"Everything was wonderful at The Pointe. However, the coffee that they put out in the morning is really just colored water, it is not edible, even if you are an addict. I've noticed more and more hotels are advertising coffee but then not making it correctly. I don't know if they are consciously trying to save money or if their front line employees prefer to use the previous day's grounds because it is somehow easier."

"We arrived here in the late afternoon on a Monday. The property is about 3.5 miles southwest of the town of Ludlow on Hwy 103. You pull in at a motel that fronts the highway - the sign reads "The Pointe at Castle Hill". Regardless of which property you stay at, you check in there. Afterwards, you proceed up the hill to the inn. You park either just in front of the building or, if the spaces are full, there is a bit more space to the side of another building close by (probably their spa). We never heard any traffic noise during our entire stay. The building itself is about 120 years old, built by a former Vermont governor from this area. It still has the feel of a mansion, with lots of dark wood finishes inside. They have a small desk in the large foyer when you enter who can assist as needed. There is also a lounge with couches and chairs (for reading, mostly). The restaurant is also located on this level. The wide staircase to the upper floors is to the left off the foyer. The 2nd floor had at least 9 rooms. Down the hallway there was another smaller staircase up to the 3rd level, which I think had fewer rooms (I did not go up there). Our room was nice, with a queen sized 4-poster bed (you might enquire if they have a room with a king-sized bed). There was plenty of additional floor space, with a small table and chairs near the front windows. There are a number of relatively subtle upgrade touches like the phone line and water pipes for the adjoining bathrooms. A few things we noted about our room: * It had limited electrical outlets, which was addressed via power strips for each of the main plugs. * There is no central air conditioning, which is probably fine for this latitude (barring some heat wave). You can open the windows for a breeze, as needed. * The heating is central and is not turned on until some point in the season when it turns sufficiently cold. They do offer a space heater in the room (if needed), there is a fireplace (we didn't use ours), and the comforter was quite warm. * The amount of counter and table space available was limited (due to the small antique table). This wasn't a huge issue, but you have to be mindful of where to leave things like a wallet, glasses, phone, etc. You can book a massage at the spa, but we did not make use of that service. The hotel's fine dining restaurant is a great option for a special occasion meal. You should book this in advance (I'm not what is a safe time - at least a month or two, I'd guess). On the night we ate there, we had a formal oval dining room for the home to ourselves for half of our meal, as the larger dining room across the hall was full from a tour bus. The food was very good! They also apparently serve a modest breakfast here in the mornings starting at 8 a.m., but we were trying to get an early start each day and ended up getting breakfast in Ludlow instead. Given the somewhat isolated location, your dining options outside the hotel are a bit limited. T"

"We really enjoyed our stay at the Golden Stage Inn. Innkeepers Julie and Mike, were warm and personable. They were very attentive to our needs and made us feel very welcomed into their attractive home. We just really like them! They have a very comfortable living area perfect for relaxing, reading, playing cards, games or just chatting with other guests. That is one of the reasons why I love the B&B experience. You can meet such interesting people along the way. Our room was on the cozy size and we were ok with that but if you need a big bedroom you might want to explore their options. The place is kept very clean! I am an early riser and one of the things I super appreciated is that they had delicious coffee available at 6am. I'd grab my cup, sit in the living room, and let my day unfold. I do have to report that wi-fi can be a little sketchy at times. And then of course there is breakfast. We had a three course breakfast that was very good. One option they offer if you are not in the mood for anything fancy, they will make an egg breakfast to your liking which I took them up on one morning. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. Their location, Proctorsville, is a very small town so don't expect to see much. We used it as a base to explore other parts of Vermont within a 30 mile or so drive. And unlike most places, just driving through beautiful Vermont is like driving through a little bit of green paradise."