Catskill Maison Bed and Breakfast

UNDERwhelming

August 12, 2011

I’m going to get straight to the point. Below are the Pros and Cons associated with the Catskill Maison. In addition, I’ve included a Things to do and Warning section in fairness to point out some of the cons within the area as the B&B has no control over these issues. ---Pros--- Comfy Bed Clean Room Nice Innkeeper Free Long Distance (downstairs phone) Great Muffins (great baking skills in general) Good Peach Bisque ---Cons--- Spider Webs/Spiders in room Extremely dim sign at night TV size way too small (about 12”) Alarm Clock in room doesn’t work (yes I tested multiple times) Amenities were lacking in quality (Soap was half the size of normal hotel soap, Mouthwash outright disgusting) Breakfast serving European in size (1 piece of bacon, cut into 3 pieces) and overall subpar Overall B&B overpriced Security is a joke (keycode on front active, yet window left of door OPEN!) ---Things to do--- Zipline Tours were very good (very nice staff) Kayaking in Downtown Catskills was nice Pizza Shop on Main St., Downtown Catskills great ---Warning--- Malodorous water Very bad cell phone coverage (entire area of Windam) Everything closes very early (like 5pm) Very limited variety of food (stay away from Chalet Fondue) Very limited activities (Stay away from Rip Van Winkle ATV) Most activities require a decent amount of driving to access (20min +) and they are far apart from one another In conclusion, our overall stay at the Catskill Maison was UNDERwhelming. The breakfast portion of the B&B was the most disappointing experience of all. In addition, the breakfast is held for only 1hr in the morning. The InnKeeper/Cook/Housekeeper/(well you get the point) was friendly, but overall the service did not make up for the shortcomings of this B&B.

Innkeeper Response
We are sorry that a guest had a less than memorable time at our Bed and Breakfast and in Windham in general. We take security very seriously, though we do have open windows (for ventilation) we have a full alarm system throughout the house which we turn on every night to ensure our guests safety. The alarm clock issue has been rectified. We use environmentally conscious amenities and all are organic, so the mouthwash might not taste like some of the store brand mouthwashes with artificial additives. If a guest wants an extra soap or any other toiletry we are more than happy to accommodate. Also, if a guest requests an extra serving of bacon it's never a problem to make some more. Having breakfast for an hour is necessary at our B&B. We have to have the ability to clean rooms and prepare the Bed and Breakfast for the rest of the day. Any guest is welcomed to linger in the dining area after their breakfast is served. Windham is a country town in the mountains, stores close at 6pm, though restaurants and convenience stores stay open later. Some activities are 15-20 min away. Deer do occasionally make their way on the property, though we try our best to limit insects (as this guest mentioned our Bed and Breakfast is very clean)again we are in the country so every now and then they make an appearance too. Windham and the surrounding area has some great restaurants, we specifically recommend some of the best on our reservation confirmation letter and encourage our guests to take our recommendations and make a reservation at the places we suggest, regretfully this guest chose a restaurant that did not meet his/her standards. Cell service can be spotty in the mountains, and everyone has well water and though we have a filtration system, not every establishment (restaurant etc..) has one. Again, we are saddened that this guest did not have a good experience as we want all of our guests to have a great stay with us and in Windham in general.

Best Breakfast Ever

October 23, 2010

wonderful hosts, outstanding breakfasts, comfortable bed in spacious room, good location, did not give top marks as I was uncomfortable with only sheer drapes in the room

A Weekend out of a Dream

June 22, 2010

The only negative thing I could say about Catskill Maison is that they make it nearly impossible to ever give another B & B a try. Jo and Lea mastered the art of genuine hospitality and indulgent details. Our experience was better than we could have ever imagined and completely exceeded our expectations. From the moment we walked in, we felt as if we were staying with gracious family who wanted to spoil us rather than strangers who were just doing their job. Besides the out of this world, incredible 3 course gourmet breakfasts, delicious melt in your mouth homemade cookies, and cloud-like, heaven of a bed we slept in, it was the personal touches that really won us over. When they found out I was lactose-intolerant, they bent backwards to accomodate me and when we left one of their delicious homemade muffins on our side table before hiking, they wrapped it in a plastic bag for us so that it won't go stale. Jo and Lea (and the very sweet Larry) are truly remarkable and made our romantic getaway a weekend we will never forget and will talk about years down the road.

