The Bissell House Bed & Breakfast

We received a text message a few hours before checkin time (3pm) with instructions for self checkin. We showed up just after three and had no trouble following the instructions. The downstairs area was nice. There was a fairly large assortment of teas and a pretty lounging area. They also had carafes of water in a mini fridge, which was great for bringing to our room. We stayed in the Garden Room. It didn’t look quite as nice as the website, but it’s normal for photographers to make a space look fantastic. Our room had an unlocked door to an attic, which was a little strange. The bed was comfortable and not noisy, which is nice for a romantic weekend. My husband thought the pillows sank too much, but he is particular about pillows. The bathroom was separated from the room with glass paneled french doors with a sheer fabric over the class. It was a little strange being able to see each other on the toilet while lying in bed, but it was at least obscured somewhat. I think they did that to get natural light into the room, which was nice during the day. The shower head is at a lower height, which is not my preference, but there is decorative glass above it which I assume influenced that choice. The jacuzzi tub worked well. No issues with water temperature. I was disappointed to find during my shower that the body wash bottle was completely empty. My husband texted the staff and we got a response and a bottle about half an hour later, which wasn’t bad for 10pm at night. You can tell that the bottle is empty from the outside, so I think this could have been caught during room turn over. There were some maintenance things I think the owner should address, namely the crack-turned-hole in the bathroom ceiling, the noisy bathroom fan, some missing caulk around where the tub meets the tile, and the ripped paper around the window AC unit. The bathtub jets also looked like they may need a deeper clean. The AC kept the room cool, but we turned it down at night and had trouble keeping the room at a comfortable temperature. Neither of us slept well as a result, but that could have been user error. Breakfast was nice and the place setting pretty. They had a fancier nespresso machine as well as drip coffee, and quite a few fixings for the coffee. They had milk types to meet the needs of every diet and allergy I know of. Breakfast was quite good. We had French toast and a pomegranate seed and chocolate shavings yogurt and granola parfait. There were two tables which was helpful because my husband wasn’t feeling social. We only saw the host, Will, for a few minutes, but we had what we needed. If I had to leave early and eat the continental options, I would have been satisfied. The pool is unheated, which it does say on the website, but I hadn’t seen that. It was cold, but invigorating. The plants on the grounds were pretty and created a calming environment. I could see this being a nice place for two couples traveling together to stay and relax. Location

What a cool place. Best night's sleep I had during our entire 10 days on the road. Hung out at the pool with my daughter and son-in-law one night late...very nice. The Bissell House could use a little TLC here and there, but not so much that it takes away from the patina.

Outstanding B&B with personal service and welcoming hosts inviting you into their wonderful vintage home. Very nice common areas to take in a book or socialize. Nice comfortable rooms with tasty, creative breakfasts each morning. Probably the best B&B I've ever visited.

Where to start? As soon as we arrived the lady greeting us left telling us she’d be back to do our breakfast in the morning. We were left as the only two people in this spooky old house. It’s scruffy, desperately in need of an update, decoration and a good clean. To describe it as being in a quiet neighbourhood is ridiculous! If you like to sleep to the sound of V8 engines roaring up and down the very busy road you’ll be happy. Otherwise, like me, you’ll be awake all night believing a window is open. When you go to close it you’ll find all the dead wasps on the window sill. The house is very dark, as they keep the blinds down to keep the heat out. This is because the air conditioning is almost as old as the house and almost as noisy as the cars. By the time morning came I had booked us into another hotel for our remaining nights. I was assured they would refund the two nights I had not stayed. They kept this pretence up for weeks, as I type it’s now been two months. They are never going to refund me!! It was a truly awful stay and I was completely mislead by the positive reviews. Where on earth do they come from?

We had a very fine time at the Bissell House. Our room and the public spaces were all lovely and comfortable. Staff are very responsive to questions and needs. And breakfast is delicious. I look forward to returning for another visit.

The whole stay is a unique experience. I enjoyed the pastries that were available for us throughout the day. WIFI was excellent. Breakfasts were really good. I wish we had stayed a couple of extra days.