A Williamsburg White House Bed & Breakfast Inn — Hotel in Williamsburg

Well it has taken me a little longer to get to write this review than it should have, but you know the saying: Better Late Than Never!. So, here's the scope on the Williamsburg White House . . . simply put you can not find a better B&B in Williamsburg and for that matter probably in the entire peninsula region! Right from your arrival and greeting by the Proprietors - John & Debbie Keane - you feel So Very Welcome and made to feel at home. I liked very much too how communicative John & Debbie were prior to our arrival using text messages, emails with confirmations, instructions, and check-in procedures to be sure I knew where to be and what to do and at what time. This alone impressed my and told me that this was going to be one of the most professional and well organized B & B operations I have ever experienced.

Now upon arrival and check-in, be prepared for a Welcome and Overview of the White House Common Areas, Grounds and Wings that is unparalleled and incomparable. You will immediately be captivated by and engaged in and with John's love of American History and the Presidency. There are pictures, books, papers, illustrations, posters, artifacts, novelties, and even music appropriate to the theme John & Debbie have perfected. If you love history and love people who have a passion for collections and collecting, the Williamsburg White House is the place for you!

As you can see, I am very high on the organization, the professionalism of the owners, and the environment they have created. Now, if you can believe it and I hope you do, the Keane's have also focused an equal amount of attention on the guest rooms - or as they like to say the - "Presidential Bed Chambers". The rooms are very well appointed and very comfortable in all respects. I was impressed with again the Keane's attention to every little detail such as a night lite in the bathroom, to the LED flashlight on the night stand, to the coasters on all surfaces, to the ice bucket and glasses on the sideboard, and to installing the exact number of grab bars exactly positioned in exactly all the right places in the bathroom! There wasn't one detail overlooked in my opinion which is a huge compliment to the owners!

Service? - The Best! Breakfast? - Better than the Best and should not be missed! I really like that the InnKeepers have a terrific system for confirming your breakfast plans and choices that include whether you wish to dine along or at a two top or join the community dining table. My choice was the common dining table where I would meet the other guests - who by the way are always introduced by John and Debbie not by our real names but by our room name. So, I - FDR, got to sit with the Churchills & Kennedys for breakfast. The Jefferson choice to eat alone one day but joined us the next at the Common Table. Breakfast is over the top, all hand-made and lovingly presented by both John and Debbie. And, if you are lucky, one or both of them may even join you for a cup of coffee and answer any questions you might have about them, the White House, the Williamsburg Area, W & Mary, or just about anything else! They are remarkable hosts and they clearly love the White House, the work they do, and their guests.

So, What More Can I Say?!?!? The Williamsburg White House is a precious gem, an exceptional value in my opinion, and without a doubt one of the most unique & pleasurable B & B experiences you will have anywhere! I will and have already highly recommended the Williamsburg White House to friends and family and my only regret is that I did not know about the Keane's and the Williamsburg White House until recently. I have already made my reservation to return in about another week - you know, as much as I saw and enjoyed while there a few weekends ago, there is still so much more to see and experience. Thank you John and Debbie for all you have done and for the unique B & B experience you have created and...

We enjoyed our weekend at this B&B. There were some plumbing issues, which resulted in us being without a bathroom for much of a Saturday, however we understand that these things happen. Our issue is the way the owner spoke to me (the wife) when we reported the plumbing issue. The issue happened on a Saturday morning, so we went to breakfast and found the owner, who was helping to set up for breakfast. I told him about the plumbing, and his attitude seemed very blasé; he said something like "oh, that's interesting, the Jefferson room doesn't usually have plumbing issues, I'll see about a plumber when I can, but it is Saturday." This is not an actual quote, but to give the idea of what he said. I understood that it was a Saturday, and that he was busy, but I wanted him to understand that we needed a bathroom. I was trying to impart some sense of urgency, so I started to say something like "this is really important..." Again, not an exact quote. Before I could finish my sentence, he interrupted me and yelled at me about how he was in the middle of breakfast, and it was a Saturday so he couldn't guarantee anything, and he was busy, etc. I am not a shrinking violet, but I was shaken. I have not been yelled at like that before. Even my husband, who is much more apt to accept an answer from someone than I am without asking questions, was taken aback and agreed that I had been yelled at. I didn't say anything after that because I was stunned and frankly a bit unnerved. I felt it was unnecessary, and I was especially unprepared for this reaction from the owner of the business, who is in hospitality. I want to make clear that my interactions with the other person working there (I believe her name was Shannon, though I could be misremembering) were absolutely lovely, and the food she made was good. The plumbing issues were resolves in a timely fashion too. The reason for the low rating is just that the whole experience was tainted by the way the owner spoke to me. I was to unnerved to speak to him again, and frankly felt uncomfortable for the rest of our stay there. I hope to never be spoken to that way again.

ETA: I cannot figure out how to reply to your post, so I am editing mine. I appreciate your response. I just want to make it clear that we were in no way dissatisfied with how the actual plumbing issue was handled; I thought I made that clear in the original post, and if I did not I apologize. It was handled well, and we were happy with the results, and as you noted greatly appreciative! The only thing we did not like was how John spoke to me. Now, I understand he was busy, and I appreciate that he called the plumber right away. This unfortunate interaction would have been avoided if he had just said something like "I am sorry to hear that; I'm in the middle of serving breakfast. Give me a minute and I'll call the plumber as soon as breakfast is served." That would have forestalled any issue. He did not communicate it to us like that, however. That is all I'm saying. If the initial communication had been nicer there would have been no issue; we weren't even that upset about the plumbing. It was just the way he spoke to me. I am sorry that my mode of trying to communicate the urgency of the situation must have hit a nerve with John. I certainly was not trying to be difficult, I just expected a different response, that's all. I didn't expect to be made uncomfortable for bringing a problem to the...

This place talks itself up like a Hilton, but it feels more like a two star days inn, that forces you to get up at 9 in the morning.

Why you ask? Here are just a few things we had to deal with during our stay

1. Showers either burn you or freeze you, seriously old school plumbing. If your paying anything above $150 a night, its reasonable to expect properly functioning showers. Crappy showers easily put a damper on your vacation.

2. Weird motel 2 in 1 shampoo conditioner: One measly bottle of crappy shampoo/conditioner for the two of us. Seriously? I've had better in highway motels.

3. Breakfast: For a "luxury" bed and breakfast, the breakfast was decidedly ho-hum. Wasn't the worst we've ever had, that was at a 2 star hotel in Puerto Rico, but it was close.

4. You're expected to be there at 9 for breakfast. Are we in middle school? Sometimes, vacations don't go as planned, sometimes, you need some extra time for your hair. Sometimes you just wanna press snooze. They expect you downstairs, at 9 sharp, for breakfast, and they're not flexible about it. They hand you breakfast, put on some patriotic music, and then off they go to their own things, hardly any service, not what we expected for a "luxury" bed and breakfast.

5. They're political beliefs are clear and in your face: I'm not a democrat, I'm quite moderate in fact, but sometimes I just want a quiet stroll through a colonial town thinking about how we're all one big happy country. Then, when I stroll back, i don't want to see a sign that says "Republic parking only." I go inside, and I don't want to see their museum exhibit devoted to Clinton's mistakes. I get it, everyone likes a good laugh at politicians, heck, who likes em? But, not all of us are republican, why should I be made to feel unwelcome at the place just because I'm not republican?

We've been to bed and breakfasts up and down the eastern seaboard, and across the country. This was our worst experience so far. Perhaps yours will be better, but we felt it necessary to...