Beekman Arms Delamater Inn — Hotel in Town of Rhinebeck

Was here for two nights during a solo Fall getaway. The location is just lovely and smack dab in the middle of downtown Rhinebeck. EVERYTHING is in walking distance-- tons of cute little shops and restaurants with very classical curb appeal. The antique store behind the main inn is incredible and you HAVE to check it out if you love to find hidden gems on your travels. The overall decor in the main inn (just the Beekman Arms primary inn) is very much up my alley-- very dark, masculine, even somewhat spooky which made it perfect for Halloween time. I personally loved it, but I know many folks find the interior to be dated and unkempt. I think it's great.

My room was very small but quaint. The heat is from an old boiler and there are those loud, clangy vents which individual guests cannot open/close. On top of that, my windows appeared painted shut as I could not open them for the life of me. However, I was glad to also have an air conditioning unit in my window. I kept it running my entire stay which allowed me to sleep well, but it was pretty loud. I would have preferred the windows open and the Fall breeze.

I was glad to have a Keurig in my room but was very disappointed there was no fridge. That really made things difficult in planning/preserving meals and so on. I didn't eat at the restaurant or tavern so can't comment on those. One member of the staff I spoke with briefly was very nice (she said she was 23 years old and recently started). I enjoyed my chat with her. However, I overheard another staff member complaining about a guest which I thought was pretty unprofessional and in poor form.

Now on to breakfast. EVERYTHING about breakfast was really bad. On top of a poor selection of food, you have to walk a block or two down the road to the Delamater Inn conference center for breakfast. This means you have to go outside and take a short walk to get breakfast. Super inconvenient. I am sure there is a reason for it, but it's very curious as to why breakfast is not in the main building. There are literally 2 restaurant-like areas in the building along with a very large reception room. But everyone needs to go elsewhere to eat. And the conference center isn't even nice. It's not a cafeteria or dining area. It's a bland lifeless space and you're really stuck sitting on top of each other.

That might not be so bad if breakfast itself was actually worth it. No actual meals--just hints of snacks/finger food that are not sufficient as breakfast at an inn of this type. The eggs are hard-boiled and just sit in a chilled bowl. No scrambled eggs, no sunny side up, no bacon, no sausage links or patties, no pancakes, waffles, etc. Just some organic Greek yogurt, communal jars with cereal, bowls of peaches and berries but nothing to put them on apart from toast--and you have to wait in line to use the toaster while other guests watch you. Oh, and flimsy paper plates and plastic utensils. Just very cheap and not at all what I would expect of an historic inn. It was so bad that I couldn't separate it from the rest of the overall experience. Thus my...

Where to begin....the Inn itself is an incredible living tribute to American History. The first floor is a tasteful preservation to it's historical foundation.

The staff was extremely pleasant and helpful...

The issue I found most disappointing was the second floor, specifically our room which was featured as one of the rooms on their web site as one of their best rooms. Oh my...I would hate to see the lesser rooms.

It was large. That was nice.

One would think with the Historical significance of the Inn as their focal point, the rooms themselves would actually reflect that.

It did not, at all! Horrible.

In fact, the room was quite puzzling with mismatched and dated furniture that seemed to be from the 1980's. There is a strange "Angel Garden" craft item designed for an actual garden, screwed to the wall!

The wallpaper is dated, not in a historical way, trust me...the carpeting even worse.

There was actually a Day Bed in the room instead of a couch which just did not belong. If their selling point is additional sleeping accommodations, get a pull-out sofa for God's sake.

I am still trying to figure out the kitchen table and chairs in front of the fireplace. Why is this in this room at all?

The pictures on the wall were about as bad as can be and nothing reflective of history. I can not even begin to describe how bad these were. More closely associated with what you would see at a Craft Fair than "America's oldest operating Inn".

Oh, and No breakfast! Not even Continental with a Danish or juice. Get yourself coffee on a small table.. that's it!

Just a couple of thoughts to the Inn:

Adding a Continental Breakfast in the rear area near the bar would be a pleasant and expected service for your paying Guests.

For the rooms..install some crown molding, paint the walls, wooden historical floors with an appropriate area rug, period furniture and historical art work with some actual window treatments instead of vinyl blinds would turn this from an 80's craft nightmare to an interesting and historical pleasing room that Guests would appreciate and return to again and again.

For the money they charge, I had much higher expectations.

I would recommend a visit to the First Floor of the Inn as part of your walking tour of the Town. Maybe a drink at the bar, lunch or dinner as part of your visit. Definitely find another place for your overnight stay.

Obviously the most recent owner has no interest in the Historical Community and ambiance of this beautiful Historical town. It is a real shame...The Inn is the focul point of the Town and the owner either does not understand or...

It's not often you find a restaurant and want to really tell everyone about how good the setting, food, service and price was, but I will tell you this. The Beekman Arms checked off on everyone one of these items. First off the setting and the quaint charm of the bedroom community of Rhinebeck, NY, is more that enough to talk about all by itself and kudos to the town for achieving this, but the 18th Century feel of the Beekman was enough to make you feel you were actually back in the time of the Colonials.

We came upon the Beekman after a long day at the Country Living Fair and wanted someplace quiet to sit back and relax and enjoy each others company, have drinks and a good meal. After looking around town at the number of great restaurant settings, we came upon the Beekman Arms Hotel and were instantly welcomed as if we had been there before . We chose to sit outside and take in the beautiful Upstate New York night and were immediately received by our waitress Corrine. She was so pleasant and treated us both so well, even at this late hour, and so close to the closing time. She reminded us that we need not rush, because she would not close until we had been served and finished our meal.

Our meal consisted of my wife choosing the Stuffed Shrimp and I, the Rack of Lamb. I will honestly tell you, that this was without a doubt one of the BEST meals that either of us have ever had and hats off to the chef. Now, I am no food connoisseur by any means, but we have been to so many restaurants in our lives and this one will definitely stick out as a top 5 forever. So if you're ever in the area and just wanted to go back in time and enjoy the great service, food and setting the Beekman Arms has to offer, then I would highly recommend you stopping by this wonderful hotel.

Thanks again to our most gracious waitress, Corrine, for this enjoyable experience. You have definitely perfected your craft and the Beekman should be proud to have someone like you representing them. I would also like to thank you for saving the day by finding my wife's cell phone. That was truly a lifesaver for her and I .

Sincerely,

Kevin &...