Has anyone stayed at Wolverton Inn? We are considering a 2 night stay to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

It's considered one of the top places to stay in that area, hence the prices. However it's worth it if you can afford it. Be sure to check out Lambertville and New Hope.

lanni,
Have read great reviews re: Wolverton Inn. Did you stay here?

Hi Elaine. My husband and I have stayed at the Woolverton many times (as have my parents). My husband and I are actually celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary there at the end of August.It's probably one of our favorite B&Bs. The setting is idyllic. The breakfasts are very tasty. We have only ever stayed in the cottages, and they are only a few years old (except for the Garden cottage which is not on the same level as the new ones). The Hunterdon, Audubon, and Cotswold Cottages are all wonderful . . . comfy beds with down duvets, small fridges, coffee maker, CD player, gas fireplace, whirlpool baths, etc. And all are decorated beautifully (not the lace frou frou found in a lot of B&B's). While we love the Hunterdon, it doesn't have the seating space that the other two cottages have. That's o.k., you can just hang out in the awesome bed.

The one thing you should ask Matthew or Carolyn is if they anticipate having any construction going on during your stay. Based on our recommendation, my brother-in-law and his wife spent two nights at the Woolverton in early July (midweek) in one of the cottages as an anniversary celebration. . . well they were doing some work on the parking lot and on some of the electrical boxes . . . this is virtually just outside the cottage window. Well btw the small construction cat and that noise, and the intrusion from the construction folks, their quiet intimate getaway was a little less than peaceful (the construction was going on the day they checked in and made a check-in nap impossible, and then started early the next morning . . . it did end that day). One of the great things about the inn is that you can take breakfast on your screened-in porch. For them it really wasn't a happy option giving the noise and the workers. The inn is by no means cheap and every stay for a guest should be special. The one inn keeper was kind of blase when they complained, kinda like, "Oh, that's a problem?", whereas the other was very apologetic and gave them a gift certificate for a dinner nearby. Frankly I think they should have been given a free night. At $250+ a pop, there is no excuse for an Inn not to give their guests a heads up about construction and allowing them to rebook or negotiating a discount. Also, for this couple, that was the bulk of their annual vacation budget and so this stay was a big deal for them.

Anyway, just though you should know. But even with all that, I still give it a thumbs up.

Anita,
Many thanks for your detailed reply! Unfortunately for our August dates, the cottages are booked for 2 consecutive nights (although I was told staff could move our belongings). Hunterton and Cotswold have one-night availability. Currently, we're booked in Amelia's Parterre (in the main house). I will phone re: construction (thanks for mentioning). We live within an hour's drive, so we're hoping WI will be a lovely wedding anniversary escape. Thinking of dinner at Inn/Phillips Mill...do you have dining preferences?
PS: Given WI amenities and the property, think prices are in keeping w/other well run inns. Do you see WI recent mention in T/L and Country Living?

Ohh, that's a lovely room (from the pictures on the web). But if you really want to try for the cottages, having them move you isn't a bad idea . . . we did that once. Hey, you get to check out 2 cottages on 1 trip! Or, have them put your name on a waitlist just in case they get a cancellation. Just a thought.

It's so pretty there. The one neat thing about the cottages is that they back right up to the sheep pasture. It's just so funny to be sitting there reading and then hearing the "Baa Baa Baa" coming from near your picture window. Bring some unsalted nuts to feed them. They are fun to watch. They get all excited when Carolyn comes out of the main house with breakfast trays for the cottages. I guess they think she's coming with food for them!

Anyway, back to your questions, I don't have any first-hand experience with the Inn at Phillips Mill. Sorry. Our favorite place in the area is Hamilton's Grill, which is also happens to be a BYOB. Check with Matthew or Carolyn. They make it a point to try out every restaurant in the area and so they have very good information for their guests. There are ones they would definitely recommend over others. Also, try checking out Zagat online. They have a section for New Jersey, as well as Philadelphia. Try seaching the restaurants you're thinking of there. Based on Zagat's, we will be trying Moonlight for the first time when we go in August.

As far as the cost goes, their prices for the cottages recently went up and they were already high. It's the most we ever pay for an inn or B&B, but then again I think it's one of the best. Do I think the $200+ price would be worth it for the mainhouse? I don't know since we never stayed in one of their rooms. The Woolverton was recently selected as an inn listed in the Select Registry (I guess it's kind of similar to an SLH designation for hotels). If you go to the website at www.selectregistry.com, you can check out some other "top" inns and their rates. It looks like Woolverton is in line with these top places.

