The Pillar Inn

We had the place to ourselves and really enjoyed how quiet and peaceful it was. The room was very clean, with an old-world feel throughout. Breakfast had decent continental options, plus coffee, juice, and water. Prices were fair too. I’d definitely recommend staying here.

The listing makes this sound like a bed and breakfast, but that wasn’t my experience. It’s more like renting a room in an old house, similar to an Airbnb. Everything is self-serve, with packaged, processed food, codes for getting into the house and room, and no one there to welcome you. I’ve never stayed at a bed and breakfast where you’re left to feed yourself with no one on the grounds. If you want full service and people working there to greet you, this isn’t it. We did see one property manager (?) cutting fruit for breakfast the next morning. He seemed a little surprised when we were looking around for the kitchen, but he was nice. The directions in the dining room were handwritten on a tiny piece of notebook paper, and if you don’t read them you could actually turn off the power. A printed note in larger type and a frame would be much easier to see and look more professional. Apparently there are only two rooms available to rent, with full-time tenants in a third. The house seems to have fallen into disrepair over the last few years. It sounds like the owners are separated and trying to run it while keeping full-time jobs elsewhere. The old-world interior and furnishings still show some charm, but parts are falling apart and need care. In our room, furniture was broken or coming apart, sometimes barely held by a screw. One of the four-poster bed’s posts was loose at the bottom. A four-foot oak piece came off in my hand when I grabbed it to steady myself while putting on a shoe. It weighed 10lb and was balanced on a single screw and broken plastic anchor, so someone less steady could fall or get hurt if it came off onto the bed. There was peeling old paint, cracked and flaking ceilings, a toilet seat coming off, and torn window screens on the patio door. The storm window latch was broken, so it couldn’t be closed, and the torn screen meant we couldn’t leave it open either. I was afraid to step onto our balcony because of the dry rot outside beneath the peeling paint. It hadn’t been cleaned, and was full of decayed leaves with dirty furniture. The whole thing felt scary. Outside, the once-grand front porch was dirty and covered in spiderwebs, with dry rot, missing wood, and half-finished repairs. The grounds were overgrown and unkempt, the grass wasn’t kept up, and the potted flowers were neglected. The fountains were dry and hadn’t even been cleaned up for appearance. The porch floor had rotting organic matter and flaking paint. Someone had even left a painting estimate ad on the mailbox, which was ironic ;) It reminded me of that movie from the '80's, " The money pit". Looking at older Google pictures, I hope the owners can bring the place back to life. I’m not trying to rip on them, but the information online is outdated and gives guests a misleading picture of what it’s actually like. I’m sorry things don’t seem to be working out.

We stayed in the Victorian Room, a nicely furnished room in a charming Victorian house with lovely gardens and a peaceful setting. The room took until 3AM to cool down because the AC was undersized for the house. Weekday breakfast was self-serve and just so-so. I noticed leftover quiche in the fridge, but it wasn’t on the guest shelf, so we left it alone. Having that available would’ve improved breakfast.

Sue, the Innkeeper, made me feel welcome and at home throughout my four-day business trip. The shower had good pressure and stayed hot, and even in winter my room was warm and comfortable. Pillar Inn has a charming old-world atmosphere, which was a refreshing change from the usual chain hotels I stay in as a frequent business traveler. I’m looking forward to coming back to Cold Spring.