By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages — Hotel in Harrisonburg

This was a last minute getaway as our spring break plans fell through. My wife and I stayed in the Bergey Cottage from 29 March - 2 April 2015. We weren't sure what to expect since we knew nothing about this Inn. We were pleasantly surprised and we really enjoyed our stay. What we loved most was the fact that we didn't have to get dressed to get breakfast, as it was brought right to our door in a basket. The only down side to that is, should you wake up early and hungry, you better have snacks in the room with you since breakfast is delivered at certain times. I believe for us in the cottage, breakfast was delivered around 9:00. Breakfast alternated each day between sweet and savory. The cottage is cute and split down the middle where the bed/living/dining area is on one side and the bathroom/tub/shower on the other. A little too cozy with the open ceiling when you or your partner need to use the bathroom. We just turned on the music to have a little privacy. Some complained that the inn was too close to the road. Um...look at the name, should be no surprise there. We barely heard any traffic...not the busiest street. We loved the area. Harrisonburg is easy to navigate and there is plenty to do. I was able to get three rounds of golf in. The course I enjoyed the most was right down the road. My wife was able to get some much needed pampering at a local spa. There are plenty of places to eat nearby, and the cottage is equipped with a microwave and small refrigerator for any leftovers you may have. The room also has the essentials...tv, dvd player, radio w/ cd player and usb hook up, coffee maker, etc. The Inn's owners make the experience even more comfortable by littering the entire property with beautiful aspects of their family. Upon entry into our cottage, we were 'greeted' by beautiful family pictures that gave the place an even more, 'home away from home' feel. The owners and inn keepers are there if you need them, willing to give you a tour and answer any questions you might have. However if you want to be left alone, you wouldn't even know they were there. James Madison University is close by, however this felt nothing like a college town. We would...

(( Review trimmed to essentials ))

The Mountain Laurel Suite was lovely, breakfast was delicious and extra touches (chocolate, port, champagne, stocked fridge) made for a special 10 year anniversary and long-overdue JMU homecoming. There was tons to do for local entertainment / tourism, and amazing restaurants in Court Square. 5 stars!

That said, we could've skipped your assertion that immigrants in "subsidized housing" on "food stamps" caused the city's recent population spike.

Believe me, 9,000 Mexicans didn't suddenly decide to freeload in your remote, podunk college town that is rife with ignorant, racist locals.

I don't regret spending the $370 on an awesome weekend, but frankly, we left your place very upset. I recommend you make the "checkout" chat optional going forward and don't "go there" with any future guests.

new comments:

Yes, you deserve 5 stars for the facilities, food and service...top notch. Minus 2 for the weirdness.

We were reacting to your assertion on immigration (above), your elaboration on the topic, and your obvious displeasure. If you did not believe that position re immigrants, then your words confused us both, independently, and led us to the same conclusion, independently. Things got weird when my wife revealed she's an immigrant. It put a poor context on your comments re her obvious accent and her fortunate "naturalization status".

I used to live here in the mid-90s and although a Friendly City, it's absolutely fair to note there's palpable racism everywhere in the rural South, and sometimes it's expected to be politely dismissed. My point above was not election fallout or salt in an old wound. What I heard begged my response that Mexican immigrants are hard workers following jobs, not random freeloaders on subsidized housing and food stamps.

We both left speechless/shocked, got to the car then said to each other, "What the heck just happened in there?!" We've traveled together all over the world and this...

Fantastic property & people!! We've stayed in both the Manor House & most recently the Mountain Laurel Suite, it's definitely our new favorite