This inn is a perfect place to stay. It's beautiful, charming, comfy, and the vibe is just perfect. The beds are comfy, the linens crisp, and the rooms are spacious and gorgeous. There are places to walk to for coffee, snacks, and some shopping if you want to pop out. The inn also has a snack/bar area for coffee, teas, soda, etc that is always accessible. I love The Gilmore Girls and this inn makes me think that that's what the show's Dragonfly Inn was trying to capture- like the perfect New England B&B. Breakfast was delicious too and so welcomed after having to eat in airports for too long. The guys whipped up tasty treats for us and really made each night's stay feel magical. read more

Overall , we would rate the inn 4.8 or 4.9 We stayed 3 nights in the Phillips room, on the second floor. The bed and pillows were divine, some of the best we have enjoyed a night's sleep on, and we have stayed in many fine hotels. Our walk-in shower was also quite wonderful. Even though breakfast was not included as part of our stay, all we had to do was walk around the corner to a bakery that offered espresso and breakfast items. My main complaint with our room was that we were at the front of the inn, which exposed us to street traffic (there was a fair amount of traffic for a small town!), but our room was also above their small private dining room. One evening the party downstairs didn't end until about 1:00 am. Talking and laughter woke me several times. read more

We decided on an impromptu stop and found the Inn by the Bandstand online. What a gem! The rooms are charming, with each room being unique in style and decor. We stayed in the Abenaki room which is on the top floor and has gorgeous rustic decor and views of the town. Jaime's welcome made us feel instantly at home as he showed us around. Since we arrived later, we decided to eat in house, in the newly opened tapas style Ambrose restaurant. We sampled the Hummus, Tuna, Shrimp and Filet dishes, all of which were delicious. Chef Stanley's dishes were beautifully prepared and very flavorful. Sandra provided kind and friendly service. The inn has that special combination of warmth, charm, cleanliness, comfort and uniqueness that people hope for when looking for an inn. While we stumbled upon this inn by chance, we will certainly be by again! Exeter is a beautiful, historic town with eclectic stores and restaurants that we still need to explore. Well done! Thanks for a great stay and respite from the long drive we had! read more

See all

Very comfortable in all respects. The room was clean and very well decorated while still being functional for the traveler. The staff have thought of everything, and go out of their way to make everyone feel at home. Lots of little treats like beer and coffee and cookies available. read more

We had such a wonderful time at this beautiful detail oriented bed and breakfast, we look forward to returning. Our room was exceptional and spacious, all the details were placed with exquisite taste. If you are looking for a cultured and historical bed and breakfast this is the place. The care that was put into this place shows and not only with the appearance but with the personal touch and customer service. In the morning our breakfast was gourmet and the presentation was astonishing. Everything from the details on the China to the details in the service were excellent. read more

See all

Stayed three nights and it was such a wonderful stay Jaime and Agastino were great hosts Hope to be back soon Wonderful quaint place to stay and relax The breakfast was superb the omelette is to die for Fresh squeezed orange juice and homemade jam Wonderful What more you could possibly ask for- Maybe a jetted tub to unwind and relax well ask no more they had that too... Love it read more

See all

If there is one word to describe this place it would be impeccable. Every inch of this place has been taken care of. A beautiful historic inn where every detail is perfect. The furniture, the decor, the finish is absolutely beautiful. If you like the small old inn experience this is one you will remember forever. Great location right in the heart of Exeter with shops and restaurants all around it. Connected to the inn is Otis, one of the best small restaurants anywhere on the seacoast. A dining experience at a great value too. read more

See all

Great weekend spent there. Fantastic old inn that is updated. Breakfasts are fantastic and rooms are well appointed. Will definitely visit again! read more

My husband and I recently needed to get away for a couple of days to rest after a month of nonstop work and personal commitments. We stayed at Inn by the Bandstand in the Lakeheath room, which is their more rustic, log-cabin, lake-house style room. We loved it. That room is on the top floor of the inn, in the corner and only one other room is on that level. The breakfast was fantastic. The first morning we were there, breakfast was an apple unsidedown something or other - I missed the actual name because I immediately dug in. The second morning breakfast consisted of an egg and tomato frittata, a whole grain home-made muffin, and both mornings there was fruit, juices and coffees served as well. We spoke with the inn keeper at length one morning during breakfast and it was nice to get to know the person behind the scenes. The Inn was offering packages combining stays with themes or local services so if you do stay, see what the current packages are. We were there during Valentine's weekend and there were options that included dinner at 11 Water Street, roses, wine, etc. The Inn isn't too far from Portsmouth, either. We drove there one afternoon for lunch and to walk around. This is a small detail, but we really liked it. When you check in, the hallway you walk down has a long table on the left with a Keurig coffee machine and lots of coffee and tea choices. We stayed the two nights and each night when we came in from dinner, there was a big plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies next to the coffee machine. Little unexpected things like that make me happy. :c) Chocolate chip cookies, unexpected or not, always make me happy. The Keurig is on all the time in case you decide that you want a cup of decaf tea before bed. read more

