See more Spencer, Massachusetts

The Red Maple Inn
Photos Map Visit B&B Site
Description Rooms & Rates Packages Meals Location Reviews 18

  • Inn Details

    Welcome to The Red Maple Inn, a romantic colonial-era estate listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Our 15 room mansion, built circa 1780, features six deluxe guest accommodations appointed with period antiques as well as all modern amenities, including private bathrooms, air-conditioning, and color cable television with DVD players. Lovely perennial gardens, ancient stone walls and towering evergreens surround the estate which is tucked into the heart of Spencer's Historic District. Original wide-board pumpkin pine floors, chair rails and crown moldings have been lovingly restored to their original beauty. Yankee Magazine "Editors' Choice" 2007.

    Innkeeper Information

    Innkeepers Description:

    Shari has been in the hospitality business for 25 years, owning and/or serving as chef in restaurants in the Hamptons, New York City, Sarasota and in Spain. She earned 3 stars from The New York Times and is a member of Les Amis d'Escoffier. John recently retired after a 26-year career singing with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

    The innkeepers speak:

    • English

    • Spanish


    Features

    Type:

    • Historic Inn

    Property Noted For:

    • Fine "Private" Dining by Chef Shari Alexander

    • Near-by Lake Whittemore

    • Premium Wine Cellar & Private Screening Room

    • The Red Maple Inn Cooking School

    • The Red Maple Inn Film School

    • surrounded by colonial era stone walls & gardens

    • Antiques/decor

    • Business travel

    • Christian Travel

    • Economical rates

    • Excellent views

    • Family Travel

    • Fitness

    • Gay / Lesbian Travel

    • Gourmet food

    • Honeymoons

    • Luxury

    • Nature

    • Peaceful getaway

    • Romantic escape

    Amenities

    Guest Room:

    • Air conditioning

    • Alarm clock

    • Bath robes

    • Board games

    • Coffee/Tea facilities

    • DVD Player

    • Desk

    • Fireplace

    • Hairdryer

    • Internet Service

    • Ironing Board

    • Library

    • Radio

    • Satellite/Cable TV

    • TV

    • VCR

    • Wi-Fi

    On Site:

    • Amenities Basket

    • Conference Rooms

    • Videos

    • Wedding Facilities

    • Wet bar

    Other Amenities:

    • Three-Course Gourmet Breakfast Menu Included

    • 1500+ DVD Library of Classic Films

    • 450-Count Egyptian Cotton Sheets & Bathrobes

    • Designer touches throughout the mansion

    • Book filled Library with Board Games

    • Soft Jazz in the Parlor, wine license

    Visit B&B Site

  • No results at this time

    Visit B&B Site
  • Visit B&B Site

    Nightly Rate

    $139 - $299

    Policy

    Reservation Policy

    • Check in: 3 PM    Check out: 11 AM

    • Minimum stay: Certain holidays and during Brimfield Antique Shows

    • Deposit amount required: Advance reservations required. One night's rental or 50% deposit, whichever is greater. "Brimfield" reservations payable in full when made.

    • Cancellations: 30-day cancellation notice required for a full refund, less $30 processing fee. Fewer than 30 days notice, no refund unless we are able to re-rent the reserved room(s) for the entire period booked. No refunds for early departure. "Brimfield" reservations non-refundable under any circumstances.

