My girlfriend and I booked the Sugar Bear Cottage at Bear Mountain Inn in the fall of 2010 to celebrate our one-year anniversary. We couldn't have picked a more perfect place.
The cottage has its own wood-burning fireplace, and the inn-keepers provided an ample supply of tinder, kindling, and firewood, enough to keep the fire stoked for our full stay. This was one of the highlights for me. It allowed this city-slicker a rare opportunity to show off his long-latent Boy Scout skills. It also provided ambiance and warmth throughout or mostly soggy stay. Be prepared, however, for all your belongings to be bathed in that distinctive musk of burnt wood. It's a relatively small space, and even with the flue properly opened, it's impossible to avoid errant smoke finding its way to your suitcase.
The cottage's covered porch overlooks the lake and the enormous lawn. Even on a rainy day, it provided great views. It was also a great spot to stand while playing a game of fetch with the insatiable (and notably bear-like) black lab, Izzy. When she finally got tuckered out, the Adirondack chairs were great for reading one of the many books that are scattered throughout the buildings. The Inn also possesses a great collection of DVDs, which you can watch in your room.
With lodging, I find it's the little touches that make a big difference, and the inn-keepers at the Bear Mountain Inn have an eye for detail. For example, providing complimentary tubes of toothpaste was a tiny touch that saved us from having to go out in the pouring rain.
There was another excellent example of the inn-keepers' attention detail during the breakfast. First it should be noted that the breakfast on each of our two mornings at the inn was delicious. The inn-keepers only used fresh ingredients, and they were very well prepared. I was also glad that that the breakfast was almost completely different on each of our two mornings. But what impressed me most was, after we indicated on the first morning that my girlfriend did not eat turkey bacon, on the following morning the sausage links were absent from her plate, without any further mention of this by us. There are many places that can put together a delicious meal, but this level of attention is difficult to find and much appreciated.
I also found the inn-keeper Jim had the perfect disposition for running a bed and breakfast. He was a steady source of suggestions for things to do without being insistent. During breakfast, he facilitated conversation among the several couples, without making things uncomfortable. Also, it was very clear that he would bend over backwards to accommodate any request that anyone had.
The only slight reservation that I have to offer is that I found it to be slightly pricey given its middle-of-nowhere location. I thought we got what we paid for, but I wouldn't call it a deal.
All in all, we couldn't have asked for more. There is a very good chance this will become an annual tradition. read more