The good: the woodwork, pocket doors, high ceilings, bed frames, and fireplaces were all beautiful. Dave and Michelle, the owners, were lovely. Breakfast was great, as were the home baked treats that could be found throughout the day. The bad: there was only wine and soda in the fridge. No ice and no water. The common areas were cluttered. I don't care to stay someplace and see piles of junk on the floor. I stepped into the kitchen at one point to look for some ice for my tea and the cleanliness of the kitchen was very questionable. Food had been left out of the fridge on the counter, and it was the middle of the day. Against my better judgement I DID have breakfast the next day and I haven't gotten sick, so there IS that! The ugly: I am very sensitive to smells and there was a heavy presence of cat urine. I just couldn't escape it. i never saw a cat, but I sure did smell it! The curtains in our room were falling apart and they were all water stained. I could look past all of that, but when I discovered what the pillows looked like I was done and we left a day early. The pillows were not encased in a protective cover before they were placed in a pillowcase and they were all stained and disgusting, one even had a hole in it. Even that didn't phase me too much, but when I helped myself to a pillow case that I found in the hall closet it looked like there was a booger on it and I just lost it. We were not given any kind of hassle when we checked out early and it would be my guess that we were not the first. As others have mentioned the outside looked like something out of a horror movie, but I obviously wasn't put off by it as we did check in. According to past reviews the renovation of the front porch has been going on for YEARS, and it looks pretty trashy. If you don't mind all that I mentioned, by all means stay, but I will not stay again. If you can get past the cat smell and the disgusting pillows and the dirty kitchen, it IS a beautiful B&B. I need to note that it took me a long time to write this review. It really IS beautiful, and the owners really are lovely people, but I just couldn't not say something. Had everyone else that has written reviews been totally honest, I probably would not have stayed there. This place could be SO much better with a little more care. read more

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Epic, this place is epic. The history, architecture (updates in process) midwest comfort, soul and love is what your looking for; this is the place. Lovely ambiance of jazz always playing seems comforting in so many ways. The hostess ate breakfast with me and helped me with photos, directions, advise. She was sincerely lovely. They went out of their way to help me in my travels. Epic hosts, food, complimentary drinks. I have never been to a place this unique. Usually you worry about small things at hotels bc they are so sterile. Here its like staying at your grandparents house or favorite aunt and uncles. I suggest this location to people who love the wholesome things in life without the upper scale crust lingering on your permanent white pillowcases. You don't need to worry about that here. (I would not suggest this to people with serious allergies or extreme standards.) Everything felt comfortable and relaxing. I love it! And I will continue to come back. Best bed and breakfast! Just epic! Perfectly cooked, the best crapes I have ever had. This peach layered cake they made... I can't stop thinking about! You gotta check it out! read more

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If you only read one sentence of this review...don't go here. I always look for the better in an Inn. But that was tough at this one. The neighborhood is not good. Pretty sure I heard gun shots last night. Children and teenagers across the street were outside yelling at 11:30pm. At 6am an adult began to shout obscenities. "Shared bath" meant I had to come down 22 steps to the bathroom that every step creaked loudly. Obviously, they have not deodorized the pillows. Music blasted on the main dining area both into the evening and at 6:30 am! The place outside is under construction. The chairs and pillows are ancient and dirty. Oh but wait, I came down early hoping to read, and if the loud music wasn't enough, the man cooking screamed for over 10 mins at the woman in the kitchen because evidently she touched his oven...changed the temperature according to his rantings. I could hear it all amazingly, since the volume of radio was high! Worst experience at a B & B EVER! Ok, now for one redeeming virtue breakfast was great, but it leads to my question of why in the world did he find it necessary to shout and throw a fit as long as he did!? read more

The Richards House Bed & Breakfast Inn - Under construction. - Hotels Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

Wow!!! What a surprise. Outside falling down. Inside a museum. Like sleeping in a painting ! Great bed. Super shower read more

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The outside is a little run down, needs the repairs. The inside is very warm and welcoming, a lot of accommodations. It's my second stay and enjoyed my stay. Their breakfast is always the best here! Lots of food and coffee and tea, you will not leave hungry. read more

