Shady Lady Bed & Breakfast

I made our reservation sight unseen. With no personal contacts in the area to assure me I had selected wisely, I took a leap of faith and trusted the onlines photos and reviews. I cautiously called the # provided on the website. Lee Ann, the reservation manager, knows how to provide an outstanding customer experience! She patiently and pleasantly answered all my questions and addressed all my concerns. Lee Ann was proactive with information and offered solutions to every obstacle as my sister and I were concerned about our 81 yr old mother for whom we were planning an overnight birthday surprise. The restuarant below The Shady Lady, Sarah's on the Square, excited the palates of these scrutinous foodies! They went above and beyond by surprising us with a plate of the most delicious brownies upon our late return from a evening out with a sweet note wishing our mom a happy birthday...How cool is that???? You don't know me and I don't know you, but facts are facts. You can't go wrong with choosing The Shady Lady for a fantastic night. Extremely clean, cozy, quiet, comfortable, and smartly decorated. Don't change a thing Shady Lady and thank you for a memory our family will cherish forever. We'll see you next year!!!

Haven't stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in 30 years, but this experience has convinced me this is the only way to go! If I had a choice I'de never stay in a Hotel again. Quite, private, peaceful, exceptional. Enjoy your stay.

Our stay at the Shady lady was in June, 2012. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. It was very quiet, peaceful and pleasant. We enjoyed the breakfast especially the apple cranberry toast. The service was exceptional and responsive to our requests. We would highly recommend The Shady Lady. R and I Duran- Fresno, CA

On January 1st, 2012, my boyfriend and I had a memorable stay in the Madam's room. Best of all was the special recipe that the young cooks made me for breakfast the next morning when they found out I didn't eat eggs...it was delicious and such a nice touch ! Room is great and really gave us a great start to the year!

I enjoyed a step back in time at the "Shady Lady". The furnishings and service were excellent. The beds were comfortable, and the wooden floors were delightfully aged. All of my needs were attentively handled by the staff. I also enjoyed the early morning walk around courthouse square before anyone else was awake. I could almost hear the sounds of historic 19th and 20th century Gainesvillites as they went about their lives. I highly recommend the Shady Lady Bed and Breakfast for a memorable stay. Jim Fletcher

My wife and I have stayed at the Shady Lady on two occasions (our wedding night and on our 2 year anniversary) in the Cowboy Room. We absolutely love the place, as well as the restaurant downstairs (Sarah's On the Square). The rooms are extremely comfortable, the big copper bath tub in the Cowboy room is great for a relaxing soak and I always sleep like a rock in the very cozy bed. The first time that we stayed on our wedding night, we had breakfast at the owners home (which is also a B&B, Miss Olivia's) and it was fantastic. Our next stay (7/24/11-7/25/11) we awoke to find 2 large portions of quiche, fresh fruit and orange juice waiting for us in the common area mini-fridge. It was all very tasty, and certainly filling. My wife and I have decided that we would like to continue spending at least one night there in celebration of our anniversary going forward each year. We highly recommend the Shady Lady and as well as their friendly, accomodating staff.

We recently stayed at the Shady Lady. It's in downtown Gainesville, on the town square. Great location, only a few minutes to I-35. Room was unique and wonderful. It's located on the 2nd floor of an old building, with a restaurant on the 1st floor. Parking is just outside the door, on the street. While the decor is Western/Victorian, it is very authentic and clean. Owner also owns the restaurant. Nice people and very helpful with restaurant recommendations. Breakfast was brought to a common refrigerator and left for us to heat in microwave the next morning. It was homemade quiche and excellent.

This is a wonderful place to stay if you're looking for a comfortable room and a delicious meal. The Shady Lady is located close to great shopping and sits atop one of the best restaurants in Gainesville! The hosts (Donna, Craig & Olivia)are delightful, as is their staff, and the history of the beautifully renovated building is quite an interesting tale. Make it a point to stay here the next time you're even close to Gainesville!!

We were greeted by a warm and inviting Staff, Restaurant, and B&B. Donna and Craig are great, their establishment is fantastic. The beds are Oh so comfy and the food is wonderful. We walked thru all of the shops , napped and ate great food, it was a perfect peaceful weekend. It is well worth a try. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. We will go back.

My wife and I decided to stay at the Shady Lady for a night after a concert in OK. Finding the SL was difficult as there was no sinage from the outside. Once we walked in a restaurant to ask for directions, we realized it was over the restauant. We checked in and attempted to eat at the restaurant. This did not work as they had no vegetarian options for my wife and all the waitress said when we asked about vegetarian options was, "oh, sorry." She then proceeded to ignore us until we flagged her downfor the check. We went to the show and returned to the room. The bed was comfortable but we had to shut the climate control completely off since the room was sweltering even though it was only 20 degrees outside. In the morning, we looked around for the Breakfast portiong of the B&B experience and found only a cold plate with some fruit and something that looked like pie in a mini frig in the common area. The lady who checked us in did not say that we were on our on for breakfast or even where we should scavenge for food so we were surprised/shocked. We could not even find anyone to ask about the food so we ended up leaving and seeking out breakfast at a Burger King. My wife and I love to stay at B&Bs and this was, by far, the worst one we have ever stayed at. We will not be repeat customers.

[Resource Id: innkeeperresponse, Set: reviews]
We are truly sorry for the service errors these guests experienced during their stay. While our restaurant does not list vegetarian options on the menu specifically, the server should have suggested items which could easily be adapted for a vegetarian diet. The cooks would not hesitate to accommodate the request, but the inexperience of the server was regrettable. The self-help breakfast is something a bit different about our inn allowing guests to arise and dine at their leisure, choosing to sit in the common area or return to their room with the plate. We usually serve a generous slice of quiche, which reheats well in the microwave, with fresh fruit. It's understandable that the guest was puzzled, and we realize that our staff member who checked them in failed to review this very important aspect of the stay. After learning of the faulty thermostat described in the review, we repaired and tested the units in each room to ensure our guests comfort. Although this review is unflattering, we are appreciative of the effort the guest made to express his dissatisfaction, as this feedback helps us to correct shortcomings and better train our staff, ensuring a pleasurable stay for all.

The photos on here don't do the rooms justice. Very nice and comfortable place to stay.The food is out of this world , and the service to match ! We really enjoyed our stay and plan on another trip soon.

We arrived a little early and were welcomed in by Donna. She showed us our room and we were very impressed with the decor and the layout. Donna appreciated our comments of approval. The bed in our room was big and plush. Our bathroom had a double size jacuzzi tub and big soft robes with the Shady Lady emblem! We ate a very satisfying supper downstairs at Sarah's on the Square. We enjoyed everything that was provided for our stay. Breakfast was delicious and we ate in the breakfast area overlooking the Square. It was a relaxing retreat in a unique setting.