20% OFF rooms at The Armstrong Mansion

The Armstrong Mansion, SLC's most romantic bed and breakfast hotel, wants you to get lucky this St. Patrick's Day. Make a reservation and use the promo code "lucky" and automatically receive 20% off your reservation cost.

But be sure to hurry. Your luck runs out at the end of this month. Make your reservations now and make today your lucky day.

Just click on the link below to make your reservation and be sure to use the promo code "lucky" to receive 20% off your stay at the amazing and beautiful Armstrong Mansion.

RESERVE NOW


The Armstrong Mansion
667 East 100 South Salt Lake City, Utah

801-531-1333 / or Toll-free 800-708-1333
armstrongmansion.com

March & April special for Johnson Mill Bed and Breakfast Midway, UT

I have not been to this bed and breakfast yet. But here is their monthly special.

25% MID - WEEK & ROMANCE PACKAGE
Book any room Sun-Thurs and receive a free Romance Package as well as free rental of snow shoes to explore our winter wonderland and make sure you bring your camera since your bound to see our resident bald eagle hanging out in the trees over the Provo River or the many deer that love to romp on our fields

Also, if you book one night, Sun-Thurs, get your second night 25%off!

Good for new reservations only. Valid for for Sun-Thurs not including Holidays or weekends. Can not be combined with any other offer.
Please ask for the 'Spring Fling' when booking. Offer ends April 30th 2011

For more info go to www.johnsonmill.com

March specials for Castle Creek Inn

Castle Creek Inn in Sandy UT is one of my favorites. My husband and I stayed one night for our anniversary. I would highly recommend it.

Enjoy a Romantic Weekend Get-a-Way!
$135 Any Available Room - Fri. & Sat. March 4th-5th

Other March Specials
Sun-Wed. $99
Choose From
Palace Royale, Excalibur, Rapunzel's Tower, Canterbury, Edinburgh
Other Rooms Sun-Wed just $135
Weekends - ALL Rooms $25 Off
To receive discount - call 801-567-9437

View Rooms at:
www.castlecreekinn.net

The 1887 Hansen House Bed and Breakfast

It had been too long since we stayed at a bed and breakfast. So this Valentines weekend I knew it had to happen. I wanted to try some place new but close. I searched Salt Lake City bed and breakfasts and found a whole list. I compared the rooms, the amenities and the prices and found the best value for our money would be at the "The Hansen House" in Sandy.

WEBSITE/RESERVATIONS **
http://www.hansenhouse.com/
Looking at their website left much to be desired. To make a reservation you will have to call. There is an option of filling out a contact form to find out more information. From the pictures on the website we decided that we would like the Wine and Gold room the best. I made the call. The lady was very nice that I spoke too. I was very excited that we were able to book the room we wanted so last minute. Make sure you ask what time you will be able to check in. It did not seem like there was an exact check in time. She gave me a time frame and because I knew we would be excited to get there I chose the earlier time.


LOCATION ***
The day came for our stay February 12th, 2011. The bed and breakfast is located in an old neighborhood in Sandy. I saw many neat looking houses some of them had plaques on them say they are Historical houses. Some were large some were small. Right across the street was a little playground, rail road tracks for TRAX and beyond that was a LDS Church.

ATMOSPHERE ****
We were a little confused on how parking worked. There is a wide gravel driveway on the south side of the house with numbered posts. We never were quite sure if we were supposed to park at a certain one. So we just picked one and parked. We walked around to the front and went through a front gate and onto a walk way up to the house. The front door was wide open so we walked in. The house was beautiful inside. Very 19th century Victorian. We walked into the parlor and saw and older gentleman that we later found out to be Edward (owner). He was a sweet elderly gentleman. His wife Fran, was busily getting the library ready after moving some furniture around. She apologized for making us wait but we did not mind at all. We sat in the parlor and read the news paper and enjoyed the atmosphere. I felt I had been taken back in time to the 1800s. I felt so relaxed. Once she finished she came and led us through the dinning room to a informal dinning area attached to her kitchen. There was an awesome wood burning stove that she still uses. In the informal dinning area is where she has her office area and she checked us in. She was so friendly and accommodating. Once she checked us in she brought us up the front stair way up to our room. Just a warning if you have bad hips or knees because it is an older home the stair way is very steep. They do have a back stair well that I noticed had a electrical chair to bring you up the stairs if needed.