The Richards House Bed & Breakfast Inn - Specially made french toast! - Hotels Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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This was my first experience at a bed and breakfast. I was very impressed by our hosts, they made us feel right at home. As soon as you walk inside you will be amazed by all the beautiful original woodwork, the beautiful high ceilings and enormous pocket doors. The host is very knowledgeable about the history of this landmark. The bedrooms are so pretty and the fireplace makes the room so cozy. Not to take away from the beauty of the house but my favorite part was the delicious breakfast. read more

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UPDATE: during our stay, Dubuque got 10" of rain. The House is in the process of getting a new roof & gutters--the latter of which were going to be installed the next day--so a corner of our room leaked in the middle of the night. We felt horrible. Few places of that vintage could withstand such a deluge even with a roof on. We told the owners of the situation the following morning, & they gave us our two rooms for free: not just ours, but our parents' room, which was free from water. They want us to come back again, & felt this was the only way to do that. It was a sad stay in that regard, but they maintained their respectability, personability, & a professional attitude throughout. Would stay there again! read more

When you pull up to the address, don't let the outside scare you! Outside may need some work but instead is really nice. Michelle and Dave really go out of there way to please. They have snacks, wine and pop available throughout the day. Breakfast was amazing and delicious!!!!!! All covid precautions taken during breakfast. Not once did I feel unsafe. Thanks again read more

The most decadent, yet unpretentious dog friendly bed and breakfast I've ever been to! We've stayed in many gorgeous Victorian mansions but never felt so connected with the past and former owners as here. The decor was something of dreams. Michelle and David make great conversation and delicious breakfast! Felt like a queen! read more

A wonderful bed and breakfast on a classic Mississippi river town. The exterior is being renovated but you step back into 11883 when the house was constructed. Classic furniture reflecting several eras to included hidden modern amenities in the rooms(TV/DVD player). Homemade baked goodies available around the clock. The innkeeper Michelle made rum cake, banana bread, and coffee cake for our stay. Complementary drinks to include wines and sodas along with a grand breakfast. A more than reasonable price at $120 per night. The only draw back for our room was that it face Locus street which has a-lot of traffic. If you were headed out this way you cannot ask for a better nights stay! read more

The Richards House Bed & Breakfast Inn - Beautiful room! - Hotels Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

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We always stay here when in Dubuque and it's an easy choice with the charming rooms, comfortable beds, delicious breakfast, and friendly people. I especially appreciated the flexability with early breakfast for our plans. You can feel the care and love that they have for this place and the people that come to stay. read more

We stayed one night, and it was amazing. The place really stays true to the vintage style it represents. They are currently working on the exterior but don't let that turn you away. The breakfast was absolutely amazing as well. We will definitely be visiting again. read more

The delicious breakfast alone was worth the price. But between the BluRay players, working fireplaces, gorgeous woodwork/tile work/stained glass, and the central location, it's probably the best bang for the buck I've found in a long time. A total gem. You won't regret it! read more

The Richards House Bed & Breakfast Inn - One of many stained glass treasures - Hotels Near Me - Dubuque, Iowa

There are not enough superlatives to describe how happy we were with our five-day stay at the Richards House Bed and Breakfast. Convenient, extremely reasonably priced, the most friendly owners you'd ever want to meet... and then there were the breakfasts! Breakfast time was fit for royalty, with four or five homemade specialties each morning. In addition to ample amounts of coffee, juice, and fresh fruit, we were served (all made from scratch) quiche and souffles and other fun ways to prepare eggs, waffles, a myriad of cakes, bacon, syrups, and so on. If you are an antique buff who likes to eat, you might never venture out of the building, as there are literally hundreds of antiques and historical items relating to the Richards House which are placed throughout the entire building. Definitely a home-away-from-home feeling, which is ALWAYS welcome! If you're looking for a place to stay in Dubuque, look no further than The Richards House! read more