Anita,
Think we will 'move' and stay 1 night in main house, moving to a cottage for 2nd night. Hunterdon and Cotswold are available for 1 night. Do you have a preference?
Should you wish restaurant reviews, let me know and I'll post on this thread early August.
Thanks again for all your assistance!
Happy Anniversary!

Oh, I get it. Sorry, I didn't read your post correctly at first. O.k, so one night in the Amelia room, and then a night in a cottage . . . hmm, well, if you have a thing for 2 person showers then the Hunterdon is your best bet. Both have the whirlpool tub. The Cotswold has a pretty window seat and has additional seating. It's a tough call, but I'm partial to the Hunterdon b/c of the shower and the colors of the cottage.

Definitely post your restaurant reviews, as well as your overall impression of the Woolverton. Have a great time!

Anita,
Just returned from our stay at Woolverton...it was fabulous. Hunterdon is our favorite accommodation; we booked it for a future stay.
We had dinner at Inn at Phillips Mill (in the Courtyard). Terffic dinner, wonderful service, byo....Hamilton's Grill was fabulous.
Please post upon your return. Inn is getting lots of repeat business....and no construction or noise!

Hi Elaine! Sorry, I missed your post earlier. So glad to hear you had a great time. The Hunterdon is great. Very cozy.

We just back from our trip and we too had a terrific time. We stayed in the Audubon cottage. It was even better than what I expected. The decor is beautiful and it's extremely private since the one side (fp side) looks out onto the sheep pasture, and the other window, which has a window seat, looks out onto the woods. We were going to go out and about, but we were enjoying our time so much that we hung out in our cottage for much of our stay.

The breakfasts are AMAZING! And having them delivered to your cottage is such a plus. The one morning we each were served 2 belgian waffles with fresh cardamon cream and sliced strawberries, hot maple syrup, homemade turkey sausage patties, a plate of fresh baked and still hot gooey cinnamon and glaze coffee cake/muffin things, a pitcher of orange juice, a pitcher of coffee, AND fresh yogurt with homemade granola topped with big ripe blackberries. We ate breakfast, read the complimentary NY Times which was delivered to the cottage, and then took a nap!

When we did venture out for dinner, we went to Moonlight and Hamilton's Grill. Moonlight was a big disappointment, given all the high reviews in Zagat and such. Our appetizers were quite good, but our entrees were both so over-salted as to almost make them inedible (and we both like our salt). The service was far from what is expected at those $$$, very inexperienced waitress. The place is just loud and uncomfortable. The wine list is short and $$$. Boo hiss.

Now for the good news. Our anniversary dinner at Hamilton's was top notch. Everything from the appetizers to the dessert was out of this world. It was nice to be able to bring our own wines too. This was our second time here and both times were superb.

We did have one major problem at the Inn . . . well, actually two. We locked ourselves out the first night as we were sitting outside drinking wine and playing cards. Had to wake up poor Matthew at 11:30pm. The second problem was the second night, yup, this time I got us locked out while we were sitting outside in our p.j.s. My husband had to walk in his p.j.s and bare feet up to the mainhouse to ring the inn keeper. This time we woke up poor Mark at midnight. We were 100% more than mortified. When we were checking out the next day we were apologizing profusely. Well, they were so cool aout it. As a matter of fact, Matthew even told of the time that they had traveled to a B&B in Rehoboth (sp?), DE and had their own little misadventures. Next time you're there, make sure to ask Mark to fill you in ;-)

Bottom line, the Woolverton is just about the best B&B/Inn that we have ever encountered and we feel fortunate that it is so close. Matthew, Mark and Carolyn have done an amazing job. They are even thinking of building another set of cottages! It's a shame my brother-in-law and his wife had an unfortunate experience (particularly since we recommended it to them), but we love this place and will return again.

Anita,
Just returned from vacation and I really enjoyed your 'tales' at Woolverton! Does Audubon have a screened in porch?...just curious. Matthew was kind enough to show us each cottage. Would be great if they built others! Sorry to hear your dinner at Moonlight was less than perfect. With Phillips right in Stockton, we enjoy purchasing wine and head to a byo.
Think you are close to Woolverton. If so, heads up. If you email or phone them now, and should cabins be available during the winter, they will discount for past guests. I really think the 3 owners work very well together; they are so accommodating!
Have you ever dined indoors at Hamilton? Just curious for future reference.
Hope you had a wonderful anniversary!