I booked at this Inn for the last day of the Indigenous People's day weekend to wake up on my birthday, take some photographs of nature and then head home to be with family. A bad nor'easter was forecast with AAA warning against driving and some east coast governors warning against being on the roads. I'm 69 and a lung cancer survivor so I tend to err on the side of safety. I emailed the Inn and asked if my booking could be transferred to the Tuesday of the following week, or the Monday of the week after that. I still work so my bookings depend on when I have time, and too, I was careful to keep it near a similar day to what I had booked. Even though it is low season I wanted to be sure to not inconvenience the Inn. I was met with arrogance and a "sure everyone wants good weather" response, which was flabbergasting. They suggested I come the following day - still high winds and lashing rain - and if not I would forfeit the money I paid close to $400. I was stupefied by their response and will ensure that I warn everyone of this place of bad manners and poor business nous. read more

I had an absolutely AMAZING experience at the Inn at Castle Hill! The rooms are so thoughtfully decorated with stunning views. I was in the Teller room, one of the smaller ones on the third floor, and it was so cozy and comfortable! The bathrooms are on the smaller side, but still very manageable, and the whole place is air conditioned during the Summer. The breakfast is amazing and you get a whole bunch of different options, on top of lemonade, iced tea, and cookies served throughout the day. The real special times are before and after the estate opens for the day, because you really feel like you have the place to yourself. I walked up to the mansion for sunset, and it was stunning! They can also help get you booked on guided house or kayak tours, and you get free access to Crane Beach with towels and tote bags! If you're looking for a peaceful coastal getaway, this is the place! read more

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Best beach vacation I have ever had outside of The Caribbean. Staying at this hotel made us feel like we were kings of the beach, the best beach in the Boston area. Usually, a trip to Crane Beach or the Crane Estate is a day-long, stressful project. Not when you're staying right there. As for the hotel itself: Our room was comfortable and had a fantastic view. The hotel staff were warm, friendly, and helpful. I can't wait to go back. read more

The Inn At Castle Hill - View from the front door. - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

Just a fantastic, relaxing April weekend at The Inn. Warm, comfortable, very much in keeping with a New England inn in a wonderful setting (2,100 acre Crane Estate). Staff was top notch. Room was clean and comfortable (bed was A++ comfortable!!). Special thanks to Camilla and Laura. Camilla is the innkeeper, but with a hands on way of doing things. Laura prepared *delicious* breakfast in the mornings with fresh herbs straight from the garden. First visit. Not the last. read more

PLEASE READ: this wonderful establishment has a relatively poor rating because one person who had an unpleasant experience chose to recruit eight of her friends to put in bad reviews. If you don't like a place, you have a right to give it a poor rating. You do NOT have a right to spam them in this manner. This is wonton abuse of the Yelp rating system and should be removed so as to not besmirch an otherwise excellent establishment. I stayed here last fall with my girlfriend and we had an outstanding experience. The location of the inn, the surrounding landscape, and the beautiful building filled with excellent artwork all made for a great stay. Breakfast was wonderful and the innkeeper went out of her way to make our stay very enjoyable. I wish I could give this place 50 stars to make up for the poor rating given by other people with a serious chip on their shoulder. read more

beautiful spot with the best ocean lookout in ipswich. lovely architectural design in the buildings and vast rolling hill field into the ocean. must see in the area!!! read more

I had the most amazing stay! I stayed in the Florence room. From the moment I arrived I knew I was in good hands and in the right place. I felt completely taken care of and the inn was absolutely beautiful and the grounds were unreal. Woke up in the morning and walked on cranes beach - had the whole beach to myself! Breakfast was indulgent and perfect and I loved all the different places you could sit with tea and relax. You must visit! read more

Nice views, great breeze, and... after being seated, ordered little necks and oysters, along with champagne ($27/flute) and Bloody Mary. Little over 20 min for the drinks to arrive as the shells warmed. Succotash was nicely done, as was fish tacos. Worth the wait on Sunday? $200 for two brunch? read more

We loved this place for our honeymoon in July. Staff was so friendly, inn was gorgeous, and breakfast everyday was delicious. They were very accommodating to my gluten allergy as well. Sad that we went during greenhead season, but we made the most of exploring with lots of bug spray. Definitely take advantage of the beach pass that comes with tour stay. And if you have time, take one of the tours at the main house. We will definitely be back again. Only downside was our room did not have a soaker tub, which you would expect for the price point. All in all, worth every penny spent though! read more