    • Open all year round: N

    General Policies

    • Smoking allowed: Limited

    • Guest pets allowed: No

    • Drinking allowed: Yes

    • Drinking description: Premium Wine Cellar including Champagne

    • Drinks available: Y

    • Suitable for children: Limited

    • Childcare provided: No

    Discount type

    • Corporate/mid-week only
      Percent off: 10% Days required: 1

    • US Arrmed Forces
      Percent off: 10%

  • Breakfast

    • Type: 3 course gourmet menu

    • Time Served: 8:30 to 9:30

    • Serving location: Dining Room

    Signature Dish

    Chef Alexander's Roast Duck with Port Wine & Figs
    Chef Shari Alexander uses fine "Maple Leaf" duckling, moist inside with a carmelized crispy skin. Partially boned to make it even more enjoyable with the Port Wine reduction sauce infused with deep rich Morroccan figs. YUM! Chef Alexander used only farm fresh seasonal vegetables and serves RMI created desserts; Bananas Foster with Artsanal Rums, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Moussem to name a few. Dinner at The Red Maple Inn will be a delicious and memorable evening....we promise! Dinner is available from May to first week of November. The Inn is open weekends from December to May with special arrangements made for week-day guests. Shari is in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for the winter months with her "Culinary Adventure Tours," www.flavorandmagic.com For more information please email theredmapleinn@aol.com or call us at 508 885 9205

    Special meal options

    • Vegetarian

    • Private Parties

    • Wine Paired Dinners

    Additional food services

    • COOKING SCHOOL

    • Dinner & A Movie!

    • Guest Snack Stations

    • Wine Cellar & Private Screening Room

    Visit B&B Site

  • Location Type

    • Historic District

    • Village

    City

    • Worcester

    • Distance to city: 11 miles

    • Directions to property:

    Airport

    • Boston, MA (BOS-Logan Intl.) 60 miles

    • Directions to property:
      Take the Mass Turnpike, I-90 West, to Exit 10. Take far right exit towards Charlton/Sturbridge, Routes 12 & 20. When Routes 12 and 20 split, bear Right to remain on Rt. 20. At Rt. 56, turn Right and follow 56 North to Leicester. At signal light at Main Street, Leicester, turn Left onto Rt. 9 West. Follow Rt. 9 to Spencer (Rt. 9 becomes Main Street, Spencer). After sign announcing Spencer Historic District and crest of hill, descend the hill and watch for the inn on the right, with white fence in front, at 217 Main Street. Approximately 1 1/4 Hrs.

    Area Attractions

    • Antique Shopping

    • Art Galleries

    • Concert venue

    • Gourmet/Fine Dining

    • Historical interests

    • Lake

    • Live Music

    • Movie Theater

    • Museum

    • National/State parks

    • Nature area

    • Tower Hill Botanical Garden

    • Higgins Armory Museum, Worcester Fine Arts Museum

    • Boston area attractions

    • Berkshires, Kyacking, Hiking, Riding, Golf

    • Tanglewood, Hanover Theatre Performing Arts

    • Brimfield Antique Fairs

    • Performing Theater

    • Picnic area

    • Religious Services

    • Vineyard

    • Winery

    • Canoeing

    • Fishing

    • Hiking trails

    • Horseback riding

    • Kayaking

    • Cooking Classes & Gourmet Weekends

    • orchards

    • Old Sturbridge Village

    • museums and art galleries

    • live theater

    • antiquing

    • Sight-seeing

    • Swimming

    Visit B&B Site
    • Overall 
    • Guest room 
    • Services 
    • Value 
    • Cleanliness 
    • Dining 

    Write a review

    Much better than a hotel for a business trip!

    About the reviewer

    • Between 18-25 years old

    • Stays at B&Bs once a year

    • Typically stays in moderate lodging

    • Was travelling on business

    • Overall 
    • Guest room 
    • Services 
    • Value 
    • Cleanliness 
    • Dining 

    I was in Worcester for three nights on business and chose to stay here rather than a hotel/motel. Hotel/motels in the area didn't have great reviews and seemed to be almost the same price. The Peach room had a very comfortable bed, good-sized bedroom, and enough tables and chairs for me to lay out all my things... The innkeeper was very accommodating and pleasant about my late arrival on the first night and having a flexible breakfast time. If you are a normal person who has normal expectations of a B&B, you won't go wrong staying here. Specific to the Peach room, if you are a large person, you might find the bathroom too small. And if you have a problem with your bedroom overlooking Main Street, get earplugs, Ambien, or another room. The road noise wasn't bad for this city girl, but others may find it distracting. Happy travels!