I wish I could give more than 5 stars! After a huge let-down with Exeter Inn in booking the bridal suite (they booked it for another wedding despite the fact that was hosting my reception there!), I knocked on the doors of the Bandstand with tears in my eyes, praying that they would have availability for myself and my bridal party for my upcoming wedding. Sure enough, with open arms and kind eyes, Angostino confirmed they had availability for my entire party! A few moments later, we booked all nine rooms of the inn and looked forward to our stay. We met with Jaime several times before our stay to discuss logistics since camera crews, photographers, hair and makeup artists would also be joining us on and off over the weekend, and every encounter with Jaime was fantastic. He was always so on top of everything and extremely patient as I asked a million and seven questions. Our wedding weekend finally came and our guests from California began arriving at the Inn and were all greeted with smiles and hugs from the staff. Ironically, one of the service staff members was from my fiancee's home town and quickly charmed our guests with her thoughtfulness and candor. The house is immaculately kept and is cared for dearly by Jaime and Angostino, their attention to detail, and hospitality are unmatched by any place I have ever stayed before. I am so thankful for their kindness, generosity, and cooking skills - and am so grateful that they were such an integral part of my successful wedding weekend. With love, gratitude, and appreciation - Kate and Adam read more

We stayed here on a Saturday night and really enjoyed ourselves. Lovely room and well situated in the center of town with plenty of small shops in the surrounding blocks which made for fun window shopping. Recommended for a weekend getaway. Room Tip: One of the rooms has a fireplace! Nice for a mid winter night. read more

We had the most wonderful time here with Jaime, Stanley, Clovis, and Gigi. No detail was too small to capture one's attention and each one delightful. The accommodations, food, service, and location were all superb. We sincerely cannot wait to return! read more

I bought this Inn via Living social. Me and my bf stayed here on July 4 th night. It was nice little Inn, the place has nice decorated art , the staffs are very friendly. The best part was the breakfast was so good . I love everything they did there and the owner are very friendly. I would reccommend anybody to stay there. It was nice stay! read more

Inn by the Bandstand - My breakfast! - Hotels Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

See all

My family and I stayed at this Inn for one night and it was awesome. We had 3 rooms, including the Exeter suite. Initially it was going to be 8 of us but turned out to be 9. They were very accommodating and very nice. The Inn is beautiful and all the rooms were very clean, spacious, comfortable, and nicely decorated. The beds were very comfortable too. Breakfast was delicious. The staff, especially Rebecca - very professional and helpful. Wish we could have stayed longer!!! Highly recommend this elegant historic Inn! read more

This place is absolutely BEAUTIFUL for a getaway everyone's looking for. Came here with my girlfriend on a 2-night, 3-day deal through LivingSocial. It's a quiet, historic town in NH that doesn't have much to do! The main goal of coming here is to relax, and enjoy life. We brought our bikes up and did some trekking through nearby Portsmouth and Hampton, which were incredibly scenic. The rooms are in the style of a rustic campfire -- moose heads posted on the wall, fireplace in each room, old nets and signs from times of the sailors on the walls...it's really beautiful. Jim and kate (owners of the Inn) were TERRIFIC in providing us with a terrific stay, great breakfast, and everything we needed to be accommodated. If you're in need of a relaxing, refreshing getaway, look no further then NH + the Inn at the Bandstand! read more

Jaime was an awesome host and his staff were extremely helpful! This place is charming, is decorated with authentic antique furniture, and is quiet and right in the middle of downtown Exeter so it's very convenient too. We definitely plan to return! read more

Amazing amazing amazing! Me, my husband and my dog went away over Independence Day weekend to celebrate our 1st anniversary. The rooms were beautiful, clean and very close to cute places to eat and shops! They were so accommodating and even changed our room so the dog could have more space in the room and an easy access to the backyard area. It was really close driving distance to take a quick trip to Maine to go to a wildlife reserve, but also close to the beach to see 4th of July fireworks! The breakfast was definitely one of the highlights, every day, delicious and accommodating to our allergies and preferences. We are definitely coming back next time we want to get away from the city! read more

Thanks to Groupon, I spent a lovely night here with a lovely man :) Stayed in the Somerset Cottage room on the 3rd floor. Very charming decor -- New England quaint down to every last detail. The complimentary port in the room was a nice touch and free wifi was appreciated (though we were trying to escape our lives for a bit). Jim, the innkeeper, was very helpful and personable. Breakfast was delicious. The location is right in the dead center of town, too. read more

