Gillen House Bed and Breakfast & Wedding Venue — Hotel in Maxeys

This architectural gem, tucked away in tranquil Maxey's, near Lexington, is 40 minutes to Athens and up the street from The Durham Apothecary Museum. The dog-friendly Firefly Bike Trail is close by and beautifully maintained. Bring your bike since this B and B's lush wrap porch is a shady sanctuary and rest stop for cyclists.

Comfortably close to Athens' area fun and shopping, this best-kept-secret accomodations score offers shuttle service for guests--cyclists, pub crawlers, and other merry makers looking to enjoy the city's Sports, Music, Arts, Culture, Food and Bars/Microbreweries scene.

Nearby Lexington has biodynamic U Pick Farms, antiques and artwork shops, The Rowdy Rooster Cafe/Market, and Goodness Grows specialist Nursery.

Save a day to relax, JUST RELAX, and enjoy the hotel and grounds itself though.

All areas of the B & B showcase carefully curated antiques and artwork that beckon you to linger longer. There's an Artists'Studio space on the premises as the owners are Atlanta Artist transplants who know how to be Super Hosts without being intrusive or overly friendly.

Each room is unique, and the grounds offer carefully-considered seating areas for meditation, reading, or artistic pursuits/hobbies.

One of the owners, Cynzia (bilingual btw) is a sought-after, award- winning, Professional Portraits Artist as well as an Architect and an Art instructor. Custom commissions are possible, price dependent on the project.

The owners' artwork and other local artists are on display throughout the home and grounds. Cynzia teaches private and group art lessons to adults and children, both. It's a reason to stay over a whole weekend, but book well in advance!

My kids have taken lessons from her, and I've included some work samples in the photos to follow.

Edward, the other owner, is a sculptor and an art and landscape architecture enthusiast. He's an avid golfer too. There's a custom putting green on the grounds, and he knows the inside scoop on nearby courses and places enjoyed by those who also love this sport!

There may be other accomodations closer to Athens, but the total rest and relaxation available here sets it apart from many other options, at least for me.

There's an accessible kitchen where you can serve yourself as needed and make your own food and snacks as desired. Such a blessing if special dietary needs are a concern or consideration.

Their fab and fancy custom Italian pizza oven set up MORE than compensates for the scarcity of nearby restaurants.

Another treat: there's a lending library in the artists' Studio Space - also available for guests' use - which offers many books across different genres of interest including coffee table types loaded with dazzling displays of eye candy as Art, Design, Food, and Fashion Photography books.

You can take your selections and your latte to the perfect little pond/water feature out back that doubles as a happy home for turtles and a sanctuary for butterflies, dragonflies, and thirsty feathered friends.

The incredibly comfortable outdoor seating is French antiques, and the nearby fenced veggie and herbs garden is where the greens and goodies in your omelette at breakfast are sourced. I know, right!?!

The only downside to the Gillen House is is it's limited accomodations mean the lovely rooms are often booked by Atlanta folk who appreciate it's cozy beds, the design details, tranquil grounds, and extra amenities offered here.

It's TOTALLY worth considering for campus visits, sports and special events, and other tourist treats in the city. Or for a country weekend escape from Atlanta and other metropolitan areas. I hope you enjoy your stay and the...

The Gillen House was a highlight of our recent trip to the southern Appalachians! It is located in the small, quiet central GA town of Maxeys about an hour east of Atlanta, removed from all the hustle and bustle of the city. From the moment we arrived, the hosts Edward and Cynzia were very welcoming and professional, while also making you feel like you’re with family. The property itself is the beautiful historic home of the prominent businessman and developer in the area 100 years ago. Both Edward and Cynzia are very accomplished experts in their own complementary areas in culinary skills, groundskeeping, architecture, art, renovation, etc which together make for an impressive property and culinary experience. They gave us an interesting, informative tour of the property and we enjoyed an optional dinner which Edward skillfully prepared and presented. We then enjoyed coffee outside under the pretty Georgia night sky in the peaceful backyard. Their spacious (a couple of acres) backyard has a vegetable garden, fish & turtle pond, wildflower garden, large area for special events such as weddings and reunions, and numerous thoughtfully placed seating areas for groups or secluded couple’s conversations. The home has been skillfully restored, updated to modern standards while preserving the historic integrity. We stayed in the Azul (Blue) room and it and all the rooms were beautifully furnished and had comfortable mattresses and ample amenities. There were complementary snacks and drinks, and even a drawer stocked with items you might have forgotten to bring. Cynzia is an accomplished artist and the house is decorated with her artwork. The included breakfast the next morning was once again a special presentation with fresh fruits and locally sourced items. We can’t say enough about how nice, relaxing, and enjoyable our stay was. Whether for an intimate couple getaway, a quiet escape from the city, or as a venue for special events, Gillen House is a...

Where to start? I stayed here with 3 friends for a night of cards, beers and laughter before heading to Durhamtown off-road resort the next morning. Our hosts, Edward and Cynzia were very responsive via email and were there to greet us upon arrival, which was early! Our rooms were all ready and, after a brief tour and history of the building, we were shown to our rooms. The rooms are all different, decorated with a nod to the original style but with a modern twist. The bathrooms and showers are all modern and beautiful. The beds are FANTASTIC! Very comfortable indeed. I had booked dinner there and it was all cooked to perfection and enjoyed with our hosts in the dining room. Plenty of attention to detail made this meal a very welcome and enjoyable one. The entire house is riddled with artwork by the very talented Cynzia and it was a joy to see something very different than the usual prints you see at a B&B. There has been much effort put in to restoring this old house and it shows. No detail too small and the grounds are also a fantastic place to relax, party, putt, eat etc. Edward even delivered us a charcuterie board while we sat outside enjoying the sun. Our entire stay was fabulous and definitely exceeded expectations. They have thought of everything and made sure to let us know that nothing was too much trouble. I’d go back again in a heartbeat. I’d even adjust my plans to “be in the area” so I can stay there again. Thanks for...