The Historic Brook Forest Inn

Our group of 12 booked this VRBO expecting individual bedrooms with private bathrooms, and planned to stay three nights. We left after two because of the conditions. There was no hot water, despite the property manager saying the water heater had been fixed on our second day. The dumpster and all six industrial trash bins were already full when we arrived. There was barely any propane for the grill, and the porch rocking chairs were literally falling apart. The place has potential, but I’d avoid it unless major renovations are done. This was the worst VRBO experience I’ve had.

The grounds were beautiful, and we spent a lot of time outside, listening to the water trickle and looking at the dense trees and bright stars. It was just the dreamy break from city life we needed. Thank you, Brook Forest! We were here for our wedding weekend with the whole wedding party and some family, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. The building has so much character, and reading a little about its history made the stay more interesting for us history nerds. I got to see all the rooms because we were among the first to arrive, and I loved how different and eclectic each one was. Everywhere you look, it feels like there’s another story.

We had a wonderful experience celebrating a wedding here, and the weather let us hold the ceremony outside, which made me so happy. It’s a beautiful old inn and a great spot for a large gathering. The guest rooms could use work, though. A door across the hall was so damaged it wouldn’t close properly. We also had a hard time getting answers from the owner before the event.

The room had no air conditioning, the bed was subpar, and it smelled of cigarette smoke and shame. We stayed two nights and our room was never serviced. Breakfast was supposed to be complimentary, but it was just rotten apples and bananas. There weren’t amenities beyond a bar that was rarely staffed, and the bartender spent most of her time smoking grass outside with friends. We waited twenty minutes at the desk to check in, and my wife thought the guy seemed intoxicated. We felt like an inconvenience instead of paying customers. I wish I’d done more research. I won’t come back and highly recommend others do the same. This place doesn’t even deserve a star.