WONDERFUL experience. The grounds were extensive and beautiful. There were several delicious options for breakfast (yogurt, granola and house baked goods in addition to the breakfast options of the day). The staff was extremely kind, and made us a bag of granola and packaged up some cake for us to take as we were checking out. read more

The Inn At Castle Hill - View from above the inn - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Ipswich, Massachusetts

Our stay at This fine establishment could not have been more pleasant for a lovely fall weekend. We were very cozy in our room and we walked for miles around the property taking in magnificent views. The beach was a short distance by bike and I took time out to photograph the fall colors. The Inn is a throwback in time to a gentler existence with no televisions or media to interrupt your tranquility. The sunny dining room is a cheery place to eat a sumptuous breakfast the kind your grandmother made 60 yrs ago. There is a pantry where you can retrieve tea and cookies mid afternoon on your way up for a deserved nap or a good read. I look forward to returning again to this very special place to unwind in the bluster of fall leaves in October. read more

NOT KID FRIENDLY and basically NOT FRIENDLY. We were turned away with a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. Making a reservation by phone for two rooms for two nights before holding a corporate event at The Crate Estate, we were never told that children under 12 were not allowed at The Inn at Castle Hill. The email confirmation stated: "Children 12 and over are welcome.", far down the list. BUT IT NEVER SAID THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STAY WITH CHILDREN. Beyond the policy issue, we were treated very unkindly and inconsiderately. Upon arriving, the Innkeeper's attitude was very demeaning, for even thinking about bringing our children to this admittedly beautiful and picturesque spot. We were told, "People get babysitters just to come here." And "You can stay, your children cannot." And a refund was refused. After 20 minutes, the Innkeeper reluctantly offered to let us stay, "if we could assure her our children would be quiet." As any parent knows, that's impossible, and by that point we had been made to feel inferior for being a family of four. They continue to refuse a refund. read more

I'm raving about the Inn at Castle Hill in Ipswich, MA. Breakfast isn't the only treat you'll get at this bed & breakfast. When you check in you'll be served hot tea, homemade blueberry bread, and fresh apple slices. Whatever you need, from reservation suggestions to peace & quiet, the inn-keeper will offer to help. read more

Just returned from our 2nd stay. The first time we stayed in the Cornelius room the 2nd in Brown. The Cornelius room was larger with better views however we had an excellent experience both times. We enjoyed the helpful and courteous staff, great breakfast, proximity to Cranes beach, walking around the Castle and the peacefulness of the inn ( no children or TVS) We will be sure to go back. read more

We were the best man and maid of honor in a wedding at the barn this past weekend and we booked a 2 night stay at the Inn so that we would be able to stay on the property. The inn has a 2 night minimum which was slightly disappointing to me, only because the rehearsal dinner was about an hour away the night before the wedding (and was close to our house) so it would have been nice to stay at our own place that night rather than have to drive an hour up to the estate late at night just because it was a 2 night minimum. But, I will say they were very accommodating about our late night check in and it went very smoothly- we arrived to nice notes directing us to our rooms which made check in very easy. The inn itself is beautiful. It sits atop a big hill overlooking the marsh and the beach, and on a clear day it's just stunning. The inn is incredibly well kept and there was a "homey" feel to it that was very welcoming. Throughout the 2 days that we were there we saw a lot of regulars there, and people were spread out throughout the property relaxing on chairs, conversing with the inn keepers like they were old friends. That was really nice to see. The rooms were very nice - ours was the Symonds on the first floor. It was clean and airy and had a huge bathroom with nice toiletries. They also stock the rooms with umbrellas and beach blankets and other things you'd need for a weekend beach stay. A special shout out to Jill who had to let me into my room after I locked myself out after the wedding. I felt so bad calling her at 10:30 at night, but she was incredibly gracious about it. Breakfast in the morning was delicious. There was a continental aspect with yogurt, homemade granola and pastries (I had one of the best scones I've ever had!), and then you also had the choice of one of 2 hot entree choices. Food was very good, and was complimentary with your stay. I only have small complaints about our stay. As another reviewer mentioned, you could hear the thumping of the band/DJ from the wedding up the hill until about 11:30 or so at night. I honestly didn't care, but it's something to mention for those who are easily bothered by noise or are looking for complete quiet during their stay. The second thing that I didn't like was that you couldn't have food or bring in alcohol to the property. The wedding we were at ended at 8:30, and at the end of the wedding everyone wanted to hang out. Ipswich as a town shuts down early, and it takes taxis and ubers about 30 minutes to arrive if you want to try to take one somewhere for food or a drink after a wedding. The estate is quiet so it's really not a good place to hang out, but it would have been nice to have a glass of wine and a sandwich on the porch or in the suite with the newlyweds as we were all hungry and tired and didn't want to leave the property. A designated area for this would be great - maybe with place to buy drinks after the wedding where you can bring your own food in. If there was a place to do this, it wasn't clear. There were signs saying you could buy alcohol but we weren't really sure where to do that. So maybe some clarity here. All in all I'd recommend a stay here - it really feels like you are far away, even when you aren't really all that far from Boston. read more

