Pickering House Inn — Hotel in Wolfeboro

Not sure where all these 5 star reviews are coming from. Do they not travel?

TL;DR Place is fine, but not #4 in the world or even top 10 in the USA.

I came with high expectations. Left wondering about Travel and Leisure’s methodologies and if I should keep a subscription. #4 in the world and #1 in the U.S. puts this place in high company. It has to be compared to places like Sugar Beach in St.Lucia, Goldeneye in Jamaica, & due to the rating was put on my radar like Hotel the Craftsman in Amsterdam. Or in the US, think The Jefferson or Riggs in DC. Or the Peninsula in Chicago, or Enchantment Resort in Sedona, or the Edgewater in Seattle.

To be clear, the Inn itself is nice. It is clean, and the staff are friendly. My room had some neat features like heated tile floors.

With such a pedigree I had high expectations & was assured that of course we will not be disappointed.

The room was fine. Bed was very comfortable. Lots of high tech features, like the digital controls for both the tiles and the shower. It gets to 113 for the shower, which is hot, but not that hot. I would like to not be able to max out the heat setting. My room was the top floor - again very nice- but the cellulose blinds that cover the skylights do not block any light. At sunrise the room brightens fully.

The Inn is on the Main Street which is super busy in the morning & early afternoon before the town closes. The front porch is tough to use in the morning due to the sounds of traffic. Reading with all that noise is tough, & it is too loud to make calls. By 7 AM, you hear the trucks up into the room. This continues most of the day, but at night it is nice.

Breakfast at the Inn is very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast food & the rotation between savory & sweet each day. Be aware that they do not have a menu, you get what they serve. No changes. Hard stop. #4 & no menu? Hmmmmm. Surprised I couldn’t just order an egg, or an omelette. Honestly it was a shock to be at a place rated this highly to have no choice. The local coffee was fine but definitely up to the hype it received when we checked in. The cookies they put out midday ARE outstanding. Really good. The restaurant attached to the Inn has very limited hours and days of operation, & hard to get reservations. IF you do eat there, make sure you specifically ask for a real table or you might get sat at the bar, or a bar table. I wish I would have specified. The food at the restaurant is fine, at best. Skip the “spicy” cucumbers. They aren’t. Very salty however, so if that is your thing, then do go for it. Chicken was ok. The town is pretty much closed from Sunday at noon until Wednesday. The places that are open serve typical, cheap, pre-made, frozen type food that it seems like every open restaurant orders from. Frozen fries/onion rings tossed in a deep fryer, burger pucks, pre made chicken salad from the grocer, etc. Lots of ice cream shops stay open. Like 6. But no food. Grocery store sign says it closes at 8, but 50/50 it actually stays open that long.

Every place that was recommended to us on Monday was closed. The middle of peak season, and literally every place. Don’t tell me how hard it is to find staff. The towns 45 minutes away have no issues. We find a Mexican restaurant that appears dirty and instead eat at the grocery store. We ended up using this place as a base for day trips. You can’t lounge around all day in the town or at the Inn. No food. I guess IF I were to come back, (very doubtful) it would be for no longer than 3 days, & I would try to get reservations at the restaurant each night and it would not include any dates between Sunday and Wednesday. I would only order chicken. These limitations make it hard to understand #4 in the world. Or even #1 in New England. Glad I got to see the Franconia Ridge, but little else. Ultimately left...

While I cannot speak to the Rooms, Location or Service I can definitely speak to their policies. I am a 61 year old women traveling with an autistic young adult, I had a reservation for a Monday and Tuesday night stay at the inn in the month of July. On the day that I was due to arrive I called to RESCHEDULE not CANCEL my reservation. Due to a health issue and traveling with my autistic young adult I could not make the dates that I booked, I did not ask for my money back I simply asked to change the dates of my stay which they let me do the week before. This Inn made the decision to keep the $1,762.00 dollars they charged my credit card one month before I even had a chance to arrive. I have to ask in what world do they live in that they can justify this action. Policies aside, keeping $1,762.00 from my family and my family receiving nothing in return is a very bad business decision. I ran inns for over 20 years in a seasonal town just like Wolfboro and never in a million years would I keep $1,762.00 of some families hard earned money and give them nothing in return. This in my eyes is not justified or reasonable and deplorable behavior. I will contact the BBB and the Wolfboro Chamber of Commerce and the attorney generals office. This in my eyes is a form of larceny.

In response to your response: People who have medical conditions must pay attention to the world around them. There was a debilitating heatwave sitting on top of New England which stopped my travel abruptly. I cannot travel or put my family in jeopardy with the threat of heatstroke, wind & driving rain, hail, tornados and pop up lightening storms. I honestly did not think a RESCHEDULE would be considered a CANCELLATION, I still don't for that matter.

Your Inn lost nothing, you received payment in the amount of $1,762.00 for which I received nothing. You mention travelers insurance I'm curious to know, do you think travel insurance would cover a reschedule? That's a question I would like to have answered, because technically I did not CANCEL.

I would also like to know if you were booked out those two nights, I don't believe you were because I was actually considering booking another room and I checked on line and you had a lot of open availability. With open availablility my asking to reschedule our stay had no impact on you whatsoever. I mentioned earlier I was an innkeeper, I know the job front to back and I would never consider punishing a family for wanting to reschedule. You may want to pay closer attention to our current situation on this planet and the things that humans need to consider when traveling, weather, covid, power outages unfortunately the world is changing and people must protect themselves from harm. You just protected yourself and gave no consideration to me or my family. You need to reevaluate your policies and bring them up to date with the times. Also, you may want to learn the difference between a cancellation and...

Let’s start with the room: thoughtful details throughout. USB charger pack so you can plug in many devices. Water in the room. Guide books and magazines. Automatic electronic shower so the temperature is right every time. Big thing of Qtips, face wipes, etc. no scrimping on the necessities. Well done. Pillows and beds- wow! I slept so well and the sheets are exceptional. Bathrobes also provided as well as extra towels. |The room is spotless and quiet. We stayed in the Brewster Suite. But had a glimpse at all the rooms and I’d say #10 is very very special. Next time! The inn…oh my gosh! Incredible history. Take the time to enjoy walking around. The detail to preservation is noted and greatly appreciated. Patty and Peter have saved so many objects and you’ll find them in frames, jars and all around. |It is meticulously cleaned. Spotless! Baseboards, wall art - just spotless. |All the chairs and sofas in the common rooms are inviting. Just settle in as if it’s your home. We sat on the floor playing board games before dinner each night. Plopped some pillows on the floor and was very cozy in front of the fireplace. |The extra coffee:tea/water bars located throughout the floors are a very nice touch. Just incase you get up early or like a late night tea, it’s available. Water bottles too for your day trips. The staff-can not say enough about how thoughtful and kind they all are. It is obvious they love their job and it shows in all the details. Remembering how you like your coffee or where you sit. Our greeting even was filled with all the information I provided. Extra pillows where in the room as I asked. They shared a wealth of historic information and cute stories. Very well versed on the area too. Warm cookies layer out every afternoon and warm mini muffins in the am for early risers. ||If you are looking for a relaxed atmosphere and hiking or antiques in a beautiful setting, this is it! Galleries and beautiful drives with incredible views of the lakes and mountains. Just majestic! We...