Away At The Bay

Stayed in the New Orleans suite this weekend. Spacious, clean, and the full kitchen was stocked with nice little bakery treats, fruit, and coffee for breakfast. Overall lovely little inn!

We stayed at Away at the Bay as a mother-​daughter weekend and never again! We were told it is within walking distance of downtown Fairhope. Well on a clear and warm day I guess it is but it was over a mile away so when it rains or is slightly chilly you have to drive. The room we stayed in was not clean enough and the furniture was old dated rattan. My mother found a used chapstick on the floor beside her bed and a half-​used bottle of shampoo in the shower. We can only assume it wasn’t cleaned or wasn’t cleaned properly. The chairs in the living room and master bedroom had nasty looking stains on them so we didn’t sit in them. The outdoor furniture on our patio was covered in green algae so we couldn’t sit in them either. The continental breakfast was some Wal-​mart pastries (stale), some bananas with brown spots, some yummy strawberries and yogurts. For coffee we had 3 packs of decaf (don’t drink) and just one pack of regular. Normally I would have just walked away and never rented at a place like this again, but I felt I had to write a review for one main reason. They say that they encourage children, but under the kitchen sink (easily accessible by small children) was a gallon of bleach and a container of drain-​o! There was plenty of room to put these in the upper cabinets in the laundry area, but instead they were left where small children could get to them while parents unpack. I received an email from the owner asking about my stay and told her truthfully how unhappy I was. I NEVER heard back from her. This is a beautiful location and has the potential to be a first-​class bed and breakfast with the right management, but this owner isn’t the one.

This was our second stay at Away at the Bay The first would have rated a 5 star, but unfortunately, this stay only rated 3. It all depends on which room you stay in and this time we stayed in the Magnolia Room. Before I start, understand this B&B is old and therefore quaint and has all the charm of old Alabama. That is why we came back. The downside of old and quaint and why it lost a star is that the Magnolia room is under another room and depending on the guests above you, it can be really noisy and annoying. The guests above us were really active, moving furniture around, walking in high heels and staying up late. And it was an elderly couple. Now, that annoyance is based on luck, the next lost star is a bit more ongoing. The toilet. It is tucked in a very small space measuring about 6″ on either side of the toilet seat. Think about that for a second. Next was the placement of the toilet paper roll. Directly behind you. Yup, you heard right. This makes for an unpleasant and possible dangerous situation. Not to mention the toilet seat was broken off a hinge, which I’m sure is the result of the tight space and toilet roll placement. This is a great kid toilet, but there was no other option for adults. We even debated whether to walk one block to the coffee shop to take care of business. Other than those two issues, this B&B is wonderful. They stock up the kitchen with more food than you can eat and it’s quality. The views are spectacular especially at sunset. A great place to bed down when sight seeing around the Bay. Just skip the Magnolia Room.