large sharp thresholds which were extremely difficult to navigate with a rollator, and may not be possible with a manual chair, especially if traveling solo. It did not look as though a power chair could get in. There is also inappropriate space for wheelchair navigation in the minimal areas I attempted to access in the short time there.

My credit card was charged in full a day before arriving. Due to the issues causing an inability to stay, the owner has given a full refund after a bit of back and forth and extremely unprofessional dialog from a employees and the owner.

The Inn seems like a nice place for guests who are able bodied. Those with limited mobility and those who use assistive Devices may struggle, as I did, to access and navigate the Inn. There appears to be no proper handicap parking, especially for vans. However, I had arrived at night and may have missed it.

The largest issue was the dampness, mold and mildew presence. I have asthma and allergies which I informed the Inn of as well. An asthma attack/ allergic reaction started quite quickly once inside the hall on the edge of the room I was to stay in. Those with asthma, allergies to mold, dust, dust mites, , immune issues, elderly, pregnant individuals and children may want to evaluate the rooms before booking.

Overall I appreciate the owner making it right. I hope that others do not have a similar experience and that the Inn addresses the moisture and accessibility issues...