The Brick Hotel/Inn/Lodging — Restaurant in Newtown

I stayed at The Brick Hotel for a week, and once I got settled, had a pretty uneventful stay. The Brick Hotel is a beautiful accommodation that has enough character to knock you over with a feather - and this is because of its 250-year-old history. There isn't a right-angle in this place, as it has settled over the centuries - and that gives it a ton of attraction. It nearly reminded me of sleeping at my grandmother's house, another 200-year-old Victorian, and the room I stayed in was beautifully decorated with period-style furniture, gorgeous pencil-on-canvas drawings of pretty women, and it was roomy and comfortable. Evelyn, the housekeeper was a doll, and seemed very trustworthy...I tucked a $20 bill inside a parchment paper letter for her tip - she certainly deserved it. Verindar, the owner, is a kind, concerned owner who helped make sure I was warm enough - since they hadn't turned on the heat due to high spring temperatures - and showed me the space heater that worked out just fine. I was always happy to see Verindar. Now, there were some things that needed to be improved upon - and if things are properly addressed, this could be a five-star hotel. Here's what I think should be done to bring it up to a better level: 1. Put some visible signage up. I had to ask if "this was the place." There is a sign above the door, but it's obscured by the door's canopy...there needs to be a sign at street-level so travelers can see it. 2. Do some maintenance while preserving the history. I'm not talking about an overhaul, I'm pointing more toward maintenance items like bathroom caulking, ensuring the sink faucet knobs turn the way they're supposed to, and ensuring all locking mechanisms on the door work properly. On my door, you could just pull it right open, even though the knob was locked (the latch barely secured itself.) It took a couple requests, but eventually Verindar had it repaired. The deadbolt worked (from the inside only - the keying was off,) but I had to lift the whole door by the knob - not the best way to remain safe while sleeping, and I know others without the strength wouldn't be able to lock it. In short, make sure everything works THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED, without having to turn a cold water faucet knob in the clockwise direction because someone used one they had on-hand, but was for the hot water side. Ensure the locks work without having to do other things to secure the door, and replace the caulking that is probably 20-years-old. 3. Get someone at the helm downstairs to meet and greet guests: The restaurant (Rocco's) is on the first floor, and if you're staying at the hotel and need something, it's "we don't handle the hotel side." If you're going to operate a hotel, you can't do it on a part-time basis. Pay someone to be there to mind the store, so to speak. 4. MAKE SURE THE WIFI WORKS. I was there on business, and didn't get this worked out until the next day. Guests need to know WHICH NETWORK to connect to, in addition to the password on those little slips of paper. 5. Make a change to the restaurant pamphlet in every room - the kitchen is not "having renovations done -" there is no kitchen at The Brick Hotel, and it should be stated as such. Now, all-in-all, I really enjoyed my stay at there - and it won't take much to bring this establishment from very good, to very great! But the work needs to be done, and there are a few changes that need to be made. Would I stay there again? Perhaps. But, before I did, I would want to know there were improvements made to how it's...

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! Do not, under any circumstances, book an event here. The entire experience was a disaster from the second we showed up. The sales coordinator, Tammy, did not do a single thing we asked/paid for. For example, the written contract specifically said the party was for 56 guests, however she took it upon herself to set the room up for 50 people. She then watched while the waitstaff and my husband/father-in-law passed a table and chairs through a patio window to accommodate the 6 people that should have been included in the first place. We paid extra, per person, to have a salad course be served prior to lunch. The salad never came. We paid extra, per person, to have unlimited tea and soda sent around to all the tables. The tea and soda never came. However, Tammy took it upon herself, despite two conversations where we explicitly said no (the second conversation took place minutes before our guests started arriving for the event) to have her waitstaff butler mimosas to all of the guests, and then had a staff member hand us a $600 bar bill for those mimosas for which she charged $ per person. The head table (including the guest of honor) had to ask to be served tea because no waitstaff was around (perhaps they were too busy loading up trays of mimosas which were never requested). When we refused to pay for the salads that never came, we realized that the amount that was taken off of the bill was charged back to our card days later. And despite our politeness through the entire event (which Tammy and the owner did not deserve since they royally messed just about everything up) to try and rectify their mistakes, never once did Tammy nor the owner mutter a single apology. The just illegally put the charges back on our cards days after we signed for the bill. Please, do yourself a favor and do not go to this place. It is...

Quick two night visit to Sesame Place and Newtown. Read negative reviews but thought written by folks who don’t get the fun of staying at historic B&B’s. I was correct. Brick Hotel is a funky old building in a town full of history. Ground floor is a restaurant (Rocco’s) which serves good food and stays busy. Restaurant front desk is where keys to rooms are left for guests. Ladies at front desk do not assist except to give a card with owner’s number should questions arise. Otherwise the keys are available on the desk by 3:00pm check in time. Grab keys and head up to your room. We stayed in third floor “Wally Room-302”. Figured best to put a floor between us and restaurant. Good idea as the room was quiet. ||Large room with small flatscreen TV, private bathroom with good level of hot water for an old house, Queen sized comfortable bed and air conditioning that took a bit of adjustment to keep from being too cold. No fridge in room but was able to get ice at bar in the restaurant. Second day we bought ice and a bucket to keep beverages cool. Lack of ice machine does present an issue that as indicated can be addressed. ||The restaurant valet parking lot is also for the hotel (at no charge). Yes, front door of restaurant is never locked as a review mentioned, however each room has it’s own lock and this area is very safe. We met owner who gave the unique history of the hotel. She also talked about some of the rooms (second floor) which people have claimed are haunted. We heard no unexplained noises or saw anything weird. No breakfast provided, but many options in the very walkable town for meals. We had a very comfortable stay. Not for guests who cannot climb stairs or need room service. If you want to soak in the history, this is...