Last Sunday morning, we decided to drive through the property just to explore for a future stay. Because we had our Bichon in the car - we were told to turn around as no dogs were allowed. The gate keeper even slapped the sign posted to the hut - just as reinforcement. Incredibly rude - would NEVER stay in a place where you're made to feel unwelcome before you ever get beyond the gate. There was no need for this - we had no intention of leaving the car. There are many lovely places to stay in the area - this one will never be on our list. read more

wonderful!! we had such an amazing time at the inn at castle hill. we stayed in the brown room and it was beautiful and cozy. the 2,100 acre grounds are stunning and filled with lovely hikes and rolling hills. i would recommend in a second. read more

The customer service here is quite bad. Inexcusable for a boutique inn, which should be known for their attention to detail and personal approach to doing business. Don't waste your time. read more

Our kids were at camp, so we decided to treat ourselves to a quick get away. We have been to Crane Beach many times, but this was our first time at the Inn. We were blown away by the level of hospitality, the scenery, and all the extras. Besides lovely and absolutely spotless rooms, they provide full complimentary access to a pantry with homebaked snacks, lemonade, chocolates, coffee, tea, etc. A beach bag with towels was provided with our room, as was sun block, bug spray, beach chairs, bikes and parking passes for the beach, all free of charge. The grounds were immaculate, and within a 5 minutes walk you could be at one of many European style gardens or ruins on the estate that surround the Crane Mansion. So many areas to hold a special event or wedding. The woods were gorgeous, we saw many turkeys, song birds, hawks, and we heard foxes and owls. Walking the trail through the woods to the beach took about 10 minutes and led you to a secluded area of the beach that stretched for miles with only an occasional beach goer. We had the place to ourselves. We saw dozens of plovers, swallows, live clams and horseshoe crabs, and even a ship wreck that washed up on shore. The beach is white soft sand and the water is so clean you can really see deep into it. Food (full breakfast and snacks) was excellent at the Inn and they source things locally and grown their own herbs, etc as well. They can accommodate gluten free diets. The staff were friendly, took pride in their work and were willing to do anything to make guests happy. I can't say enough good things about this place and can't wait to return. read more

Camilla is the new Innkeeper at The Inn at Castle Hill. She and her entire staff made our Labor Day wedding weekend group feel at home, comfortable, and happy. I have to say I was a little leary going in as we didn't originally "feel the love" when we put the deposit on the whole house. But the accommodations were clean and fresh, very convenient to our weekend activities, and our guests (and us) staying there were so happy to have everyone close by. It made a huge difference in our relaxation levels, and our comfort. I highly recommend renting the entire inn if you have an event on property. Thank you to Camilla, and all of the staff for helping to make our wonderful wedding weekend very special indeed. They even effortlessly were able to figure out charges for each room upon checkout. Oh, and the breakfasts were lovely...thanks to the chef! The pantry was another plus, as we brought back leftovers from our picnic on Saturday, and the Inn provided cold drinks, coffee and sweets each day there. We didn't make it to the beach, but towels and a beach entrance fee are included with your room. I keep thinking of more things....we have so many great memories! We are all talking about a five year reunion there. Fingers crossed it happens! read more

We had the luck to be able to stay here one night over Veteran's Day weekend, and it was phenomenal. The setting is unbeatable and the rooms are beautifully decorated. There was a fire in the fireplace in the living room, a cute little set up so you could make your own coffee/tea/hot chocolate (including a bowl of marshmallows!) In the morning we borrowed bikes from the Inn and rode around the property, stopping to walk in the dunes. Highly recommend if you're looking for a place to get away from the Boston area without driving all the way to the Cape or NH. The staff were also incredibly welcoming and accommodating. read more