Firmstone Manor

My husband and I spent 3 nights in Barbara’s lovely home and truly loved it! This home is a fabulous work in progress, a gorgeous recreation of the style and décor of the late 1800’s. Make no mistake, though; this is not a fancy grand hotel. This is a 140 year old home that is coming back to life, so it is not for those who want updated and perfect. But it is perfect for those of us who love the era of the house. Barbara has decorated with beautiful furnishings that, like the house, make you feel at home. Take time to really look at the collections displayed all over the first floor. We stayed in the Tuscan room with our two Shih Tzus. Oh yes, this home is very dog friendly, with three very sweet and friendly dogs in residence. The room was extremely comfortable! The whole house is very solid, so we never heard anything from any other room. And the breakfasts were delicious! We take several 2 – 3 day vacations throughout the year and have always stayed at beautiful places; but Firmstone Manor is the one we want to return to. For antique shopping Clifton Forge has Moody Carpenter’s Antiques, where you can find some really quality furniture and more. Lexington is not far away and is always worth the trip for antiquing and for enjoying the town. The same can be said for Lewisburg, WV. Check out wineries in the area, too; there are some good ones! Put this place on your list of «must stay» for sure.

After my wedding last weekend, my wife and I wanted a place to go for a few days to just get away from everything and relax before re-​entering the real world; I had always wanted to go to Clifton Forge, so was looking for off the beaten paths to stay nearby, and stumbled upon the Firmstone Manor.
The building is an old Victorian mansion with lots of history that Barbara, the owner, bought about 11 years ago she told us she has been renovating since. While the place does show some age and the grounds were a bit unkempt, the inn was overall clean and tidy. Barbara does own dogs, which she made clearly available on her website, and those surprised my wife at first (as I had booked this trip as a surprise for her and hadn’t told her where we were going), but there were all quite friendly. When we arrived, she was out of the building and there was no note or sign for how to reach her, which was a bit disconcerting, however when I called, she was prompt in responding and coming in to take care of getting us checked in.
The décor and furnishings are all period style pieces, with rich colors and heavy fabric; we stayed in the Firmstone Room which was significantly larger than a standard hotel room you would get at a chain, with it’s own neat character.
Barbara was a very gracious and inviting host; her breakfasts were quite good and hearty, and she was always willing to answer or provide for any request. When we had food we needed to store and dishes to wash, she invited us to use her refrigerator and kitchen, and let us make ourselves at home. She has a pretty laid back style regarding things, which shows in her demeanor and casual dress, but it was nice given that we were looking for a stress-​free several days.
A couple of downsides of the inn were that whenever we would enter the building after being away for the day, you could faintly smell cigarette smoke; not sure if she or someone else there was a smoker, as our room never had that odor, but it was just something we noticed. Also, the water pressure in our room for the shower was quite low; Barbara had commented about the plumbing being an issue before, but that’s something that I think detracted a bit from the experience.
Overall, the Firmstone Manor was an interesting, unique off the beaten path to stay with a delightful history around it. While not completely clean and sterile like a chain hotel, for my wife and I that was part of the experience and charm of the place. Barbara is a welcoming host, and her down to earth, easygoing attitude (she has no set check-​in or check-​out times) was a welcome respite from more traditional, structured places to stay.