Granville House — Hotel in Great Barrington

I wish I could give 0 stars; the long and short of our experience left us canceling our booked 6-night honeymoon stay with them to leave only after the second night.

So now.. the good, the bad, & the ugly.

The Good: As per previous reviews, I echo the commentary on the beautiful decor; the idyllic location settled in Great Barrington, the record players in the room, and the attentive couple Tairy and Terry really did try to provide both convenience and safety with COVID precautions to guests. The bed was one of the most comfortable I have spent time on in a long time (as I often travel for work), and the bathroom was divine, with a soaking tub fit for two and a shower. Breakfast made to order from a prix fixe menu was smaller than the American style portion, but just right in flavor and amount.

The Bad: The type of "hospitality" you may receive here is not one I would find appropriate for a classy facility.

We were made to feel extremely uncomfortable and watched by the innkeepers during our stay; as the communications became increasingly tense, we had decided to move our vacation elsewhere. From the first night we had stayed there, they made numerous comments about how 6 nights is a much longer stay than most people, and I think now we know why... With each communication becoming more judgemental and outwardly uncomfortable, after the first night, we were uneasy but willing to let things go.

The Ugly: We were extremely disappointed to see that they had felt it was appropriate to place judgment on their guests and continue to be unaccommodating to simple requests such as asking to toast a specific allergen-friendly bun for breakfast - only to be responded that "we will need to speak about timing”. This inn is run akin to an NYC kitchen with the matching intensity in their version of customer service. Their inability to speak to my husband and me like adults instead of talking to us like scolding their children left me appalled and embarrassed. For paying hundreds of dollars a night to stay at a facility where it feels as if you cannot enjoy your own privacy is not worth it to me. There are gaping holes under the door exiting your room, which might come in handy for when you feel someone hovering outside your door (that's you, Tairy), and in-room five, your stay will be on the sharing a wall to the living quarters of the family who runs the inn.

Overall this is just another example of people who move to western mass and want to claim the relaxed and welcoming culture but can't deliver. Out of my 100+ nights staying in the Berkshires, I have never encountered such an unnecessary tense environment and suggest others to...

Life is filled with difficult decisions: what to watch on Netflix, what to eat for dinner, red pill or blue pill? Deciding where to get some R&R in the Berkshires is, refreshingly, not one of those head scratchers. To come across the Granville House and decide not to stay there is to call into question every other decision you have ever made in your life; many mistakes were made, don't make another; stay at the Granville House.

The hardest decision during my stay was which breakfast item to have each morning. Every dish was beautifully presented and seasoned perfectly. I stayed several days and never had the same item twice, all were fantastic. The olive oil muffin lives up to all the hype, anything more delicious is beyond mortal reaches. Luckily a fresh one is provided each morning, saving me a trip to some celestial plane in search of this heavenly treat.

Often, photos distort reality, thankfully the pictures of the Granville House do not follow this mold. If fact, so many of the meticulous details Terry and Terri put into Granville House cannot be seen in the photos. There are sound machines in the rooms next to supremely comfortable beds with linen sheets. Gold sprinkler heads and radiators (which I'm obsessed with) instead of the pedestrian silver ones to match the decor. Perfect water pressure in the shower and towels so luxurious each thread whispers "opulence" against your body. The antique doorknobs, mid century modern furniture, and deep green and dark wood dining room all fit together so naturally it takes a conscious effort to realize that each detail was chosen intentionally by Terry and Terri.

Terry and Terri are extremely friendly and helpful, they gave great suggestions on restaurants and places to visit. Every meal we had in the area was fantastic, especially the one where we brought back wine and cheese and sat on their porch at sunset.

This is the...

Perhaps we caught Terry and Terri on an off day, but our stay was a bit more of a mixed bag. ||First, the good. The renovation in the main house is exceptional. Interior designers should go here and study it. Each room is spacious with modern bathrooms, yet they've integrated antiques from the area to provide character. They've carried their love of records into the rooms and the record room downstairs. It strikes the perfect balance between having character without feeling old. The common spaces are lovely and spacious. There are thoughtful touches like a gorgeous pool table or copies of popular board games made to look like books. There are only five rooms. Larger parties could rent the whole property and have a great time.||On the downside, there was no pre-arrival communication, and they didn't take the deposit on the schedule that was stated during the booking, so we weren't even sure we had a reservation. We had to call to confirm. There was no one at the property the day we checked in. Maybe this is okay at a AirBnB, but I would expect coverage by someone at a luxury B&B. I felt like we were breaking into someone's house. As a result, we barely interacted with hosts and it just felt like any other hotel room. Maybe we missed out on a few things, but then again, there was no one to show us around. ||I also wasn't a great fan of the location or the grounds. Some of it feels like a work in progress. We weren't even sure which were the private or public areas of the house. It's too far to walk to Housatonic or Great Barrington. Most importantly, it's adjacent to an active train line. They know it can be disturbing because they provide earplugs and a white noise machine in the room. That's fine, but I'd prefer to book a better location...