    Stay on July 16th

    About the reviewer

    • Between 45-55 years old

    • Stays at B&Bs once a year

    • Typically stays in moderate lodging

    • Was travelling for a weekend getaway

    • Overall 
    • Guest room 
    • Services 
    • Value 
    • Cleanliness 
    • Dining 

    Wonderful visit! John was so friendly and very accommodating. Food was delicious. Movies were fun. Will definitely be back and recommend to our friends.

    Innkeeper Response
    Thank you so much taking the time to write this review, and for your kind words. It means so much to Shari and me when guests appreciate the hospitality and ambience we offer. We hope to welcome you back soon!

    - John Bills (Innkeeper)

    Lovely Home

    About the reviewer

    • 55+ years old

    • Stays at B&Bs twice a year

    • Typically stays in luxury lodging

    • Was travelling for an event

    • Overall 
    • Guest room 
    • Services 
    • Value 
    • Cleanliness 
    • Dining 

    After a lenghly search on the internet The Red Maple Inn looked like just the place for our two night stay while visiting The Brimfield Antique Fair. We were graciously greeted by John and signed the agreement not to have candles in the room ( although there were candles throughout the home). So much for romance :( But we agreed-it is his home afterall. We had chosen The Peach Room, a lovely room with a canopy bed ( my favorite) but it was street side and turned out to be quite noise. That beautiful bed we had chosen had seen its day, I quess we weren't the only ones who liked it. :) Lastly, the bathroom was far too tiny for any grown person.. We'd like to compare it to the facilities offered on any airline.. We have learned from this experiance- ask questions first. You can't always rely on the internet- read all the reviews first- we didn't!!! We probibly should have just asked for another room. All in all, our stay was nice but not exceptional.

    Innkeeper Response
    We thank the reviewer for his/her comments and we hope that this can be a learning experience for all parties. We strive to make our guests' stay as comfortable and relaxing as possible and we consider all criticism in a constructive light. Whenever a guest makes a reservation at our Inn we invariably describe the available accommodations so that there will be no "surprises" on arrival. In the case of these guests, they had requested our least expensive room. We described it as a lovely room with four-poster canopy bed, a small bathroom with shower (albeit larger than the reviewer's needlessly sarcastic description), located on the 2nd floor at the front of the house. We offered two other available accommodations located at the rear of the house and suggested that if they were sensitive to street noise they might want to consider a different room. They chose not to do so. I am not certain what the reviewer means by their bed having "seen its day." It is indeed old, a cherished hand-carved antique, but the mattress is new and guests frequently comment on its comfort. We do not allow candles, incense, smoking or open flames in any of our guest rooms for the safety and comfort of our guests. We do have candles for ambience in the public rooms of the inn where we are able to closely monitor them. We agree with the reviewer that they should have asked for another room, to which we would have happily and immediately agreed. We would advise all travelers to our Inn and others: if you have a concern about an accommodation, please bring it up with the innkeepers so that they will be given an opportunity to satisfy your needs. Unfortunately, a concern unspoken is a concern unaddressed.

    - John Bills (innkeeper)

    Quaint B & B in Central Massachusetts

    About the reviewer

    • Between 45-55 years old

    • Stays at B&Bs twice a year

    • Typically stays in budget lodging

    • Was travelling on business

    • Overall 
    • Guest room 
    • Services 
    • Value 
    • Cleanliness 
    • Dining 

    This is a beautifully restored antique home filled with beautiful nic nacs. The room was very nice with our own private bathroom. Everything was very clean and tidy. The innkeepers were very friendly and helpful. The breakfast was INCREDIBLE! It was SO tasty and very gourmet! A treat for the taste buds!!

    Red Maple Inn

    About the reviewer

    • Between 45-55 years old

    • Almost never stays at B&Bs

    • Typically stays in luxury lodging

    • Was travelling for a weekend getaway

    • Overall 
    • Guest room 
    • Services 
    • Value 
    • Cleanliness 
    • Dining 

    The food and service were outstanding, the movie was great, too. We enjoyed our stay very much. We would recommend it and would stay again.

    Visit B&B Site

 Nearby Cities

 Nearby States

Tell the innkeeper that sent you.