I definitely recommend a stay here. In the heart of downtown Exeter, it's conveniently located to all sights and sounds of the town. Jim and Kate (owners) are very hospitable. read more

The Inn was our homebase for a weekend family event and I can't say enough about our experience. First the Innkeepers are the most gracious people you'll work with. During the planning stages, months in advance, there was always open and ongoing communication about my event via email, in-house walk throughs and phone calls. They helped me with any details I needed worked out and were amazing advisors as I put together my weekend plans. My family was arriving from across the country at various times and the Inn was amazingly accomodating and communicated with each family member as well, to assist them as they booked and arrived. Then Jamie and his team created an amazing dinner for the first night that was elegant and delicious. The main dining room was set for my family like a scene from the film Age of Innocence. Every breakfast was creative, in subtle ways, that everyone appreciated. The rooms were beautiful and created these family gathering scenes that looked like a Sargeant painting, with the gas fireplace going and furnishings. My whole weekend resonated with everyone's relaxing experience at the Inn. It truly felt like a Home and allowed everyone time and an elegant but not stuffy space to enjoy time together. The sherry helped too! read more

Inn by the Bandstand - Hotels Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

My fiance and I stayed here the weekend of our wedding (in nearby Lee) and we could not have been more pleased with our choice. Before arriving I received a phone-call from Jamie (one of the caretakers) saying that he was looking over our reservation and wanted to see if we wanted to switch rooms. Initially we had booked the Lakeheath room (which right before our wedding was the most extravagance we could comfortably afford.) Jamie had seen that we were celebrating our marriage during our stay and offered us the honeymoon suite at no additional charge whatsoever. It was the strangest thing, but he seemed more excited that we were getting married than possibly even my mother. :) Our first night was lovely. The bed was enormous, the room beautifully (and lovingly) adorned, and upon returning from dinner we found a lovely hand-written card from the caretakers tucked under a bottle of champagne and a bar from a local chocolatier. Breakfast all 3 mornings was delicious (and frankly too much!) Excellent strong coffee, juice, a fruit + yogurt starter, followed by main course (waffles with home-made blueberry compote, egg souffle with home made (from their garden!) tomato chutney....) It just gets more and more decadent. Each meal was finished with a fresh blueberry-banana smoothie too. :) Our room had a fabulous marble whirlpool tub, a fireplace, a little TV, and even a little breakfast table by the window so that we could have breakfast in our room the morning after the ceremony. True to the name the Inn is right across from the bandstand, making for a bustling downtown center right outside the front door. Plenty to do/eat/buy though our favorite was the little bookshop across the street. We did not even begin to take advantage of all that was offered (bike rentals anyone?!) The caretakers were both pleasant, conversational, and sincere. They took great pride in showing us a good time, and after all of this we learned that they were in fact the NEW caretakers, having only taken over ownership 3 months ago. Bravo, guys. We could not be happier with our stay! read more

Incredible New England Charm, in Historical Exeter... On a weekend getaway from the pressures and stress of the real world. We stayed at the Inn by the Bandstand in the Windsor suite which is on the 2nd floor with a lovely view of the bandstand, and the skyline of downtown Exeter. The suite itself is warm, welcoming, and very plush. We loved the personal touch (bottle of wine, decanter of Port wine, and the luxurious bathrobes). We made good use of the jet tubs after a long day of exploring nearby sights. Breakfast was delicious and was a great start to each day. Susan (innkeeper), and Zach (mascot, a golden retriever) are very welcoming, and went out their way to provide superior service (knowledge of the town - where to go, etc). Of note, we booked this location via a Groupon special, which included a voucher for dinnner at the Tavern at River's edge. I must say it was a great value! Thanks Groupon! IF there is another special, I would stay here again! read more

Inn by the Bandstand is so beautiful and well-done! The rooms are gorgeous and clean and I love the couch in the Phillips Suite. Jaime, the Innkeeper, was so nice, hospitable, helpful and even had champagne waiting for us in our room (...it was our wedding anniversary)! The entire staff was so great and helpful. The breakfast was great and they even accommodated our "funny" dietary needs (no sugar). Thank you! And we took advantage of the late check-out option -- that little bit of extra time made us feel like we were there a whole extra day! :) Inn by the Bandstand is our favorite spot in Exeter, NH.... and right next door to our new favorite restaurant too (Otis). :) And thanks to Jaime for making us a last-minute reservation there! We won't stay anywhere else when visiting Exeter! read more

