Old Rittenhouse Inn

Great weekend in Bayfield While we have visited Bayfield many times and stayed at the Old Rittenhouse on a couple of occasions, this was our first Christmas time trip. We spent two nights in room 7, which has a partial lake view. It was very clean and the king bed was very comfortable. The first morning, coffee was brought to our room before our 9AM breakfast. Breakfast was excellent with a nice choice of Entress. The main reason for our trip was to take in the Wassail dinner. This was a great experience. The dinner was excellent and the entertainment was outstanding. Eight world class singers provided us with all kinds of Christmas songs throughout the meal. What a great way to celebrate the holidays. Our second breakfast was as good as the first. We were fortunate to have Maria as our server for all three meals. Her excellent and friendly service only added to our great time at the Old Rittenhouse.

Beautiful inn, lovely staff We loved our stay at the Old Rittenhouse Inn! We stayed in room 1 at the main inn, and found it snug but serviceable. We spent a lot of our down time on the big porch rather than in the room, so keep in mind the weather when you choose a room! Parking and access to businesses was perfect and easy. The staff were very friendly, especially the morning breakfast crew - I could never be that chipper at 7:30am. We will be back!

Beautiful Property As mentioned in the room descriptions, you can stay at the main inn or at the Chateau location. There is also a smaller cottage. Be sure to think carefully about what you want when choosing a location. As there is no elevator (to be expected in properties of this age), I booked a room on the second floor of the main inn. The Chateau only had availability on the third floor. This would have been okay except for hauling luggage. *Main inn: You will be onsite for check-in/check-out and breakfast. Staff is right there to assist you with any questions. This is convenient. The parking lot is level and adequate. I was always able to find a spot. You are fairly close to downtown, but must be able to walk up a hill. I was able to walk to the ferry docks, boat cruises and restaurants. Unfortunately, the rooms do not have fridges, and there is no guest fridge. To be fair, the room description does not mention a fridge. I had to ask staff to put my cooler items in the staff fridge. They accommodated the request. I ended up buying non-perishable items for my picnic lunches because I didn't want to impose on them all the time. The main inn is a busier spot. The restaurant is very popular, and the clientele who come are dressed up a bit. The restaurant clientele will be sitting on the porch drinking wine before or after dinner. I felt a bit awkward reading out there in my sweat pants, but that's just me. The porch had comfy seating and nice views. The gardens are beautiful. *Chateau: This is also up a hill. It also has a porch with a view. Other reviewers mentioned that the parking situation is trickier. I can't speak to that. They also mentioned that there's a fridge specifically for guest use. The desk clerk at the main inn told me the Chateau is quieter. I think this might have been a better fit for me. Overall, the staff was very pleasant and professional. Stephanie (sp?) is a gem. The property is well-maintained. Breakfast was delicious. It is included in the price. This is technically an inn and not a B and B. At B and Bs, from my experience, the owner usually serves everyone at a large table and is not tipped. At this property, you will be at your own table with a server, so do plan on tipping. Other than the fridge situation, the only other thing that really bothered me was the quality of my mattress and pillows. I could feel the springs and lumps. For $300 a night, I was hoping for some pretty plush bedding. I ended up folding the comforter in half and placing it under the fitted sheet in order to get some cushioning. I would probably stay here again, but would book earlier to get a room at the Chateau on a lower floor. I would also bring a mattress pad, but hopefully the mattress situation is not an issue in all of the rooms.

Perfect in Every Way This inn is perfect - perfect location to the water, beautiful views, well kept up, friendly staff, terrific food, unique rooms and comfy beds. Relaxing on the porch with a bottle of wine or a coffee is highly recommended. We will certainly be visiting again!

Exceptional accomdations and dining in Bayfield wisconsin. From the first view driving in we knew we were going to be staying at a very special beautiful place. The landscape outside is stunning and groomed carefully. The staff, accomdations, food were all 5 star. We loved everything about our visit