This place is an experience. Not for everyone, you have to have an appreciation for a little of the unexpected, imperfect, and curious. The house is super spooky from the outside... Undergoing an extensive and prolonged restoration. The interior isn't perfect either, but it's clean and charming in its this-is-definitely-old kind of way. The breakfast is amazing!!! Warm Blueberry cake, waffles, egg casserole, poached pears, bacon, juice and coffee. We were so full we didn't have to eat lunch! The owners are very warm and friendly. They give a tour when you check in and chat over breakfast. They have a couple of sweet cats that roam the common areas. Overall, incredible value and would stay again! read more

I love this place. The outside of the house has certainly taken a beating over the years, and in this economy it's completely understandable that continual updates of maintaining a home built in 1883 are going to be quite a lot of money.....but the owners of this gorgeous B&B really maintain the interior of the place very well. The home is like a huge maze of amazingly vintage nooks and crannies. Everywhere you turn, there is something gorgeous to look at. My Grandma and I take an annual trip to Iowa to go visit family and we always make it a point to pass through Dubuque to have the chance to stay in this beautiful home. Not only is it simply stunning, the breakfast is out of this world! Last time we were there, our breakfast consisted of a giant bowl of fresh fruit, freshly baked blueberry cake (still warm), waffles, Canadian bacon, and eggs! If we were to have gone out to breakfast, something like that would have easily cost us $20 or more. Get this: our total bill for the night stay and complimentary breakfast.....was only $61. You can't beat it! The owners are adorable. The place is more awesome than words. The price is astonishing. Road trip to Iowa anyone???? read more

Wonderful little place to stay in Dubuque. Owners were very nice and accommodating, even though we showed up several hours late for check-in. Fridge was stocked with wine and snacks when we got there, and we wandered into our room to find an absolutely gorgeous setting with 1920's decor. Breakfast in the morning was absolutely delicious as well. If you're allergic to cats, it might be a good idea to avoid this place, but otherwise the cats stay out of the way and don't pose any issues. Highly recommended for a weekend getaway. read more

First of all, I need to clarify that I am NOT the other Michael S. who left the first review. No idea who that is, but very ironic that we have the same first initial and last name! My wife and I just stayed at The Richards House for 3 nights. We stayed in the Library Room. We enjoyed our stay very much. Michelle was a wonderful hostess. Her understanding of the history of the house and it's furnishings was amazing. But not quite as amazing as her cooking! The breakfasts, yes, all 3 of them, were phenomenal. As the first reviewer mentioned, the house is still under renovation. This was easily noticed from the outside of the house as we approached. You can't miss the jacks under the front porch steps and Michelle's husband David up on the 4th story roof! We had no rain while we were there, and therefore experienced no leaks like the other reviewer did. The room was cozy and enjoyable. The weather was a bit warm for us to fire up the 2 fireplaces in our room, but they were ready to go if we needed them. Michelle was very friendly and seemed eager to answer any questions we had or any suggestions to make our stay more comfortable. We didn't see much of David as he was busy taking care of the renovation work. You should be aware that there are, I believe, 3 or 4 cats in the house as well. My wife and I are NOT pet people at all, but I can honestly say that the cats posed no problem to us, and I expected there to be cat hair around, but I never saw any at all. Other than seeing them a few times in the downstairs hallways, we could hardly tell they were there. Don't let the outside renovations keep you from staying here. Once you get inside and see what a beautiful home this is, you'll be glad you stayed here! read more

My sister and I just returned from a lovely stay here. To think, we almost cancelled our reservations based on previous reviews! What a loss that would have been. There were no animals to be seen and no urine smell. The house is going under some renovations, but I believe that is to be expected in a place this old. The home is decorated beautifully and Michelle is a gracious hostess who puts out an AMAZING breakfast. And the cost cannot be beat. We will return. Thank you, Michelle! read more

My husband and I went for a quick honeymoon here in 2015, and we are going back next month. We had the best experience! The food was amazing (there was even a refrigerator as well as pastries outside of our room for us to snack on!). The house is stunning, the cats are awesome, and we recommend to everyone. Thanks guys, we'll see you next month! read more

