Looking for New York City attitude in North Adams, Mass.?

Posted by Kristen from Washington, DC on 8/22/06

Then Porches is for you. We checked in and were given a small first floor room with a queen bed right next to the security door to the main door of the building. Each time the door was opened it would slam shut with a fairly deafening rattle that could be heard clearly in the roomguaranteeing that we would be going to sleep with the latest guests and waking up with the earliest. When we requested a room change, the front desk womanwho had a snootful of attitudetreated us like we were lost passengers from steerage trying to sneak our way onto the upper decks. We were told that since they were sold out, we had no choice but to stay in our room. We were then subjected to an excruciating room-by-room explanation as to why each particular room was unavailable (Oh, they love the balcony, and they had to have the fold-out couch, and they love the view&, etc., etc.) and that each of our fellow guests had requested these things. When we made the point that we had requested a king bed on a higher floor, her response was, Oh, but you used the Internet. Why using their web site (which communicates directly with the inn) didnt count was never explained to us. We were also tut-tutted for making our reservations only a month in advance. Its North Adams! We left and stayed at the Henry House, which is a lovely bed and breakfast in nearby Bennington, Vermont, at half the price and zero the noise. Porches did, however, refund our deposit without a dispute.