By The River Bed&breakfast

We came midweek in the off season for our first anniversary, and the place looked beautiful in the lobby. The stay quickly went downhill. Our room was 17° and the thermostats were covered. We set the heat pump to 30 before supper, but two hours later it was still blowing cool air, so we went home for a space heater. The sink tap lifted off the counter, the jet tub's spray nozzle and half its jets didn't work, and the water went cold before the tub was full. A note said bubbles could only be used between 18:30 and 21:30. The shower curtain was yellowish-pink, there was a used brush in the cabinet, and false eyelashes on the bedside lamp startled me because I first thought they were a giant spider. The bed was lumpy and oddly soft around the edges, leaving my head and feet lower than my heart. The breakfast instructions said to choose what we wanted and the time, and coffee was supposed to be available in the lobby at 7am. At 8am there was none, and I was told we hadn't asked for early coffee. The coffee I eventually got seemed to be instant Maxwell House. Both the milk and cream in the fridge were off, and the cream had yellow scum on top. He dumped it but barely rinsed the container, leaving scum around the spout, and acted like I was at fault for asking for something that had been promised. We were given the cold shoulder at breakfast, and my pancakes were clearly made on the same griddle as meat even though I specifically asked for no meat because I'm vegetarian. There was also water in the butter dish in the fridge, no inside handle on the lobby washroom door, and garbage all over the parking lot. It's really unfortunate. This once seemed like a beautiful place, but it looks like it's being allowed to run down.

Danielle was the only staff member there, and she was friendly and kind. Our room was large and clean, though it didn't have a bathroom, so we had to leave the room to use one. The owner should make that clear. We also waited longer than usual for breakfast because Danielle was alone serving a crowd. We were three couples, and although they asked us to choose a fancy breakfast menu, she could only serve a basic one. She simply didn't have time to make the kind of breakfast shown in the photos. Advertising delicious food that can't be delivered felt like a joke. Owners, if you want to provide all the services described on the website, hire more help. We expected more, and the photos aren't accurate. Inside the house was clean, but outside it looked neglected and needed a lot of work. I was very disappointed. UPDATE: The owner's reply was aggressive. They should be more open to criticism, and this place needs better management.

Danielle was such a pleasure to deal with, and she made sure my dairy allergy was accommodated. The breakfast was delicious, and the bed was super comfortable. The gorgeous century home reminded us of our own. We'll definitely stay here again next time we're in Fredericton.

The place could be amazing with more staff and proper care, but it felt short-staffed. At the 3pm check-in, I rang the doorbell several times, then called the number on the front door. It was completely dark, and after 15 minutes waiting on the porch, a young woman opened up. She seemed to be alone, was nice, and apologized. Our top-floor room meant a lot of stairs, though I'm in decent shape. Expedia didn't mention that the bathroom was down the hall outside the room. It wasn't a big issue for me, but it could be if you need to go during the night. The room was clean, but the mattress was a little wonky. The breakfast advertised online wasn't what we got. The young woman was alone and couldn't get anything going until after 8 or 8:30, though we'd asked for 7:30 because we needed to leave by 8. Outside needs attention too, especially behind the property by the river. The trees haven't been trimmed in years, and the gazebo screens are torn and the furniture is worn out. It needs more staff and care. If they don't sort this out soon, they'll be out of business. I wish you all the best, business is hard, and tourism is heading for its biggest boom this year, so spend some more money and you could make it back ten times. Good luck 👍🏻