Inn at the Canal Bed & Breakfast

Inn at the Canal has a lovely setting, and the Harborview room has a very nice bathroom. Those are the positives. The room is too dark to read except during the day. It has one small lamp. Nothing is furnished re digital or paper instructions for operation of the You Tube TV. There is no coffee or tea available and no ice or refrigeration for guest needs. Apparently because our room had an outside entrance, we weren’t even provided a key to the inn. Although they leave an envelope for gratuity for room cleaning, there is no cleaning, no clean towels offered, and no trash emptying even though we stayed three nights. Of the over 100 B and Bs we have stayed in over the years, this is the only one that offered no pamphlets et al on area attractions and activities. It is quite clear, that owner emphasis is on the rum bar which they run in the building and outside. We were just at another inn in New Mexico, which has managed to open.a Restaurant and bar on their premises while still maintaining daily room maintenance and serving breakfast daily. If guests want a boarding house experience, then this is the place for them.

A fantastic location central to the town. Our room, appropriately named “The Back Creek Room, had a view of boats and slips through cloudy compromised glass. Comfortable bed. The inn has all the creaks and quirks of an old historic house. It was freezing outside and our individually controlled heater kept us cozy. The bathroom tub / shower is unsafe, and recognized as such~there’s a big sign to that effect. The floor of the tub is wildly uneven. One look at that and neither of us would dare use it. This room needs to be taken out of service today and a proper tub or shower installed before reopening.. Since this is a bed and breakfast, or as they call it, bed and bar, breakfast consists of two coupons which can be taken across the street. That establishment was small, limited menu, busy with people standing around waiting for their order. We bailed. For the price, $235.00 all inclusive for an overnight, we expected a functional bathroom, and no amount of charm would compensate for that.

The directions to getting inside the room were easy enough to understand & immediately upon entering there is a huge staircase. I believe all of the rooms are upstairs. To the immediate left is a cute lounge area that was unused at the time of our visit. Our room had the option of putting in screens or simply using the A/C, but the A/C wouldn't or couldn't get cranked up really high-Good thing it wasn't extra hot outside. I concur with everything said about the shower. It's like it was a hot tub taken apart & spread throughout the rooms. Seriously takes away from the charm of the place. We weren't über comfy in our bed which had a mattress cover making it overly cushiony.

The inn stay overall was great. The owners were present & helped with getting ice for champagne we brought the night we arrived. The inn had an older feel liked you stepped back in time. The bedroom had an air-conditioner (didn't pump out cold air at a high degree) plus screens if you preferred to open the large windows. I don't recall if there were rooms on the first floor, but the place has a lot of stairs. Our room name was Cassidy Wharf which had a high four poster bed & a 2 step walk down bathroom. The tub seemed like it was taken from a hot tub as it had a seat and then flattened out-not convenient for dual shower play in any way. This was the only downfall of the room.

Gracious, welcoming hosts, charming Victorian mansion, cute, friendly and walkable town, amazing hand-made cocktails, ineffably sublime. Comfy bed, close to Chesapeake City attractions, great value. A hidden gem!

If you are looking for a place in Chesapeake City with historical flair and owners who care, the Inn at the Canal checks all the boxes. I love the architecture of the building but the star for me is the Rummer Lounge, with great cocktails and music it’s the perfect place to unwind.