Candlelite Inn

This wonderful inn that we’ve stayed at many times has sadly closed. I called to make a reservation & the answering machine said that unfortunately the inn is no longer in operation.

It’s been over a week since my stay at the Candlelite Inn, and I’m still feeling relaxed and rejuvenated from the whole experience. From the décor to the breakfast, to Marilyn the owner of the inn herself, it felt like we were visiting our grandmother — our nice grandmother who wanted to cook for us but also wanted us to enjoy our time to ourselves and left us alone unless we needed anything. I booked this bed and breakfast weekend with a LivingSocial deal, and it was everything my boyfriend and I could have wanted in a weekend getaway.
We stayed in the Rose Room, where everything was beautifully rose-​themed — the wallpaper, the bedding, even the rose-​shaped shower curtain rings. Our bed was super comfortable, and the air conditioner kept us cool at night. There were no TVs in the rooms, but we didn’t mind because we went out most of the day, and there was enough to keep us busy at the inn. There was free wifi if we needed it, and the inn had an assortment of puzzles, books, and board games. (We did a puzzle.) We felt right at home with sherry on the coffee table, a coffee and tea station that we could use at all hours, and sugar cookies left out for us to enjoy. During our stay, there were afternoon appetizers in the sun room complete with wine, cocktail shrimp, pinwheel sandwiches, cheese and crackers, and little cream puffs. All of this, plus breakfast, was included in the price of our stay.
Breakfast was delicious and filling. Each morning, we walked into the sun room to a lovely setup with bread and muffins on the main table, and we could help ourselves to orange juice, water, coffee, and tea. One morning we had stuffed french toast, and the next, we had baked eggs with summer vegetables. There was always dessert.
I don’t think Marilyn had any staff at the inn, so I felt a little uncomfortable as she hustled to bring out main courses and desserts (all of which she made herself) and clear the breakfast tables. We were one of the last couples to breakfast on Sunday morning, and even though Marilyn had been back and forth between the kitchen and sunroom a few times while we were standing there, I don’t think she noticed that she never cleared the only table we could sit in, and when I cleared it myself, grabbed a clean placemat from a table that another couple was sitting at, set it up myself, put all the dirty stuff to the side, and sat down with my coffee and muffin, it still took her a while to take the dirty stuff away. I didn’t mind once I had my breakfast, but Marilyn definitely seemed overwhelmed catering to six couples all by herself. Still, I can’t give her any less than five stars because she does a pretty amazing job running a really nice bed and breakfast all on her own, and we had a very enjoyable stay.

On my trek through the 50 states, I booked a deal through LivingSocial. Fantastic weekend; very cozy and fun place. Marilyn’s breakfast was great each morning. Didn’t get a chance to do the appetizers in the afternoon, but I heard they were fantastic.
Plus, for a family run establishment, their are nice up to date amenities like free Wi-​fi.
I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in the area.

I could go on forever about the weekend we spent here on a Living Social deal but will keep it brief:
First of all, if you’re looking for a boutique, ‘gourmet’ bed and breakfast you should look somewhere else. If you’re looking for an adorable, home-​y, laid back experience, you will love it here. My boyfriend and I are very easy going, and the couples we met while we were at Candlelite were as well — we all enjoyed our stay and experiences very much.
The Inn is very old, which is where it gets its charm. The rooms are all unique and very cozy, and the bed was incredible — we slept like rocks both nights.
Breakfast was lovely and relaxed — we ate out on a sun porch and were served three courses both days. Marilyn is great and makes some very delicious muffins! We were able to chat with the other couples staying for the weekend, which made for a nice breakfast.
There are some great things to do in the area. Obviously Lake Sunapee is a big draw, but we also went to a huge Craftsman Festival at a nearby ski slope, where they also have mini golf, zip lining, off road segway tours, rope courses. (Insider’s Tip: Reserve for zip lining well in advance — there was a 2 day waiting period!) We had a great lunch at Bubba’s restaurant which overlooked the water, and headed to our Lake Sunapee boat cruise.
The cruise was fantastic — an hour and a half flew by in no time. The Lake is beautiful and we spent much of the time waving to residents on their docks and boats — everyone was so friendly!
We headed back to Candlelite and were greeted with a beautiful spread of appetizers and wine. Another chance to sit and chat with other guests and eat shrimp cocktail, wraps made with the freshest tomatoes I’ve ever eaten, and cheese and crackers among other things.
I have to say we were sad to leave — Candlelite felt like home for the weekend and we appreciated the ability to come and go as we pleased, but come home to a cozy room and familiar faces.
Like I said before, it’s not for everyone — but if you’re looking to escape for the weekend and meet some nice people, explore a beautiful area, spend nights in a historic house and feel at home, give Candlelite a try.
Thanks for a great getaway!

