The Outing Lodge — Hotel in Stillwater Township

I purchased two Crowd Cut discount ticket pairs for the recent Babette's Feast theme dinner. Babette's Feast is my mother's favorite movie, so I felt it would be a great experience. I didn't read the reviews until after my purchase, and considering how mixed they were, I was extremely apprehensive. But, I figured, in for 18000 pennies, in for a pound. I figured that if the place was a dump like some reviews said, at least it wouldn't be out of character for the movie. And if the place really did seem haunted like one reviewer implied, that would certainly be an interesting experience too. The first thing one notices is that this place is REALLY out in the boondocks. The drive itself wasn't bad, but you really had to keep a sharp eye for the entrance. There isn't a street light for miles and the entrance itself wasn't lit. I thought the reviewers who complained about "bad energy" might have spent too much of their childhood playing underneath high-intensity power lines, but after driving down a dark road to pull into a dark stone gate into a wooded lot, I could kind of see their point. However, upon pulling up to the building itself, it was all lit up and decorated for Christmas, and looked much more festive and inviting. The building itself is a bit cool, probably because it's so big and old. However, the main room has a fireplace big enough to park a Mini-Cooper inside it, and logs to match, which helped a lot. When we arrived, there were about 50 people in attendance. First there was a short social hour, followed by a visit to the upstairs sitting room where the hosts/owners gave a Powerpoint summary of the movie related to the dinner's theme. Powerpoint lived up to its glitchy reputation and caused technical difficulties, but no one minded. Afterwards, we all sat for dinner at the long banquet tables, which were set with tablecloths and formal settings and looked beautiful. The one thing that all the reviews mentioned (even the bad ones) was that the food was good. I was really counting on that being the case, considering that the menu for Babette's Feast includes dishes like turtle soup, caviar, and quail in puff pastry. I like gourmet food but I'm not all that adventurous; I didn't want to be scarred for life by a bowl of turtle soup gone horribly wrong. Well, I'm very happy to report that ALL the food was incredibly good and all of us cleaned our plates for every course. I should also mention that the portions were also pretty generous. They weren't ridiculous, but they didn't skimp either. I really appreciate because in my opinion, no matter how delicious or beautiful a meal is, if I spent $100 on it and I still have to stop for a hamburger afterwards because I'm still hungry, I don't go back! The service staff was also very polite and on point for the most part. There were a few delays (once when a sauce was supposed to be served for the quail, and another time when my dad almost didn't get his 2nd course) but they were rectified ASAP and overall the experience was just fine. Considering that in the movie, Babette only had to feed 11 people and the hosts at this dinner were trying to feed 50, I'd say they did pretty well. Overall, the experience was just lovely and far exceeded my expectations. Everyone in my party had a wonderful time, and it seemed that the others did too. The hosts asked about our experience, too. And since it started at 6:30 and ended around 10, we weren't up until all hours, either. I would definitely go again, especially with a Crowd...

Honestly, we really wanted to love The Outing Lodge.

First the pros: Beautiful location in the middle of basically a forest with tons of trails. Very quiet! Beautiful historic building, though showing its age. Good service; they attended immediately to every request and accommodated a food preference for our autistic daughter for breakfast. The room was very clean and spacious; no dusty windowsills or cobwebs to be found. The bathroom was spotless with plenty of towels. Good location for exploring from, an easy drive to nearby towns. Breakfast, while lacking in variety from day to day, was made on site and fresh, though a few too many sweet options for my liking. On learning my daughter's preferences, they had something for her every morning. Large jetted tub though we didn't try it out during our stay. Carlotta is an excellent artist and has some of her works for sale.

Cons: It is an old building, so we expected some creaks, sticky doors, etc., but our room, the Eva Peron Suite, smelled strongly of must and mildew. I'm sensitive to scents, but even my family noticed it. It was almost unbearable to me, but I survived by putting mentholatum under my nose when in the room. I booked the suite because of if its size. The sun porch was touted as a perk and extra space of the suite, but the door was very difficult to open and once we did, we regretted it, because the smell was very concentrated there, with plastic over the windows, which seemed like they might be painted shut anyway. (I mentioned this at checkout and was told the sun porch is mostly unusable during the summer, something that is not mentioned when booking). The toilet in the bathroom was not firmly affixed to the floor, so rocked when sat upon. There were no towel rods by the sink or shower. Our bed creaked and wobbled anytime we moved, and wasn't particularly comfortable. Only one luggage rack was provided. The chairs, though quaint looking, are badly in need of new cushions and were very uncomfortable. The stairs might be challenging for some. Wifi was spotty; fortunately, my husband is in I.T. so we were able to work around it. Did I mention the smell?

Our room was the least enjoyable part of our experience. The location and service were excellent. It was clear they were making some repairs throughout the property, but I imagine it's a chore to keep up with maintenance on such an old property. We spoke a bit to other guests and nobody else mentioned the problem with smell so perhaps it's an unfortunate feature of the suite...

We had an amazing weekend at The Outing Lodge B&B... it’s gorgeous!!! Located in Pine Point Park it’s a country mansion surrounded with beautiful gardens and nature, all of which automatically reflects, peace, quiet, relaxation...it's the ideal place to escape for a weekend just to chill and relax and enjoy the silence and the nature...All rooms have their own breathtaking views. Outing Lodge ...where you truly feel home from the very moment you entered and is obviously for its amazing gardens. But already when you have a look at the different character of the suites and especially the wonderful fire place in the most rooms, you will be delighted. The wow-factor of the hotel clearly are the wonderful wide gardens, the of multi-use trails for biking, bird watching, cross-country, the event locations, the cozy illumination and flower arrangements, the great and exquisite cuisine and: again and again the very personalized and outstanding service. The staff both at the restaurant and the rooms... excellent, nothing is too much trouble, the cleanliness is impeccable, and the food is phenomenal: all expectations including fresh fruit, great breakfast buffet, delicious home-cooked and international dishes, French bread...with an extensive selection of fine Northwest, California, regional and international wines. By the way, if you're looking to party at night, enjoy drinks with your friends or go to a club or something, you will drive a short way to the town of Stillwater or St Paul… or you can stay at the Lodge that has a comfortable bar and floor dance for a fun night life or any kind of entertainment... Outing Lodge B&B is indeed an oasis of tranquility and calm. With manicured lawns, beautifully tended gardens and birds. They will also host special events like weddings and is a firm favorite for many conferences, birthday breakfast, lunch, drinks or and dinner. It is heartbreaking having to leave and a delight every time we return at this great place. To sum up, if you are looking to relax, enjoy nature and escape from the city noise, Outing Lodge is the place to go…We truly recommend Outing Lodge B&B, Service Excellence was what we were looking for and what...