Spicer Mansion

As much as I love(d) the Spicer Mansion and dislike writing poor reviews, needs must. The still attractive boutique hotel changed hands recently and is still operating with the same promises of service and quality. However, at the time of my stay, it was not able to deliver. I reserved (and prepaid) well in advance, confirmed via 2 phone calls with 2 different staff that the hotel was still functioning as ever, and sent an email to confirm certain details. And yet our arrival seemed almost a surprise (though the staff on duty was welcoming and did her job well after we found her...). There was no welcome drink and none of the services included in the "resort fee" (bicycles, fire pit, luxury gym?). There was no staff available in the evening to ask about the non-functioning Internet, or to ask about hot water and mugs to accompany the box of tea bags temptingly sitting out near the empty kitchen (and no coffee/tea service in the room). No "wine by the glass" service as suggested by the menus dotted around, no fires in the fireplaces in the dark lounges. No apparent way to get ice to replace the melted ice in the bucket (I had prearranged champagne in the room, but it was put there at noon and not desired until later in the evening...). We were the only people in an unlocked house all night (lots of surveillance cameras dotted all around, however). Strange. In the morning, there was one employee present, but there was no continental breakfast as promised and purportedly included in the resort fee. We had to ask for coffee to be made. We had to ask for food. In previous stays, there was a sumptuous buffet of fruit, and different breads, etc. This time, the lone staff admitted there was nothing in the kitchen (no juice even) except a cold quiche which she microwaved. I had to request cutlery. And despite several staff now being in the hotel, noone has checked back to see if more coffee is desired or clear the table. At least the Internet is working now.... On the plus side, the bed was extremely comfortable with luxury linens and we eventually got the hot water to reach the 2nd floor for the shower. The house remains beautiful, quiet, charming, if somewhat 'dinged' and threadbare around the edges (scuffs on walls, stains on furniture, rotten legs on outdoor chairs -- beware the balcony furniture!). But all the extras that made it a "resort" Relais & Chateaux property are not currently available, and even some of the paid-for basics are missing. (They haven't even decorated for Christmas!) I understand the hotel is in transition, yet guests should not be ignored, left without promised/expected services, or made to feel they are an inconvenience. We would check out now, since our romantic Christmas-time get-away is somewhat of a bust, but we’ve prepaid and there is a no refund policy…and the bed IS comfortable. Maybe the new owner will achieve the prior standards, but until it's proven, the Spicer Mansion is off our list.

The hotel is beautifully restored and very clean. The dining room and dining room staff leaves much to be desired and the food was lousy. And although they advertise it being a Relais en Château which they are not.

This is a beautifully restored 19th century mansion, and I so really wanted to love it. We stayed a few nights in October. Be aware that there is no elevator. On day 2, I noticed a huge sign on the fence in front of the property (not immediately seen by guests) stating that it will be auctioned on 10/12/22 due to foreclosure! After some googling, you will find some interesting info on the owner. When we entered our room for the first time, I noticed a distinct "puppy pee pad" odor, so I'm guessing our room was a dog friendly room previously. Obviously, the new owners will need to steam clean and deodorize the rugs! Breakfast each morning was the same: quiche, yogurt with some berries, and cereal. No juice. Water with lemon was available. The coffee, however, was excellent, because it was French pressed. It's too bad no one noticed how quickly the coffee pots got emptied and needed refilling often. The room rate appears very reasonable, until you tack on the "resort fee". That fee is supposedly for wifi, gym access, and staff gratuities. I'm wondering if the staff received the gratuities... (Check out their reviews on Indeed.) As far as amenities, there is no fridge, microwave, or coffee maker in the room. And no "outside food or drink" is allowed, because "they'd have to charge a corkage fee." So you can't keep leftovers or anything that needs refrigeration in the room, let alone enjoy your first morning cup of coffee. Oh, and not even bottled water was included in the rooms; there's a charge for that. The king bed was comfortable, the trek up to the widow's walk (4th floor) was worth every step because of the view. There was even soft Kleenex and TP! Please read all reviews before booking this property. Mystic is a lovely little town, and I'm hoping the new owners of the Spicer Mansion do it right.

