The Livingston Inn — Hotel in Madison

I travel for work Mon-Thurs and had a project where I was in Madison WI every other week for a year. I endured two harsh winters in Madison (one including our favorite polar vortex) and one great summer. During the first February that I started in Madison, I became quickly disenchanted with the Marriott West and decided "I'm in Madison! I should look up a cute bed and breakfast." After a little analysis settled on the Livingston Inn and it was the best decision I could have made.

Every other week I was welcomed into a historic building by a loving and enthusiastic family who couldn't be prouder of living in Madison and living in this house. Throughout my stays, I've made a temporary home of every room in the house - all of which have working gas fireplaces and unique character. Each room has different textured wallpaper and is aesthetically striking. Breakfast is made with love and accompanied with wonderful conversation with Peggy. Dave makes granola from scratch which can be served with "Greek Gods" yogurt (best.yogurt.ever).

If you're traveling during the spring/summer/fall, you can read in the conservatory and be surrounded by the beautiful foliage in the backyard, which also has a walking path to their dock on Lake Mendota. I've sat with Peggy and her son, Daniel on a bench in the backyard watching the sunset on a couple occasions.

Long story short, the house is gorgeous, the family is amazing and staying here greatly contributed to my day to day...

My husband and I stopped at the Livingston B&B on our way home after our wedding. It was the perfect oasis from the wedding mayhem! The minute we got there Peggy, one of the owners, sat down with us and asked us what our needs and wants were right off the bat. Besides the fact that the house is stunning and beautiful with a rich history stored between the walls, our room had a converted closet originally designed to house hoop skirts that was now a beautiful walk in shower with several jets jutting out from the wall. It was surprisingly big considering it used to be a closet! The room also contained a working gas fireplace and a TV with access to Pandora radio, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. The owners offered us complementary wine and beer for the evening as well which we enjoyed on their deck that looked over the lake. The next morning we had a delicious breakfast (eggs made to order) in the sunroom! Due to our crazy wedding weekend we asked to have a private breakfast alone and the owners totally delivered. This place was within walking distance to the square downtown and we were able to visit our favorite bars and restaurants. This place was beautiful and a complete steal considering all that you get with the room. The owners were amazing and we will definitely be back...

This is a wonderful and historic B and B in Madison. The rooms were tastefully decorated with period antiques and wallpaper. The beds were comfortable and it was quite clean. Our room had a large bathroom which with a tub-sized shower. Breakfast was quite good with fresh fruit, yogurt, an egg dish, bacon, and muffins. Beverages, including beer and wine, were always available.

Peggy, the innkeeper, went out of her way to assure our comfort, and she had many great suggestions for places to eat and things to do. We had nice, but not intrusive, breakfast conversations with our fellow guests.

The Livingston is within easy walking distance of downtown Madison (about 15 minutes if you stroll). Make sure to visit the impressive Wisconsin State Capitol, and take a walk down State St. toward the University.

Downtown Madison has a number of superb restaurants, and Peggy knows what's good and what's overrated. Check out the Heritage Grill or Forequarter for small plate meals as well as delicious cocktails.

Madison has very strict parking regulations, but Peggy will help you navigate them to avoid a costly parking ticket.

The Livingston is a lovely and warm alternative to the standard hotels which dominate...