Inn at Warner Hall: Gloucester, Virginia

First Impression and Room Details

The entire Warner Hall property makes a positive impression as you drive up the entrance. The buildings have been beautifully restored and rooms furnished with antiques and modern conveniences.


We stayed in Austin’s Desire, a third floor room with a king bed, plenty of living space, and views of the surrounding acreage. An in-room thermostat provides individual control of the room temperature, which is nice to have in such a historic home.



The attached bathroom includes a corner tub, pedestal sink, and shower. It is evident that someone added guest-friendly additions to the space. One example is a small table next to the sink to make juggling hair appliances easier with the lack of counter space that a pedestal sink affords. (There are other guest rooms with the sinks built into a vanity if spreading out is important to you.) Small touches in the bathroom also show a thoughtful attention to detail, such as a make-up mirror, soft towels, and plenty of toiletry items in case you forgot any essentials. There was one corner of the shower that could have used a thorough cleaning or better caulking, but otherwise housekeeping was top-notch throughout our room.

Dinner

Our best experience at Warner Hall was enjoying Chef Eric Garcia’s creations on Saturday evening. When we ran into him during our stay he was charming and hospitable. The culinary skills that he shares with guests on Friday and Saturday evenings are remarkable. The dinner he prepared was one was of my favorite meals in quite some time. The most notable courses were salad and dessert. The homegrown tomato salad included Asaigo cheese, capers, pine nuts, croutons, basil and white balsamic over mixed greens. It sounds simple, but the combination of flavors with the bright tomatoes from his personal garden created a burst of summer on a plate. For dessert, his homemade ice cream with fresh lavender and a berry compote was a delicious end to a delightful evening.

We met the innkeepers, Theresa and Troy, briefly before the meal during the cocktail hour; they were both welcoming and have clearly put a lot of work into making Warner Hall what it is today. (To clarify, they left on vacation mid-stay, so our brief interactions are not because they are not hands on, but because they were out of town.)

Dinner is served in both the dining room and the back sunroom. We enjoyed watching the day turn to dusk from our table. Service was excellent throughout the meal. The cocktail and hors d'oeuvres time before the meal happens as an informal and unstructured gathering throughout several rooms on the main floor. We noticed several couples enjoying time by themselves. It felt a little awkward to me personally, since we were unsure what was normal for the gathering - do we keep to ourselves or extend conversation to those around us? I tend to prefer when the cocktail hour is a little more confined to one room and guided slightly by a host making introductions, like at the Inn at Vaucluse Spring. In that setting we have noticed that guests can contribute to conversation or merely listen, while still feeling a part of things before moving to individual tables for the meal. But again, this is just a personal preference and I would wholeheartedly recommend booking a reservation for Friday or Saturday night dinner at Warner Hall. It is also open to the public, so I would encourage reservations not just if you are a guest, but also if you are in any drivable radius for a special evening of Chef Garcia’s cooking.

Service

What was interesting at Warner Hall was that service at times went above and beyond guest expectations to be on par with luxury hotels, and at other times was simply adequate, but the differences seemed largely tied to who was working. The good news is that the staff seem like a very tight-knit bunch who interact well on a personal level since they had a shower downstairs for one of the employees during our stay. It is always nice to see employees in an organization who have built a culture that celebrates each other’s milestones. Likely the experience one morning at breakfast of basic service (we refilled our own glasses and never were asked after receiving the entrees if everything was okay), was merely an isolated, outlying experience involving a staff member who is still learning the ropes or perhaps she was juggling responsibilities and didn’t have time to follow up. The only other glitch in service was the fact that the Internet was very hit or miss in connecting on the inn’s public use computer and wirelessly on our own (this was not an advertised service we expected, I only mention it for business travelers to keep in mind), and we were told upon arrival that the television in our room might not be working. We were given the option of switching rooms for a reliable television, but since we knew there were no other king-bed rooms available when we made our original reservation, we chose to stay. It didn’t affect our experience one bit since we generally do not watch television on vacation, but just something to note if it is important to you.

Highlights in regards to service were plentiful and began with our welcome, tour, and arrival. Additionally there was a particular full-time staff member, whose name we sadly forgot, who truly exemplified hospitality throughout our stay. The evening after our dinner by Chef Garcia, we were still talking about the amazing lavender ice cream. When my husband went down to inquire if there was any leftover that he could purchase to add to our picnic dinner, she not only gave it to us gratis, she also hand dipped it in beautiful glass dishes and brought it up to the porch.



Later when my husband came down with a brief 12-24 stomach bug during our stay, the same staff member repeatedly inquired if there was anything she could do for him and offered to reheat some chicken noodle soup that I had purchased earlier in the day. And when we accidentally left our pillows behind, she kindly called our cell phone so we could come back for them before we got too far down the road. She is a class act and definitely went above and beyond to ensure we had a pleasant stay!

Breakfast

Breakfast was fine, but not on par with other small inns we have experienced and it was disappointing after the Saturday dinner. There was a choice between two options: one savory (i.e. omelet) or sweet (i.e. pancakes) each day. Given the exceptional dinner by Chef Garcia, who utilizes ingredients from area farms and his own on-site garden, it was surprising that the breakfast cooks did not take advantage of the fresh herbs in the garden or seem to source flavorful ingredients. A little rosemary on the potatoes, fresh mint or other flavoring with the fruit, or adding fresh herbs or in-season vegetables to the omelets (instead of asparagus in August) would have elevated the breakfast fare from ordinary to something a little more memorable. To be clear, nothing was wrong with breakfast. But normally when leaving small inns and bed and breakfasts, we recall a favorite dish with fondness or wish we had the recipe to recreate their morning fare, which was not the case.

Grounds and Activities

One of the real high points at the Inn at Warner Hall is the beautiful acreage and grounds. There are plenty of things to see and do depending on your interests!

The area is steeped in history for sightseeing in neighboring towns or even on the grounds. Guests are within driving distance of various museums and historical attractions such as Williamsburg and Yorktown. An on-site cemetery includes historical pamphlets with information regarding the resting place for ancestors of George Washington, Robert E. Lee, The Queen Mother of England, and Queen Elizabeth II.


We chose to mostly stay on-site and just relax at the inn. They have a collection of canoes, kayaks, life jackets, and paddles for you to go out on the water. In addition, the boathouse, hammocks, and outdoor lounge chairs provided plenty of opportunity for rest while taking in the beautiful views.



The inn’s website explains additional options if you are looking for other ways to enjoy the property such as fishing, outdoor chess, and even cooking classes. One of my favorite spots was the upstairs front porch. With a glass of wine and a computer (or good book) in hand, it was an ideal place to sit during the evenings as the sun set.



If you do venture into town, I highly recommend the Kelsick Speciality Market on Main Street for meals. They carry some organic items and feature prepared foods, cheeses, and wine.

Overall

Warner Hall is a beautifully maintained property. The owners have clearly put a lot of thought and expertise into restoring both the grounds and buildings. And Chef Garcia is truly a treasure - I wish we lived closer so we could sample his creations more often. While solo travelers and couples come here repeatedly for lovely getaways and special occasions (previous tripadvisor.com reviews illustrate this well), I doubt we will return for a long weekend again if it is just the two of us. Given our own personal preferences, a subsequent visit would be with others as the location seems ideally suited for group events. There are plenty of large gathering rooms, spacious porches, and separate areas for a business or small group meeting such as the dining room or the sun porch. From what we learned in conversation, they book a lot of weddings and host receptions with a white tent on the green space overlooking the water view.


Inn at Warner Hall
4750 Warner Hall Road
Gloucester, VA 23061
www.warnerhall.com