Beware of this place!!! It is a beautiful building and the renovations are lovely. When they are there, the staff is wonderful. But - the mansion is being foreclosed on and there is no one staffing the hotel from 10 pm to 7 am and all the doors are left unlocked!!!! When I complained to the woman at the front desk and told her we locked all the doors when we went to bed, she was shocked. "You locked the doors?? We never lock te doors." You will also get charged a $78 a night resort fee even though there is inadequate staff and they give you bad coffee and cereal for breakfast. What's weirder about that is there is a griddle and it is turned on. The restaurant is not open 7 days per week, it not Michelin starred, and this is not a Relais & Chateau hotel. The hotel's owner is in trouble with the town on Mystic because the zoning laws do not permit restaurants or bars in residential areas. Read about Brian Gates, the owner, before you book. We should have suspected as much when we arrived and saw the "Foreclosure Auction" sign.

We book one night in a double room through **********. Reservation was paid in full in advance and covers occupancy for three adults & 1 minor in one double bed and a sleep sofa (clearly stated in the reservation). At check in at front desk they made the usual charge in my card "for incidentals". After our night there when checking out (at.10.00am) only the cleaning lady was there and they didn't gave us any receipt or invoice for our stay. Some days later I realized that Spicer (Cheating) Mansion hasn't release a charge of 218$ made at check in. No incidental no amount were pending on my side when we left the hotel. It took me 5 mails and 6 phone unattended calls to one Mr. Julien Holme (alegedly the manager) to finally receive a mail enclosing the "reservation policy" as only explanation. Needless to say, they never paid back the undue charged 218$. If you plan to go there, be ready to be cheated with your card and receive no explaination for such misbehave. Terrible experience as customer.

The pictures were great and the price was right. Even with the resort fee, it was still cheaper than most. I don't even care about the subpar breakfast and the non existent luxuries. I stay for the shower and bed and those were the worst parts. On our first night, the shower would not shut off, so the water to our room was turned off completely. There were no other vacancies for the night, so we had to ask for bottles of water to brush our teeth. We were also told to call the front desk to turn the water back on when needed, yet no one answered the front desk when we called the next morning. That wasn't even the worst part. We weren't given washcloths the first 2 days because they were ALL in the wash. Every towel and the sheets had large holes in them as well as stains. The mirror was hanging off the wall. The lamp had no switch on it and another lamp had a strobe bulb in it. The furniture was old and mismatched. The whole experience was just bizzare.

Spicer Mansion Disappointing This is a beautiful property in Mystic CT. However, the service and staff and amenities really terrible. Definitely do not stay there. We googled them after the stay and learned that they went into bankruptcy in May 2022. We stayed there July 5 2022. They acted like a bunch of amateurs knew nothing about the Hospitality industry. 1. The reception was unexpectedly bad. No welcome greeting. Just a gruff “what is your name”, same on the departure. They don’t seem to know that they are in the hospitality industry and that hotel guests should be treated as if they were friends and family. But here is the real issue. They did not tell us ahead of time of a $70 resort fee. This was a surprise at check in. This is NOT a resort nor is it a hotel it really is just a bed and breakfast. Buyer be aware. 2. The breakfast was included in the rate. However The breakfast was cereal, yogurt, some berries. We expected a hot breakfast, eggs and appropriate protein. Disappointing 3. No bottled water in the rooms. We had to ask them to bring us water and then they charged us for it ! No turn down service. They had a cabinet in the common area where you could make yourself a drink at the end of the evening. There was a sign on top of the cabinet inviting you to do so. OK we wanted to give it a try. Open up the cabinet doors, there were glasses but no liquor or mixers or anything. Yet They charged us a resort fee. 4. They claimed that they provided a very upscale dining experience. We stayed there partly for that reason. There was no dining experience available ! 5. The mansion was not full. We had asked for a room on the back of the building that had a small balcony. It would be available fif we were willing to pay $100 up charge. Most places if they’re not full often provide and upgrade if it’s available. Not here, it cost 100 bucks. I guess they really don’t want us to come back. Forget what they tell you on the phone, or what’s on their website. Apparently others have enjoyed this place. We travel a lot. We would not recommend it to anyone !

I can highly recommend the Spicer Mansion! Our stay was wonderful, the staff accommodating, and we had a delicious dinner at the Spicer Mansion with friends. We will definitely be back when in the Mystic, CT area.

It was a pleasure staying at Spicer Mansion. The building is magnificent worth many original details. We had a moderate priced room which was very roomy with a separate setting area, balcony and beautiful large and well appointed bathroom. The room was very clean and inviting. What made our stay memorable was the attentive staff and management, especially Victoria, who made us feel like special guests even before we arrived. Manager Julien was accommodating and welcoming. The restaurant is beautiful and chef a master at creative, delicious cuisine. We were made at home very quickly and for such a short stay. I