The Craftsman Inn & Suites — Hotel in Town of Manlius

Married at the Craftsman during a Pandemic - a short story. My wife and I have always liked the Craftsman Inn and Restaurant since the first time we walked in. It ended up becoming our venue for a few important reasons. The convenient location, the exciting menu, the extremely reasonable pricing, and most importantly, the people. When we went in to hear what the Craftsman had to offer, the coordinator surprised us with some very luxurious refreshments while we discussed what we were looking for. We immediately felt a personal touch that we hadn’t experienced any place else. We would go on to have our Rehearsal, our Ceremony, and our Reception all in house.

When Covid-19 happened we, like anyone trying to plan a wedding, we were extremely nervous. Like many places, the Craftsman had their fair share of challenges, including restructuring their staff. During that time we found out that some of the people we’d met earlier in the process were no longer there. It was a bit rattling to us but understandable.

Enter Bobby Richie.

When we met Bobby we knew he, like many in his position during the pandemic, was wearing many hats for the Craftsman. He was professional and confident and quickly put us at ease. His communication was top notch, always quick to get back to us via email or text. He would drop everything to help us get into the space to discuss all the different restrictions NY was placing on public gatherings. And most importantly, he always tried to find ways to help us.

He set up an incredible food tasting with one of the most incredible chefs we’ve ever met. The hardest part was trying to trim the menu and appetizers down. The quality of the ingredients was top notch, the presentation was something out of a magazine, and most importantly the taste was out of this world. Neither my wife and I like Salmon, but the Maple Soy preparation we tried was immediately on our final menu.

The night of our Rehearsal it was great party! Bobby was there the whole time helping direct traffic. They let us have our Signature Cocktail that night as well because some of our Rehearsal guests weren’t able to come to the reception due to the 50 person limit. We didn’t have to worry about a single thing.

On the big day, to say things went perfectly, would be an understatement. The staff working the event was remarkably gracious. They were very safe and wore masks the whole time to keep with the NY Standards. Bobby waited on us personally, ensuring we had two special meals custom ordered with the chef. He would bring us drinks moments before we’d finished our last sip. And even protected our dessert table from our guests who couldn’t wait until we cut our cake to sample some of our amazing post-dinner snacks.

Bobby and the staff at the Craftsman provided us with an experience we never realized was exactly what we wanted. In few weeks since were married, my wife and I have said again and again that we wouldn’t have changed a thing! It would have been easy for us to put of our wedding, we could have felt sorry for ourselves, but the Craftsman fulfilled everything we could have hoped for and so much more.

We want to thank Bobby Richie as well as the management and staff of both the restaurant and the Inn who made us feel so welcome in every way. You will forever be a part of our memory.

I would recommend the Craftsman for any event, large or small. If nothing else, stop in for your next night out to sample the incredible menu. If they could provide the level of service they did, with all the restrictions of statewide pandemic we had to juggle, I have no doubt they can...

I typically like to write positive reviews only, but I’ve been staying at this hotel for 4 years and I’m sad to see it go down the tubes. I asked to speak with a manager and was told that there wasn’t one. Hopefully this will help someone internally fix some issues. I was very disappointed with the cleanliness and dis-service this year on our annual visit to the Craftsman Inn. The night manager was strange and misinformed and, in my opinion; lazy. He cared very little that our room was dirty when we checked in. Did not know where the ice machines were and after we located th ice machine, there was an out of service sign. They told us that we could go outside across the parking lot to the bar to get ice. (Two men with no other customers and just sitting down in the lobby) The next morning, I spoke personally with the chambermaid & asked her to leave an extra tea in our room when she made it up. She agreed. When we returned to our room at 5:30 pm, the room was still not made up and the front desk manager told us that we had a DND? On our room. I explained that I did not know what that meant & he stated that we had a do not disturb sign on the door. I explained that we did not. He said that he’d send someone right away and then called back and said that it said on his board that we had a do not disturb sign on our door. (Basically ignoring that I said that I did not) He eventually arranged for a very nice person to bring us some clean towels, toilet paper & empty our garbage. She was very apologetic. The front desk manager continued to be a dud throughout our stay. The hotel is very pretty and I hope that they get a manager in there before the service slips more.

• fix the ice machine * **Actually “clean “ the rooms. Not exaggerating that there was about two tablespoons of what I think was potting soil or maybe ashes from an ashtray in the...

Mixed feelings.

This place is generally clean and cozy, but the first night, the knob for the handheld shower blew itself out, spraying water across the bathroom. I mentioned it the next day, telling the women at the counter that the handheld shower is "kind of important to us," but the response was "we'd have to call someone in because we don't have anyone to fix it." Additionally, when we arrived, we had a message on our machine, but couldn't retrieve it, so I brought it up and their answer was "That message is for someone else. It can be set up for you, but it's a whole process." So if we want to shut our cell phones off so we're not bothered during our anniversary weekend, the only way for our family to get an important message to us is is for the front desk to take the call and relay it to us.

Besides those two things, the rest is mainly nit-picking...

The bathrooms are so minimalistic that there's literally nowhere to set your soap or shampoo in one of the showers and a tiny shelf in a corner of the other shower.

The floor is badly uneven and squeaky.

Two of the doors inside the suite won't shut and the other has a loose knob.

The AC in the living space is too complicated for the average person. The one in the bedroom is more straightforward, but only has heat and cool; no auto, which is useful when the weather swings as much as it does here.

A ring if dirt or food or something (where a plate was) was on the table when we arrived.

The soaking tub is nice, but the lighting in that part of the bathroom is a bright white, instead of a more soothing soft white, which would promote relaxation.

Walls are thin. Housekeeping could be heard quite loudly and clearly next door.

Bed and pillows are nice, but the sheets are mediocre.

Nice antique-looking dishes in the bathrooms, but the paint flakes off onto the soap.

Silverware...