Gracie's

Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Budget: $30-$40/person

During our trip to Vermont, we arrived at our hotel later than scheduled and found this place called Gracie's. We were so hungry and this was the nearest place to dine in. It rained and the parking lot is not cemented so just imagine the mud on our shoes. To the restaurant, poor floor... For our car, poor me because I'd have to clean it afterwards. LOL. Anyway, we're supposed to be talking about food here so let me start.

Food
First of all, I raised to budget to up to $40 because you'd probably want to try on more food. I tell you they are sooo good!

The New England Clam Chowder tastes as good as the other clam chowders I've tasted, only better. It has the right amount of seafood and there's no shell in the soup! No crackling sound therefore. LOL. Trust me, I have tried clam chowders that looked like the ingredients were not properly handpicked. This one is smooth and creamy! Plus, they give generous packs of crackers. The Chicken Jambalaya was great. For me, they served the right proportion of  chicken (, sausages and all) vs. rice.

New England Clam Chowder and Chicken Jambalaya

Now, they have my favorite kind of Calamari. The plain and small breaded ones. There's no need to put lemon because it doesn't smell fishy at all. I've only ordered a calamari which smells slate once and I can't even remember the place. Gracie's even serve it with a sweet soy sauce, ironic right? That instantly became my favorite sauce! And do I need to review their mac and cheese? It's Kraft so it's good! I serve it for my kid at home and I like it to!

 Calamari and Kraft Mac and Cheese

Cleanliness
It was dinner time and it was a busy day. They do clean up the tables immediately but I did have to wipe it once just to make sure. As for the whole place, I didn't see anything that would make me want to lower my rating just because I have issues with cleanliness.

Kid-Friendliness
They have high chairs and kid's menu. I think that mac and cheese is the second to the lowest with regards to price. First time for me to see an almost $15 worth of kid's meal, well, what can I say, it's an 8oz. NY strip sirloin. The servers and even the other guests were kid-friendly too.

Customer Service
The customer service was excellent! From the greeter to our server. They were very friendly and though

Complimentary Stuff
Free parking.
Free bread! I love the other but not much of their famous corn bread. That's because I have a favorite corn bread which is thousand miles away from the U.S. LOL!

So, having tried and tested it, are we going back? Yes! It is now one of my favorite places to eat! I hope we have Gracie's somewhere near. ;)

DISCLAIMER I was not compensated in anyway to do a review of the products or services mentioned this post. Everything was based on my 100% honest opinion.

You Get The Room You Pay For In This Hotel!

Stowehof Inn:  434 Edson Hill Road, Stowe VT 05672

Rate: One Bed Queen; Bought at $89 thru Hotwire; Available at Groupon for 2 nights at $200

Amenities: Indoor and Outdoor Pool, Jacuzzi, Sauna, Restaurant, Chess, Library

Rating: 3.5/5

We went on a road trip to Vermont without hotel reservations so me and my husband tried to find good deals online. I told him there's one at Groupon for 2 nights but we'll only stay for the night so we can't get it. Then we tried Hotwire with their lowest possible promotion - get one of the 3-star hotels in the area. When we arrived there, it looked familiar, and oh yes, we were able to book the same place they're trying to sell in Groupon! We got lucky, I told my husband.

We arrived at Stowehof Inn after 6PM and the receptionist told my husband there was no available room anymore but one so we took it. My husband was also told how come we were able to purchase it at a very low price, when their rooms are normally $100+. My husband didn't know what to say but "It was from Hotwire". Then we went out for dinner. As soon as we get back, my husband started complaining that it was hot. Then we realized the AC was not working and we were with a 2-year old. MY OH MY, THEY DIDN'T TELL US OUR ROOM DO NOT HAVE AN AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM! Sorry for the caps lock, just imagine me screaming. My husband tried to tell the receptionist but was sarcastically told, "Is there no electric fan up there?" or something like that. That is not the best customer service-oriented person I expected from a physically good-looking inn and who claims to have a great hospitality service. It is not right that we get that kind of room even if we were able to get it at a low price. It is not our fault. We tried to contact Hotwire to and they were not able to help us. Oh well, we just have to get through the night and we're totally out! That was the only not-so-good thing that happened though. I just told my husband to forget it.

The Room

According to the book provided in the room, the inn was renovated. Maybe not our room since in the first place, the AC's not working. The wallpapers were old as well as the paint. Some paint on the door's frame were chipping and I thought the lock was hard to manipulate. Good thing the bed sheet and all looked clean. I always bring a lint roller with me and I thought I didn't need it. As you can see, there's a small table where the TV and electric fan was placed. The window in the corner was the only window in the room and the view was the way to the entrance and the parking area. It's not awful, just weird. That door you can see leads to the bathroom. Need to mention that there were hangers in the dresser but there's no ironing board. Maybe because it's not an office area.

The Bathroom

Ample amount of towels were provided. There were shampoos and conditioners as well as lotion. It looks nice in the picture but the toiled and the basin's not updated. I can't sit in the seat, actually. Even if I use sanitizers already. Also, you can't leave your kid along in the bathtub because it was slippery. My daughter slipped and almost hit her head, good thing I held her in my arms. My husband told me to use the towel and place it in the tub so we won't get into any accident. I hope they provide tub mats to avoid untoward incidents. 

Breakfast
The next best free hotel breakfast I've ever had. There's this I think famous restaurant within the inn and I think that's where we were served breakfast. There were four options of the main dish, unlike the usual two. I thought the bacon and pancakes+syrup were homemade, even the eggs tasted different, by that I mean great! There was coffee and Swiss Miss branded hot chocolate and single-served Kellogs cereals for kids.

You dine in a plain white cloth covered round table with up to four chairs with the view of green grass, mountains and the outdoor pool. The people you'll get to be with looks pleasant and even the servers that morning were great! I wonder ho my husband met the night before.

Parking
The parking near the inn is always full so you have to walk like 500 feet to get to the other lot. It rained during our two days in Vermont so you'll have to walk through an unpaved walkway and if you're not careful, you'll get your feet soaked in mud. LOL. I think that's one thing they need to work on.

Amenities
My husband and little one tried the pools. The outdoor pool was okay but there were insects floating and swimming. It's tolerable though. Maybe it's normal because it's outside and there are lots of trees. The indoor pool was not heated. The sauna was too hot. Didn't try all the other amenities mentioned above.

If you want to know what our room number was so you can avoid it, just comment on this post so I can PM you.

Having tried this inn, do you think we'll come back? Well, maybe, but if I am going to recommend this to my friends, I'm going to tell them to at least avoid Room Number... ;)

*Approximate only and rates were available during the July 4th weekend; Other fees and taxes exclusive

DISCLAIMER I was not compensated in anyway to do a review of the products or services mentioned this post. Everything was based on my 100% honest opinion.