Birthday Week

August 22, 2009

Catskill Maison was one of the most memorable summer getaways! We were the only guests, but Elizabeth made us feel so welcome and was so very helpful with getting us directions to area hikes and restaurants. Breakfasts were top notch and coffee was always ready before our hikes. We also ordered the gourmet lunch picnic which was so delicious after an exhausting hike up Twin Mt. Not to mention the cookie/brownie reception we got when we arrived! The Riesling Room was so cozy and relaxing. The tv was little, but you were hardly in your room as the area has so many hikes to offer. I would recommend this place to anyone of our friends wanting to getaway for a weekend.

A romantic and luxurious retreat

June 01, 2009

Newly engaged on Christmas Eve, my fiance and I recently needed a romantic getaway. We couldn't have picked a better place. We stayed 4 days in May in the Pinot Noir room, with a King sized bed , which I think had a cloud for a mattress , it was so comfortable. The room had our own private bath ,sitting area and a beautiful view. The owners, Lea and Jo Moffet truly treated us like family. Their 3 course gourmet breakfasts were out of this world! Served at a private table on fine china , made from fresh ingredients from local farms. They also had delicious homemade cookies , coffee and tea during the day and wine and cheese on Saturday evenings. Lea and Jo were always willing to go the extra mile to recommend the best places to eat and activities to fill our day. We would certainly recommend this B&B to all and we will certainly return again and again.

Great B&B-a real find!

June 01, 2009

We stayed at the Catskill Maison B&B from 5/30-6/1. First let me say that the actual outside of the B&B is nothing special...however, as soon as we walked through the door we were pleasantly surprised. We stayed in the Reisling room (all the rooms are named after wines, I believe-I think this is because the B&B is located very close to a winery...also a cool detail) Our room looked exactly as it did online, very cozy, cheerful yellow walls and a huge, high bed with a thick down comforter...the bed was sooo comfortable I actually looked under the sheets to see what kind of mattress it was-who does that? The room was extremely clean and smelled of clean linens. There were fresh baked cookies and brownies on a table downstairs for us to eat and a coffeemaker and teapot should we wish to make some. Upon our return from an afternoon bike ride we were greeted with complimentary wine and cheese (they do this for guests on Saturday at 5pm) we had our wine outside on the porch under the sun. We chatted with the innkeepers, Lia and Jo, a mom and daughter who were extremely warm, helpful and hospitable. They helped us choose an amazing restaurant for our dinner (peakamoose in Big Indian, great food). I am leaving out the other most important part of a B&B, which is the breakfast. The food was incredible and both mornings we were served 3 course breakfasts made from scratch with all local ingredients. We knew this because the menus were written each morning on a board stating where each thing came from...french toast, raspberry, granola yogurt parfait, lemon ricotta pancakes, chilled peach soup...these breakfasts made every other B&B breakfast we had before seem mediocre in comparison. Okay, so-great room, very good nights sleep, warm, hospitable service and wonderful, gourmet breakfasts-AND this B&B was really affordable. We 100% recommend this B&B and in fact will surely be back ourselves!

Wonderful!

May 27, 2008

This is a hidden treasure in the beautiful Catskills region. The rooms are comfy, cozy, warm and clean; the scenery-breathtaking. The B&B is family owned and run, which adds a nice personal touch, and they were all incredibly helpful, accomodating and sweet. We had a great time, they gave lots of great advice for the region. What was truly amazing was the quality of the decadent 5 star food we had-the 3 course breakfasts were phenomenal! They were very kind about food conditions (vegetarian) and everything was delicious, and would rival any brunch spot in NYC. I would definetly come back and recommend this to anyone looking for a quiet, friendly B&B with delicious food-perfect for couples!!

This is what you need to get away from it all

January 14, 2008

My girlfriend and I just moved into our new townhouse together, so we see each other every day now. However, between unpacking, setting up, shopping for new fixtures and furnitures, we have not had a "quiet" moment in almost 3 months. This getaway is just what we needed. From the moment we arrived, our hosts were very warm and helpful in getting us settled in and making us feel comfortable. Our room - The Champagne - had a huge king-sized bed with a very warm comforter, satin-y sheets and the softness of a rabbit. Sleeping in that bed was like sleeping on marshmallows, it was so soft. Our room also had a jacuzzi, which really helped us unwind and wash off the stress of recent weeks. The touchstones are the service, though. we had a "truffle turn down service" that really made us feel like we were not just sleeping on someone else's room, but like we were being pampered. And the breakfast was great. There were mini-muffins and a granola-yogurt-fruit parfait. But the french toast was the best part, since it was served with loads of baked cinnamon-laced apples and fresh bacon from a local organic farm. I almost cried when we had to leave. We're hoping to go back, but are going to wait for some snow so that we can take advantage of the local ski slopes.