Copper Beech Inn — Restaurant in Essex

The last week of September 2023, my wife and I stayed one night here in room 216 in the Carriage House. Karen welcomed us upon arrival at the Main House, and she was friendly and helpful. She pointed our way to the Carriage House, we parked, and then carried our bags to the second floor. Workers were mowing the lawn, and they stopped to offer us a hand at carrying our bags in. So, this place gets a 5 for service.|The architecture of the Carriage House is something of a mystery; while the Main House is stylishly Victorian, the CH seems to be more two-floor motel-ish with a single entry door on the ground floor. That does not mean the rooms are bad, just that, architecturally, it felt very little like we were staying in an "inn" or "B&B" and more like we were in a standard motel, with multiple rooms off a long hall. That said, the furnishings in the room were nice, including nice soap and shampoo. The bed, with the use of my portable backboard, was adequate for my bad back. The room used bamboo-style roll-down blinds to cover the window and the door to the "closed-for-repairs" balcony, but both blinds were broken, and it took much effort to get them down to cover their openings. Such blinds are rather see-through when it is dark outside and lighted inside, so we were careful not to wander about without adequate coverage (Didn't want to frighten the horses!) We'd rate the bed as a 3.5 (with bedboard) and the room as 3.5 as well.|Breakfast the next morning was in the conservatory of the Main House and the cold offerings were good, with fresh fruit, yogurt, pastries, and OK coffee. The conservatory is beautiful, but has terrible acoustics, making it difficult to carry on a conversation. We'd rate the breakfast as a 3.5.|One of the treats of staying at an inn/B&B is the camaraderie of the guests. That was missing here. No guests spoke to us or even made eye contact. I don't know if this is a product of the extent to which we were spread out across the inn's three structures, or was an artifact of the motel-like feel of the Carriage House that isolates rather than creates community. Regardless, we'd give the ambiance a 3.5.|Location was excellent, already on our route, near enough to Essex to run in for dinner, and there was plenty of convenient parking. Also, there is a gem of a little museum of impressionist painters, The Florence Griswold (reviewed separately on TA), that is only a short drive away. So we'd give it a 5 for location.|For our one night there, we paid $206, including tax. That's just a little less than we paid last fall for one night at the Griswold Inn. So, it's an upscale price in a pricy neighborhood. We gave it a 4 for value.|So, to summarize: Service gets 5, bed gets 3.5, room gets 3.5, breakfast gets 3.5, location gets a 5, and value gets a 4. That averages to a 4, which is what we...

Serendipity brought us to the Copper Beech Inn. It wasn’t planned but it became a highlight of our three-week vacation. The hotel and its grounds were incredible, providing a serene environment for actual relaxation. We attempted to stay further nights but could not cancel our other previous hotel reservations. An unexpected memory we shall treasure.|The inn encompasses three separate buildings, The main building was built over 200 years ago. It provides the main dining areas, bar and guest rooms upstairs. The woodwork within this building is astounding. It reminds me of the type you would see in old Victorian homes. The interior looks pristine due to their wonderful upkeep and maintenance. There is an enclosed veranda that overlooks an elaborate garden area. This garden has a fountain surrounded by colorful beds of flowers. Chairs provide the ability to partake in its tranquil splendor.|The other two buildings are a renovated carriage house converted into hotel rooms and a newer building containing more rooms. We stayed in the newer building. It has a main entrance hall which can be used as a reception area. Our room was easily over 400 sq feet. It contained an ultra-modern walk-in shower and spacious jacuzzi tub. Our room faced out onto a large natural area. We could not believe the quietness of the surrounding environment. Total bliss. |We purchased the breakfast meal plan. We were provided a menu of about six different choices to choose from. Found it difficult to select due to the offerings. Their coffee and orange juice were great. The meals were also delightful. We were not able to partake of dinner since they do not serve dinner on Monday and Tuesday; the days we visited. But we conversed with other guests who had dinner and were pleased with both service and meal quality. |It is important to mention that this inn is family owned. Christa was the family member we interacted with during our stay. She has a delightful personality and while treating all patrons with respect, as we observed, she demonstrates her appreciation for the guests visiting. She provides services in the traditional ways. Christa’s temperament aligns with the inn’s values exactly; excellent service provides returning customers. Her jobs are many. She interacted with us during check in / check out and breakfasts. Jose, a dining room employee, provided excellent service with all aspects of our meals. | I have spent my professional life traveling both domestically and internationally. The quality of service provided to us was on par with what I would expect from the high-tier hotels. It was personal, professional, and appreciated. I highly recommend this “get away” for your next travel if you are...

Serendipity brought us to the Copper Beech Inn. It wasn’t planned but it became a highlight of our three-week vacation. The hotel and its grounds were incredible, providing a serene environment for actual relaxation. We attempted to stay further nights but could not cancel our other previous hotel reservations. An unexpected memory we shall treasure.|The inn encompasses three separate buildings, The main building was built over 200 years ago. It provides the main dining areas, bar and guest rooms upstairs. The woodwork within this building is astounding. It reminds me of the type you would see in old Victorian homes. The interior looks pristine due to their wonderful upkeep and maintenance. There is an enclosed veranda that overlooks an elaborate garden area. This garden has a fountain surrounded by colorful beds of flowers. Chairs provide the ability to partake in its tranquil splendor.|The other two buildings are a renovated carriage house converted into hotel rooms and a newer building containing more rooms. We stayed in the newer building. It has a main entrance hall which can be used as a reception area. Our room was easily over 400 sq feet. It contained an ultra-modern walk-in shower and spacious jacuzzi tub. Our room faced out onto a large natural area. We could not believe the quietness of the surrounding environment. Total bliss. |We purchased the breakfast meal plan. We were provided a menu of about six different choices to choose from. Found it difficult to select due to the offerings. Their coffee and orange juice were great. The meals were also delightful. We were not able to partake of dinner since they do not serve dinner on Monday and Tuesday; the days we visited. But we conversed with other guests who had dinner and were pleased with both service and meal quality. |It is important to mention that this inn is family owned. Christa was the family member we interacted with during our stay. She has a delightful personality and while treating all patrons with respect, as we observed, she demonstrates her appreciation for the guests visiting. She provides services in the traditional ways. Christa’s temperament aligns with the inn’s values exactly; excellent service provides returning customers. Her jobs are many. She interacted with us during check in / check out and breakfasts. Jose, a dining room employee, provided excellent service with all aspects of our meals. | I have spent my professional life traveling both domestically and internationally. The quality of service provided to us was on par with what I would expect from the high-tier hotels. It was personal, professional, and appreciated. I highly recommend this “get away” for your next travel if you are...