It's a little scary looking from the outside, but the breakfast was pretty amazing. The house is under construction & seems like the owners are trying to many projects themselves all at once... I think we will possibly give it another chance once the construction is done. read more

Lots of beauty in this gem and great breakfast, however the pets seemed to dominate the house and it could use a good steam clean overall. The construction on the house was a little overwhelming, I wish I knew about it before hand. When we pulled up, it looked like a haunted house. Just something to think about. read more

I always like to start with the positive. This is one of the most period authentic B&B I have ever stayed in. It is an 1880 home that the original family owned up until about 25 years ago when the current owner purchased it. The 1880's interior is just beautiful. I give this aspect 5 stars. The breakfast was quite good as well as deserts they had out in the evening. The hostess was a bit awkward. She is not much of a conversationalist but sat down with us eating. overall breakfast was 4 stars. Now to the not so good. The exterior is in very bad condition (see on google street view). I am sure it is huge $ to restore exterior but you would think the current owners would have been able to do it in the 25 years they have owned the property. It is a shame that this historic jewel is not better cared for. I give this a one star. Now there is the cats. The hostess is borderline the stereotypical "crazy cat lady". We asked how many cats they had and she could not answer. The house had a noticeable smell of old house combined with cat urine. We were told not to let the cats in the guest rooms since some guests might be allergic. If you were allergic to cats you would not want to get within 100 feet of the house. They need to tell people before making reservations about the cats. This was a one star part of the experience. My experience can be best summed up by what a shame this place is in the hands of owners who do not maintain the exterior of the property and destroy the atmosphere with smelly cats. If smelly cats do not bother you and not scared away by the exterior give this place a try and you might enjoy the 1880s interior. If not a cat person stay away. read more

This is our second trip here. Upon arrival, a cat had retrieved a bat which was being relocated outside in a net. On Saturday evening we realized that some pillows and towels had cat urine on them. We picked through and found ones that didn't smell so strong. Not all were strong with odor, but the pullout bed pillow was clearly use by a cat with the hair/cat urine to show for it along with a bed pillow or two. Our 2-year-old was on the floor and playing with cats but cannot figure out how we brought such strong cat urine smell back home with us. Somehow, the cats managed. We hope that Richardshouse might take this feedback as constructive so that future visitors might not experience this. It's unhygienic and unfortunate yet seems easily avoided considering pillows and towels are cheap to replace if not washable. read more

Although the price is cheap and the rooms could be beautiful I would never stay here again, nor would I recommend it to my worst enemy. My husband and I went here for our anniversary and were extremely disgusted to the point where we tried to find other accommodations. Unfortunately it was a holiday weekend and everything nearby was booked. The house is in desperate need of repairs. Our room had deteriorating carpeting and the stairs to the inn were an accident waiting to happen. The smell of cat urine is overpowering at the entry way and in the Library Room. The only way we were able to handle staying there was to find the nearest Walgreens and buy some heavy duty Febreze. The odor permeated everything to the point that we pulled over and used the Febreze on ourselves on the drive home because it was all was so overpowering. The major issue is the bugs. I know know, much to my detriment, that the couple of bugs which I saw on a shelf and dismissed as being part of being in an old house were bed bugs. Of course some of these tagged along home with us resulting in a very costly exterminator bill. Never ever stay here. Spend the extra money and find somewhere else! read more

This is by far the nicest place I have ever stayed the Owners, Michelle and David are both kind folk and run a fine B&B, the accomodations were truly 5 star with great food for $70 per night for the nicest room there on weekday. We were very pleased with the experience. The DVD selection was nice due to the snowy weather. It was not "spooky" in any way. I have never felt safer or more comfortable in any hotel ever. Homey would be the best word, and elegant beyond compare. The interior photos on their site don't begin to show how nice this victorian antique-filled glimpse back in time really is. Also I am a picky eater who is allergic to Gluten and they made tasty food to accomodate :). great value well worth the stay for other folks that like to stay at B&B's. The great owners and atmosphere made the place great. Also I have a cat at home the cats were not intrusive and kept away from guests. No smell. I think the other person was just a dog person/cat hater type or something. The whole place was very clean. read more