ROOM ****

Our room was great. I was so glad I picked it. The pillared queen size canopy bed was my favorite part of the room. It was very pretty. Because of the size of the bed compared to the room you can only enter from one side of the bed but I was alright with that. I liked the soft bedding. I would suggest bringing your own pillow because the pillows are extremely soft I had to double up mine just to get my head to feel somewhat supported. The mattress had a memory foam pad on top of it. It was decent. In front of the bed was a large electric fireplace that you could control with a remote. Above the fire place was a huge oval mirror that reflected the crystal chandelier. It was a nice touch. The tv was nothing special but I did like how they built it into the wall and framed it. There is a DVD player as well. Also in the same room as the bed was a vanity dresser with a sink built into it. I loved it. Through another door you entered the attached bathroom with toilet and shower. There is a step up to get into the shower. The shower is snug. They have a nice shower head but because of the size of the shower it is kind of awkward. The water pressure was great. The temperature of the water in the morning would constantly change from scalding hot to freezing cold I am guessing because of so many others using the water. However, the hot water never ran out while I took the shower. Also attached to the bed room is a smaller room where they have a 2 person Jacuzzi. It has a roman bath look to it because of two pillars and a step where the Jacuzzi has been set in. It is a small Jacuzzi tub but my husband and I were able to both sit in. The water stayed warm and the jets felt great. Also in the jacuzzi room was a small dressing table. I loved it so much I want my husband to make me one in our room at home. All it was, was a small shelf, a wall hung mirror and a chair set in front. I spent a lot of time in front of that mirror putting on my make up and doing my hair. They had a small hair dryer and curling iron for you to use.

After getting settled in our room we decided to go find some dinner. For guests that are checked in the side door located off the kitchen area was the way to come and go. Fran was busy in the kitchen as we were leaving and she chatted with us for a bit and told us some chocolate would be waiting on the kitchen table when we came back. As we were leaving I noticed what a great yard they had surrounding the house. There was a rock garden with a fountain (not running since it was winter), outdoor table and chairs and some beautiful old trees. After looking around the grounds we decided we will have to come back in summer time. For dinner we went to the Mayan restaurant, located about 5 minutes away. There is also a theater and many other restaurants with in driving distance. Also conveniently located is a TRAX station. It's with in walking distance.

When we returned from dinner, Fran was in the kitchen once again. She asked us if we would like some hot chocolate. We of course said yes! She brought us two of the yummiest looking hot chocolates with whipped chocolate with a little chocolate on top. It topped off our wonderful night.

After a great soak in the jacuzzi it was time to call it a night. We had a great sleep. The only complaints were the noisy TRAX train and a ticking clock on the wall. Luckily the TRAX train does not run all night and we took the battery out of the clock.

BREAKFAST ***
We woke to the smell of breakfast cooking. What a great way to wake up! Breakfast was served in the formal dinning room on one long table. There was 2 other couples that joined us. A full breakfast was served. It was very delicious. You may want to buy your own coffee however. They are not a coffee drinking couple so the coffee was not very good. After we finished breakfast Fran sat down with us and shared the story of the home. It was a great heart warming story.

OVER ALL ****
My husband and I would recommended this b&b and plan on returning. We loved the laid back homey feeling of the host and hostess. The home was warm and charming. The room we chose was large and comfortable. The breakfast was delicious and satisfying. The location was safe and convenient. The things we found we did not like: parking, no fridge in room, website, no advertised options to add to the room ie: flowers, candles, chocolates; no online reservations.

My addiction

It all started back in college. I studied Hospitality and Tourism Management. I belonged to a student club that would meet and tour hotels, resorts and bed and breakfasts and talk to owners about their careers. It was a lot of fun. My very favourite was when we went to the bed and breakfasts and toured. I fell in love with the idea and the locations. From that moment on I have become obsessed with bed and breakfasts. Because it is a very expensive habit I have only been able to visit them once in awhile. But in the meantime I'm constantly searching for places I want to go to next.

Bed and breakfasts have a reputation for being for old people. But I want to break through that mould and show younger generations how much fun it can be. My husband was sceptical when I first brought him to one but now he loves them too! I have decided to start this blog to inform people of what great places there are to stay other then your boring everyday corporate owned hotels. I also want to be a go to site to find the best deals or packages the B&Bs are offering. Because I live in Utah I will be focusing on Utah B&Bs but I will feature other B&Bs around the world. I will also be sharing with you my experiences at specific B&Bs and how I would rate them. I hope you enjoy!