The Gridley Inn B&B

We had a great stop at The Gridley Inn while biking along the Erie Canal path this past week. The hosts were warm and easy to talk with, and the service and conversation were both excellent. They also made sure we had a secure place to keep our bikes. We’d absolutely stay again if we’re back in the area.

We regretted not booking a longer stay, and my wife and I plan to come back soon. The Gridley B& B is a beautiful historic inn in Waterloo, with period furniture and artwork. Our room was lovely, the bed comfortable, and the living room was a great place to relax. There’s also an adjoining room with a working antique pool table, plus a resident artist and writer who shares her work. Breakfast was fantastic. Steph, the owner, gathered everyone, told stories about the property, and helped the guests get talking. She and the other hosts are knowledgeable and wonderful. If you’re headed to the Finger Lakes, support local inns and B&Bs like this one.

I felt so comfortable at the Gridley Inn that my partner and I ended up buying our own pillows after our stay. The beds have lovely linens, pillows, and comforters, and the common spaces are cozy, with chess, mahjong, and a TV. We also enjoyed the home-cooked breakfasts, included with the stay. Seating is assigned by room. There’s free street parking in front and a small lot behind the building. The Inn is affordable and well placed for wineries, lakes, and Muranda Cheese in Central NY. Steph and Maddy are funny, attentive hosts who handle everything from meals and cleaning to check-ins and upkeep. The policies are clearly explained on the Gridley website. They’re good at anticipating what most guests need, but if you have a special request or need something beyond that, reach out early. Steph and Maddy try hard to make everyone comfortable, and they can answer questions about check-in, dietary restrictions, and more by phone or email. Before this visit, I’d thought of hotels and inns as just a place to recharge. This was our first bed and breakfast, and it changed that for me. I expected the wineries and cheese to be the highlight, but the stay itself was my favorite part of the trip. It felt like being welcomed into a warm, loving home, and reminded me how nice it is to connect with people while traveling. Steph takes care of the front of the house and joins guests for breakfast, which Maddy expertly prepares each morning. She gets to know everyone and nudges guests to chat with one another. That social side may not suit people who want to keep to themselves. I usually get nervous about talking to strangers, but Steph is great at reading the room, asking good questions, guiding the conversation, and sharing stories from her life. After breakfast, it felt easy to see and talk to people around the house, even though they’d been strangers the day before. I looked forward to breakfast each morning, then coming back from outings to nap, relax on the couch with a drink, or try the activities around the house. I loved Steph’s advice about owning a condo, talking with Maddy about old-school mahjong anime, and playing chess until midnight with Catherine, who’s an incredible artist. I can’t express how grateful I am to the Gridley Inn for making me feel like a person instead of a dollar sign. I’ve stayed in plenty of comfortable places, but none made me feel safe in that at-home way. When friends ask about our Finger Lakes trip, I keep raving about Steph and Maddy’s BnB. It’s a special place, and I hope to return soon. P.S. The hosts might like to know this review took several drafts in a word processor because I kept going over the word limit. We each bought one of the pillows we’d slept on, too. They were so comfortable, and we found them on sale at Macy's!

The rooms were quaint, with antiques, though they felt a little small and not especially special. Breakfast was underwhelming, and it was my least favorite of the four B&Bs we stayed at in the area on this trip. There were many rules, including fees such as $100 for spilling wine on the rug and $50 for losing a key. We received the rules by mail after paying, then had to hear them repeated at check-in. Since my hearing isn’t great, I stepped forward and said I needed to be able to hear. The host apparently found that funny and began shouting very loudly. I’d turned up my hearing aids, so it was painful, almost like the sound would pierce my eardrums. I found her brusque and a bit off-putting. A general hospitality course would go a long way toward improving a stay at the Gridly Inn.