My wife Miranda and I stayed in the Abenaki Cottage on the top floor. The room is as elegant and warm as the rest of the Inn by the Bandstand. We had a bird's eye view of the action down on the street. The room was charming. It was an absolute delight. We enjoyed the splendor of the architecture and decor. What we liked best is the attention given to all the little artistic details. You will see it throughout the entire Inn. Innkeeper Jaime and all the super friendly folks he works with were passionate about making our stay as stress-free and relaxing as possible. They delivered in every way. Huge thumbs up! BTW, the breakfast is simply out of this world! read more

This was the most amazing experience I have ever had staying somewhere. This bed and breakfast had every amenity that you could possibly imagine that even the most expensive hotel doesn't provide. Jamie the owner was one of the kindest people I have met, and he truly made us feel like this beautiful inn was our home. Our room the Kensington was apparently one of the smaller ones compared to the rest, and I was absolutely floured by it. Beautiful decor with chandeliers and a very comfortable bed and lounge. Breakfast was amazing. Homemade choices everyday with fresh fruit, juice and coffee. The staff was very friendly, especially Zelda-the adorable inn doggie. There is an outdoor patio that is amazing, as well as bicycles with baskets for guests to use around town. The owners have literally thought of everything and I highly recommend staying here when in New Hampshire. I was so happy here and very sad to go! read more

See all

My boyfriend and I stayed here for 2 nights and it was an excellent stay. We have fallen in love with the inn. Inn keepers Jaime and Augustino were warm, accommodating and welcoming. As well as the staff. We received a complimentary upgrade to the Somerset cottage which was a pleasant and generous surprise. They provided an outstanding, hearty breakfast both days which left is full for most the day. The inn is situated in a quiet historic town, which is nice to walk through, but it must be known there is also plenty to do within a half hour. We found plenty of shopping, food, activities and water all close by. Jaime left us with a select registry of other inns across the US to enjoy other inns similar to this. We would definitely recommend this inn. read more

My wife and I had the pleasure of staying at the Inn by the Bandstand on the night of June 20, 2019. We had the most incredible stay. The house was decorated beautifully and had so much history which is one of our passions. Our room was very comfortable and well appointed. The proprietor, Jaime Lopez, was so gracious and welcoming. We had the most delicious breakfast (which he cooked) while conversing with him about the property and how he came to it. We will definitely be coming back to stay since we have business close by in Hampton often. I highly recommend this gem! read more

Great food. Great bed in the Edinburgh room. Hospitable innkeepers. I had a great time.

We chose this Inn for the charm of the outside, location and found it to be our new favorite place to stay in Exeter! The staff is exceptionally kind and helpful and the recommendations were GREAT of where to eat, etc. Can't wait to go back... loved it and HIGHLY recommend this charming INN! read more

An enchanting experience, run by consummate pros. I can't recommend the Inn by the Bandstand highly enough. Otis next door is one of the many perks. read more

i wish there were more than 5 stars to give to this amazing establishment and to the hospitality that innkeeper jaime and staff provide to all guests. our room was beautiful with a gas fireplace. it added so much to the new england charm of this beautifully decorated home. attention to detail everywhere. it felt like the home you would always want to come home to. breakfasts were delicious. jaime is some chef!! he made a wonderful dinner one evening for our entire family. the inn is in the center of town and near everything. when we left, there were hugs and no good-byes. just promises that we will be back again. read more

Absolutely delightful experience! We needed a place to stay on our way up to Maine, and the inn and proprietorJamie were so charming that we would have loved to stayed longer. The room was beautifully appointed, and there were thoughtful, artistic details throughout. The breakfast was exceptional and took into consideration our dietary requests. Thank you! read more

My friends and I recently returned to Inn By The Bandstand for our second visit. Before we left for home, we made reservations to return in late spring of 2015. Here's why: Agostinho and Jaime were born to be inn keepers. From the moment you walk in the door of this 18th century historical home located smack-dab in the center of Exeter, they make you feel at home. We stayed in the Williamsburg Suite. A lovely-two room suite on the second floor, it overlooks Exeter's main drag -- Water Street. Our suite had a gas fireplace, a four-poster bed in the main room and two twin beds in the small bedroom. Perfect for three or even four people. Each room is richly appointed in antique furniture, including the gracious living room complete with a fireplace and a piano. Jaime serves the most delectable breakfasts. Our first morning we had spinach-stuffed omelets with fresh fruit and croissants. Second morning, fresh fruit, a choice of "goldenrod eggs" or pancakes, so fluffy and light they almost flew off the plate. But what makes Inn By The Bandstand really special is Agostinho and Jaime's exceptional hosting skills. I am not alone in these praises. The other guests we met at breakfast had the same experiences we did. We left in a snow squall, but were warmed by our special weekend and the goodbye hugs from our hosts. Exeter is about 20 minutes south from Portsmouth if you can tear yourself away from the good cheer at the Inn. read more