Willow Vermont — Hotel in Newfane

In June I booked a 2-night stay for November. The stay was to celebrate my birthday and our retirement. Approximately a week prior to our check-in date I received an email from the owner of the inn asking what type of continental breakfast we would like. I was confused because my niece and her husband stayed there and raved about the breakfast that the owners cooked and told us not to miss the breakfast. I had also read other reviews raving about the great breakfast that is served. When I asked if we needed to pay more to receive the traditional breakfast I was told that the inn was actually closed the weekend we would be there and that her sister would be coming on-site to let us in. I wasn’t thrilled with this arrangement, but we were so excited to stay in the treehouse, I let it go. ||||When we checked in the first thing she had us do was sign a waiver of liability. We were a little surprised, but OK. We then went into the treehouse, which was pretty cold. We chalked it up to the fact that it was 15 degrees outside and the heat was probably only recently turned on. What we quickly discovered was that the mini split heater was broken. The only heat source for the two-story treehouse was a small electric fireplace. We were concerned that this would not adequately heat the space. We went to the owner’s sister and told her our concern. She confirmed that the mini split was broken and the small electric fireplace was the only heat source. She offered us a room in the main inn. But we were excited to stay in the treehouse, and the space itself was so cute and quaint we told her we would see how the night went and let her know in the morning if it was too cold. The owner’s sister instructed us to put the heater up as high as we wished. We put it on 78 degrees and we were scared because the cord to the outlet got very hot. But we left it up high to try to heat the room and went out to eat.||||When we got back the space was still very cold. We sat literally next to the heater with our warm clothes on and blankets over us and we were still chilled. We decided we would just go to sleep and we again left the heater on high (which we probably shouldn’t have done given the fact the cord got so hot). When we got up in the morning the space was even colder. We had 2 layers of warm clothes on and gloves and we were still cold. We went to the inn to talk with the owner’s sister and ask if she had a space heater we could use. She said they did not have a space heater. We told her how cold the space was and said as much as we were looking forward to our stay, it was just not comfortable and we wouldn’t be able to stay there another night. We told her we would take her up on her offer to move to the inn. She told us that in a subsequent conversation with the owner, she was told that we could not stay in the inn for our second night. The owner’s sister told us our options were to either tough it out in the cold or to leave. We were shocked!! We had looked forward to this trip for 5 months and it was to be a celebratory weekend. We couldn’t believe the way we were treated. ||||Because the inn is literally in the middle of nowhere, we didn’t know what to do. We weren’t sure we would find another place to stay. But as luck would have it, we had breakfast at the cutest inn that was maybe 15 minutes or so away, and asked if they had a room available for the night. And they did! The room was over $100 less expensive, and came with a complimentary bottle of wine, complimentary hot breakfast and a complimentary box of Vermont chocolate. We were in heaven! We went back and checked out of the Treehouse and into the other inn. The other inn saved our weekend! ||||I should note that we also left a message for the owners (who were in Florida) and we didn’t receive a call back until the next day. Because the cell service is so bad there, we couldn’t call back and we even tried to call them from the inn’s landline to discuss other options. We left another message and never heard back from them. About a week after our return home, I received an email to write a review of the our experience and the email said if you are going to give us less than 5 stars, please reply to this email and tell us why. I did that, and surprise surprise, never heard back. We were so disappointed in our experience and we were surprised to see that they charged us full price for our one-night stay despite the uncomfortable stay we had. ||||Overall, the place is really cute, but be careful what time of year you go, and ask if the heat and/or AC is working before you book. Also wouldn’t hurt to ask if the inn is...

I surprised my mom with a night in the Treehouse for her 80th birthday. She and my dad watched Treehouse Masters every week and LOVED the show and staying in one of the Nelson treehouses was on her bucket list. Unfortunately my dad has mild dementia and he's not up for traveling, but my mom needed a well-deserved getaway and this was just the ticket.||||Our arrival day had been wet and drizzly all day, but even so, the property was still gorgeous. Ginger welcomed us upon arrival and had us select our breakfasts for the next day and gave us a quick tour of the main house. (As it turns out, we were the only guests at the inn that evening - it's the middle of "mud season" in Vermont.) Ginger was an amazing hostess and happily arranged for a cot in the cottage so that I could sleep in the living area while mom enjoyed the amazing sleeping loft.||||We got settled in the treehouse, then dashed out to pick up some dinner at a nearby restaurant (The Fat Crow - highly recommended!). The rain continued as we ate and played Scrabble while listening to albums on the turntable in the treehouse. It was the perfect evening.||||As we were about to go to bed, the rain had turned to snow, and when we woke up, the entire property was blanketed in several inches of snow and it was just perfect. (Mom is from Texas, so the snow was very much a novelty for her - and it was mid-April, so the snow was not really expected.)||||Ginger and Mike fed us a DELICIOUS and HUGE breakfast before we packed up and set off for the quick dive back to my summer house about an hour away. Mom is still chatting about her stay.||||I truly can't say enough good things about this property and Ginger and Mike. They were so gracious and the property is beautiful. The treehouse is also fantastic - and beautifully appointed. You won't be disappointed with a stay at the Treehouse...

Shorty but lovely first visit to this spacious, relaxing getaway. Hosts Tom & Ravi are welcoming & accommodating, as are the two cat hosts Bear & Scratch.

My friend & I immediately felt at home, stretching out in one of many sofas & armchairs to read, pet the very friendly cats, chat with Ravi & Tom, bask in the heat of the first floor's two wood stoves. (There are extra blankets scattered around to wrap up in if you feel chilled.)

The house is bright and airy, filled with beautiful art & furniture that manages elegance without feeling like a museum.

Tom & Ravi are committed to the comfort of their guests, including cozy beds, delicious simple breakfast - locally made granola & fresh milk, etc.- and helping guests make the most of the area.

Although we were here as individual guests, rather than as part of a retreat, & during quieter weekdays, we felt well cared for.

This is the couple's 2nd year making this place their own. We're looking forward to watching this place grow. I'm looking forward to experiencing Tom's yoga & meditation teaching (which I didn't this visit), and to tasting Ravi's food, which he make the 2nd Saturday of each month & which you can pre-order for takeout! :-)

Notes: some of the photos in the Google listing are from the retreat's previous incarnation, which offered large, full breakfasts. Willow provides lighter fare. dress for the season, and bring layers. While the wood stoves and radiators are lovely, it is a large New England house, so you may sometimes feel cold despite all that. If you like hiking, make sure to bring proper footwear / outerwear, to stay dry & comfortable in case of bad weather. If you like to read, write, play piano (there's one here), knit....bring that too. Very relaxing to hang out all...