What's the difference between a B&B and a hotel?

At High Meadows, we often get asked, "What is the difference between your B&B and a hotel?"

The answer is both easy and hard...of course, we know you'll love it here - no matter what the reason for your visit...first, let's do the similarities:

Both hotels and B&B's provide staff to help you, private rooms, private bathrooms, places to hang your clothes.  Pretty basic stuff.

The differences are where the easy and hard parts of the answer come from:
Hotels often have -
* someone at the front desk 24/7
* Restaurants, bars, and room service
* phones and TVS in all the rooms
* rooms with 2 beds, often full or queen
* a bellhop to carry your bags

Our inn may not have the things listed above - but what we DO have might make more of a difference in your experience visiting our area:

* Staying with us feels more like you are staying at a friend's house...imagine your best friend telling you the things they like best about their hometown, and that's what you'll get here. Say you want to go out to eat - how about that local 'hole-in-the-wall' recommendation you might not see on Trip Advisor, but that is AMAZING.  Or local tips for sightseeing, or even avoiding traffic...we know -because we LIVE here.
*  Our beds are great.  Our sheets are great.  Our housekeeping staff LOVES what they do - they aren't cleaning a ton of rooms like a robot - so your room is ALWAYS spotless, most likely with fresh flowers by the bed, if not a germy hotel phone.
*  Our food is great.  No continental cheerio/waffle mix/toaster oven room here...freshly squeezed seasonal juices, coffee just ground this morning and locally roasted, eggs from hens in the backyard, herbs from the garden - seriously, breakfast is half of our name, of course we do it right.
* We know the local winemakers...you want to see what goes on behind the tasting room doors?  Chances are, we can make that happen.  Want to tour a working farm?  Just ask!  Best local markets?  Best local shops?  We have that covered too.

Those are the basics...but there is also the friendliness factor. 

You aren't required (or even expected!) to talk to other guests.  But it often happens...conversations here aren't forced, or phony...they just HAPPEN.  Maybe it's the casual charm of High Meadows, or just the relaxed feel of 'home'...who knows?  Whatever the reason, we have seen more than one couple strike up a casual conversation making tea in the morning, and then head off together to experience their wine tastings together.  Just know that here, and at most of the B&B's we have visited, we are here to help as much or as little as you wish!

Website woes..and a new one on the way!

I don't know sometimes how any business can survive without a website...this is certainly true of B&B's, where photos, reviews, and quick & easy reservations help guests to choose US from among so many other beautiful inns, hotels and B&B's!  So, a little over 6 weeks ago, when someone with waaay too much time on their hands decided to take our website out of commission just for kicks - we felt it!  I won't spend too much time here bemoaning the state of that hacker's mind or life...if only they spent their living hours doing something productive - imagine if EVERYONE did that - how much nicer the world would be...not too much to argue with there. 

Instead - I will give a sneak preview of the new photos, taken by C'ville's Andrea Hubbell that will be gracing our NEW website in a few weeks.  I am so pleased with how beautifully she captured High Meadows!  She is half of the team behind Beyond the Flavor, a local food blog, that has featured so many of our friends, neighbors and favorite farmers.

So...a few photos:

If you've stayed out in the Cottage Suite, you'll notice the new wood floors, and the sitting area...the kitchenette has been retired...the room still has a small fridge, and everything you need to enjoy a bottle of wine - including this comfy area looking out into the woodlands -

 

Some nice little shots that capture the essence of what we do...

 

While our lavendar this year is GORGEOUS, it's no camparison to the grosso in full bloom at Inglewood Lavendar.

 

 

 

Some new yard art graces our oldest chicken coop....

 

 

Front porch...

 

 

 

 

Our rooster.

 

 

 

One of my favorite Anichini pieces is this 'Suzeni' bolster in Rainforest Green!

 

 

 

The Dogwood...this room is getting the finishing touches on a gorgeous new custom shower!

 

 

I am LOVING the mural we commissioned for the inside of the gazebo!  Pairs of birds, including, of course...peacocks.  :)

 

 

and one more...just because it's pretty:

 

So - we'll keep you posted on the new website launch.  With it will be new packages, new specials (including fun stuff for returning guests!), and...well, just check back.  Let's just say that High Meadows is growing in a big way - we know you'll like it!

 

Late March musings...

so...here it is, March 24th...yes, that's it LATE march, and this is what our sidewalk looks like!!  You can't see the daffodils, tulip shoots, daylilly sprouts and pansies because of the 4" of SNOW.  Certainly, it's gorgeous - but we have a spring wedding in just 4 weeks!!  It's kind of hard to think that it will be green and lovely by then, but Virginia always is.  :)  Also hard to believe - First Colony had a "Kites and Flights" event on Saturday - and had amazingly wonderful weather!  Breezy enough for plenty of kites - their facebook page had a few photos I will try to share.  (Incidentally if you haven't already - go 'like' their page...new owners, and lots of new ideas over there for summertime events.  And maybe a name change?