Can I adopt a Grandma?
It’s the day after my stay at the Candlelite Inn and I’m already missing Mariyln’s breakfast creations. When I look to review a bed and breakfast, I make sure that they provide the necessities: a comfortable bed and a filling breakfast.
* Memory foam queen size with canopy in the Peach Room — check.
* Three course breakfasts made extremely professionally with unlimited teas/​coffees/​hot chocolates in the dining area — check.
* Nice little fireplace with binoculars to do some bird watching in the morning while drinking coffee and planning the day’s activities — nice bonus.
* Night picnic basket with shrimp cocktails, fresh chicken salad crossiant, amazing roasted potato salad, and pickled mushrooms — double check
* Flasks of sherry around the house — dream come true
Atmosphere:
* Reminds me of the American dream grandma’s house with little trinkets placed around each of the brightly lit rooms
* Late night radiator and bathroom noises makes it eerie like I’m in a haunted house (but I slept pretty well with the help of the sherry)
Food:
* Marilyn is just fantastic with her attention to detail and I was wonderfully surprised that every little item was cooked from scratch. She’s the type of person that would make her own whip cream as a topping. I really appreciate the extra effort, and for that I will take extra effort in writing this review :)
Location:
* Okay — it’s pretty close to the middle of nowhere, but at least it’s a 10-​minute drive to Mount Sunapee and has a nice little lake close-​by for some triumph photos. The house was pretty easy to find. I think the «middle of nowhere» perspective is because I live in Manhattan and I’m used to loud and obnoxious people surrounding me.
Marilyn:
* She’s adorable in her chef outfit with her beautiful gray hair and light creases around her eyes from naturally smiling all the time. She really makes this place wonderful and will do her best to accommodate. I’d come here again just to visit her.
I’ll definitely be here again in the Spring/​Summer. I hear the hiking is pretty good in the area as well.

My wife and I went spent two nights on a Living Social Deal which included a picnic lunch and cruise on Lake Sunapee. For a small fee we upgraded from a standard room to the Mini-​Suite which gave us access to the gazebo porch from our room. The mini-​suite was not much larger than the standard room, the only difference was we had the gazebo porch access, a gas fireplace with two chairs on either side and a very small love seat that both of us could not sit in comfortably. The bed was too soft which made getting a good night sleep difficult.
Breakfast left much to be desired. What was supposed to be a three course breakfast was hardly enough to satisfy a child let alone a grown man. Even my wife who is only 98 lbs was not satisfied.
Day one: First course — One small (bite size) muffin. Second course — two small bite size wedges of watermelon with two very thin slightly larger than silver dollar pancakes. Third course — A few berries, maybe 5 or 6, with a small shot of whipped cream.
Day two: First course — Another bite size muffin. Second course — Stuffed French Toast. We thought this would be it, finally some food with substance. It turned out to be two pieces of bread with lemon curd spread in between which was then cooked like French toast and cut diagonally it was accompanied by about 7 or 8 half inch (or smaller) chunks of honeydew melon. Third course was a couple of mini (tiny) cream puffs.
Where’s the protein??? No eggs, no bacon or sausage, no yogurt!!! Day two when the innkeeper asked if I had room for dessert, all I could think to myself was… Are you kidding, I still have room for breakfast!
I’ve read some other reviews that referred to the innkeepers cooking as «Gourmet». Are you really serious? Where are you from? There was nothing «Gourmet» about anything we had. The breakfast at the Candlelight wasn’t any better than a continental breakfast you would get at a chain motel. I’ve had better at places like Hampton Inn or Motel 6.
We’ve stayed in many B&B’s and they always stuff you for breakfast with a vast selection of fresh cooked food and baked goodies to choose from. Eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, French toast, frittata, quiche, yogurt, croissants, fruit, scones, muffins, etc… And there was always some kind of snack for you to munch on 24 hours.
After breakfast the first day we went on the cruise which was nice. We ate the picnic lunch before we boarded the boat. The food was just ok. The chicken salad was made with dark meat and was on a small croissant that was not fresh. The shrimp cocktail and other items in the basket were ok. Who uses dark meat for chicken salad?
When we returned to the room the bed was made and the toilet paper was folded like they do in a hotel but the towels weren’t folded and placed nice like when we arrived and the garbage was not emptied. There was also hair in the tub that didn’t belong to me or my wife.
Taking everything into consideration, we would’ve been better off staying in a local motel with continental breakfast. At least we would’ve had a full stomach to start the day!

Spent the weekend at this lovely B&B a couple weeks ago as part of a Living Social deal.
The atmosphere is relaxing and the scenery is beautiful. The green room, in which we stayed, had all sorts of delightful antique trinkets. The other rooms we not-​so-​sneakily peaked into were all of equally cute caliber.
The B&B’s host/​manager/​chef, Marilyn, is an absolute peach. Her three-​course breakfasts (which are included) are to die for. So, so good. The picnic lunch she made for us to take over to Lake Sunapee was a treat. Fresh food, an adorable picnic basket, a bottle of sparkling juice… Very well put together.
We’ll be going back — no doubt about it!