The Clifton

My husband and I have been dining at the Clifton Inn for over 15 years and we return time and again for the excellent food — locally sourced when possible and always elegantly presented — and for the consistently pleasant and professional service. On our most recent visit we also stayed overnight, and we were equally impressed with the hotel aspect of their business. The Clifton Inn is one of those historic gems that occasionally pop up along Virginia’s byways, and we hope it continues to prosper for many more years.

We reserved one of the most expensive suites in the hotel. Despite this, we were not greeted at checkin, had no hot water in the room despite a large soaking tub, were ignored at breakfast, then insulted when we requested we not have to sit by ourselves in a dark bar. Staff made their disdain clear, despite our staying in one of the premier suites and we did not eat the food served at breakfast as we could not trust the staff had not done something vile to it. I can neither recommend nor return to the Clifton. They should be ashamed.

While our wedding turned out to be wonderful, thanks largely to our planner and other vendors, we cannot recommend The Clifton to couples seeking a smooth, professional planning experience. For context, we hosted a full weekend of events at the venue, including a Thursday night dinner, a Friday-to-Sunday room buy-out, a Saturday wedding, and a Sunday brunch. Although the property itself is stunning, the mismanagement and relentless nickel-and-diming severely undermined what should have been an extraordinary celebration. Here are some of the key issues we encountered: Abysmal Customer Service The most disappointing aspect of The Clifton was its lackluster customer service, especially given the six-figure cost of our wedding. The general manager was consistently rude and unresponsive throughout the process, adding unnecessary stress to an already complex planning process. During the planning process the sales manager verbally assured us that the bride and groom’s stay during the wedding would be fully covered. However, after the wedding, we were charged the full amount for our stay. When we raised the issue, management not only denied their prior promises but also claimed we were entitled only to a 50% discount. Even after we accepted the 50% discount, our repeated efforts to resolve the matter and receive the refund were met with silence. The hotel ultimately stopped responding entirely, forcing us to dispute the charges with our credit card company to recover what we were rightfully owed. This level of dismissiveness and unprofessionalism was shocking for a venue of this reputation and price point. Broken Promises on Event Size We booked The Clifton over a year in advance, enticed by the idea of hosting our closest friends and family for an intimate weekend. When we booked, we were told that the venue was already hosting a “petite” wedding the Friday evening before our wedding. We were assured that The Clifton’s policy for a “petite” wedding meant fewer than 50 guests, and that they would never host two full-sized weddings over the same weekend . Just three weeks before our wedding, we were informed that this event had ballooned to 124 guests. The Clifton’s response? A dismissive “we have the right to do this,” despite how it had been presented to us when we booked the venue. Couples should beware—get everything explicitly written into your contract and signed. Ultimately, The Clifton comped a few of the rooms Friday night for our friends and family most affected by staying in rooms overlooking the “petite” wedding, but not without a lot of unnecessary stress, hassle and anxiety on our part shortly before our wedding. Unacceptable Issues for the Price For a venue of this caliber and cost, the amount of issues was astounding. Warm beer was served during the reception due to “insufficient cooler space”—a shocking oversight given the $109 per-person bar tab. Guests reported unpleasant smells, excessive bugs in their rooms, tiles coming off the f