Sorry to anyone who has experienced our website issues the last few days...we're almost out of the mud on that one, online reservations will be back up soon.  In the mean time, you can always find us and loads of other gorgeous b&b's at bedandbreakfast.com or innvirginia.com. 

Anyone a fan of Portlandia?   Hilarious sketch about a B&B inspection...

and on that note...I aim to head to the back porch to watch the fading light with a nice hot cup of tea.  Cheers!

Spring is here...literally!

It doesn't get much prettier than spring in Charlottesville!  Dogwood, cherry trees, forsythia, redbud...and of course the flowers!  Daffodil, crocus all over lawns, and fresh green sprouts in all the flowerbeds.  It's nice to see!  I am headed to a Festival of the Book luncheon on Thursday with Afton Mountain Bed & Breakfast, Iris Inn, and Foxfield Inn to hear Douglas Brinkley.  SO many great authors in town this week - and it happens every year.  Festival of the Book, Festival of the Photograph, and the Virginia Film Festival...I should probably make a calendar...adding that to my to-do list right now. 

In celebration of spring, and of the 'winds of March'...First Colony is hosting their first annual 'Kites & Flights' this Saturday!  Looks like loads of fun, you can bring your own kite - or make one there.  New owners are breathing some new life into the winery - we are looking forward to seeing their vision come be.  I actually had the pleasure of a terrific wine tasting there last week - Mateo was so accomodating to our out of state visitors!  Best wine we tasted all day too!

We are booked this weekend - but if you are planning to take a break this spring - we have rooms available (several refreshed and repainted for spring!) through March and April...and believe it or not, ONE room open for UVA graduation...so spread the word.  Lodging is pretty tight mid-May - so if you are coming, better act fast.   :)

WOW!  What a spectacular weekend ahead!  If you don't have plans, MAKE THEM NOW.  Wineries will be open, I am sure all the patios will be open, and the weather will be a fabulous clear, sunny and 70 degrees.  Combine that with the crisp clarity of winter afternoons, and the vistas from our neighbor wineries will be AWESOME.

o

Come see us...and this could be your Saturday afternoon at www.thistlegatevineyard.com or www.aftonmountainvineyards.com or meet the new owners at www.firstcolonywinery.com

It's also Dave's birthday...come raise a glass to his accomplishments, at www.blenheimvineyards.com just a few miles up the road, where Kirsty Harmon is one of our favorite winemakers!

New Year’s Resolution #1…post more pictures, more often!

 

We know that everyone loves to see pictures!  I know I do.  Our friends at Experience Charlottesville on Facebook have some great pictures we should be sharing – I keep meaning to, but whew!  2012 just flew by…

Which is ok – here we are, excited for some new additions at High Meadows, not the least of which is our beautiful new gazebo ceiling mural.  Nearly complete – now we are looking for just the right light…maybe a Moravian star?  ALWAYS wanted one of these! or another fabulous painted metal floral chandelier?  But they are so hard to find!

Maybe we’ll take a vote…I’ll post pictures of the mural when completed, and we can all decide together. 

If you are planning a trip soon – our January special is ‘Lunch on Us’ with a 2-night stay…so make your reservations soon!  We’ll pack you a terrific locavore picnic lunch to enjoy wherever your day takes you.

A new addition to breakfast…our good friends at http://www.hudsonhenrybakingco.com/ are selling out wherever they go!  We are trying not to run out – and hope to be selling it in our new gift shop, opening the March – FINALLY! 

mid summer thoughts.

Such a pretty table for this rehearsal dinner...I am a really big fan of dining outdoors, and have had the pleasure of several really spectacular farm-to-table experiences with Hill & Holler.  Next up is 'A Taste of Nelson', on August 18th.  Hoping to go, and wouldn't it be nice to enjoy dinner with some guests?  I am hoping that a few of those lucky folks staying with us, will also find this too tasty to resist -

In the mean time, here at High Meadows in late summer and fall, we are lucky to be enjoying al fresco breakfast on the patio...so pretty under green leaf canopy now, and soon a bright orange and red roof!  I can't believe I said 'soon', but it will be here before we know it!

On the vineyard front, the grapes are absolutely GORGEOUS.  Too many deer, and too many birds - might be time to put up that fence this winter.  Hoping for a nice harvest - the clusters are huge, and for Pinot Noir in Virginia, that's quite an accomplishment.  Yay to Gabriele and his team!  Will keep you posted...come see us  - less than a month til harvest I would think.