We stayed here last night for our seventh anniversary. We loved the inside! It gave off the perfect…read morehistoric vibe from the moment we walked through the door. The owner, John, met us at the desk and gave us a tour of the building before showing us our room. He was very friendly and welcoming. We stayed in the Daniel Smith room. It was very nice! The bed was comfortable, much more so than other places we've stayed in the past. There were extra pillows and a blanket in the closet, which we used. Both the sitting room and bedroom had black-out curtains to keep the street lamps outside from shining in. There were two flat screen TVs in our room, one in the sitting room and one in the bedroom. Both were remote-controlled. The sitting area had a sleeper sofa, but being only the two of us we didn't need it. The TV in the bedroom was the only one we watched, and it had several channels to choose from, including TBS, A&E, and the Travel Channel, all of which we watched. We also sat out on the front balcony for a while after it got dark. It was clean as well. We enjoyed sitting out there in the cool night air, talking and watching the cars go by. There were plenty of towels for us to use, and they were really soft. Today, we had lunch in the dining room onsite. We had the all-you-can-eat fried chicken with a variety of sides. The turnip greens, macaroni and cheese, and their corn bread muffins were delicious.
The hotel has been modernized in respect to having bathrooms, air conditioning, heat, ceiling fans, WiFi, and flat screen televisions. But the antique sofas in the upstairs hallways and downstairs lobby as to the historical feel. The banister leading upstairs is also the original one from 1904. Also, the hotel itself is much bigger inside than it appears to be from outside. Also, it was the cleanest hotel we have stayed in. We loved our stay, and we highly recommend!
A few extras I can offer anyone who interested in staying here are that while the onsite kitchen area closes at 3pm, there is a really nice restaurant about three doors down, called Ebel's. However, keep in mind reservations are recommended to ensure getting a table in a timely manner. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, and they have live music on Saturday evenings.
In addition, you don't have to stay in the hotel to dine in the dining room. It is open to the public for lunch daily. Usually they offer a meat and two or three vegetables for a set price, or Today (Sunday) they had the all-you-can-eat fried chicken (which consisted of both breast and tenders).
Also, if you are in town and interested in the historical aspect of the hotel and/or downtown Carthage, I recommend taking a walk over to the historic courthouse on the square. There ware a number of markers that tell a little of the history of William Walton and the courthouse.
If unlike me, you are not a history buff, there are shops on both sides of the street near the hotel. My personal favorites are the Candy Bar, Holly's, and Freestyle Canvas.
Also, in regards to the hotel and all the downtown areas, there is additional parking in the new lot between the Candy Bar and Nobles. Or you can always park directly in front of the hotel, if there are spots available.
If you need any other essentials while visiting, Walmart is about a mile away, along with Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Save-A-Lot, and Sav-Way (a great large neighborhood grocery).