Faith Kraemer is a bundle of energy. Her upbeat
attitude, engaged and engaging conversation and absolute positivity are infectious.
She smiles, she laughs, she is warm, inviting, and is pretty much a textbook
for what every good innkeeper should be. She is involved in her local, state,
and national innkeeper associations; she knows about her community, she stays
informed, and she generally cares about the satisfaction of her guests! So it
was with obvious enthusiasm that we stayed at the Hilltop Manor
Bed and Breakfast in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Actually, it was frightening! I stepped up to the
front door and tried to turn the latch only to see that it was locked. I
pressed the bell and cautiously peered in through the Hilltop Manor's glass
frosted glass front windows when the door shot open with a blast. I recoiled as
I was surprised by the Innkeeper Faith's immediate presence in my line of sight
to which Innkeeper Faith laughed! She laughed a laugh that she would laugh
again and again and just like that we were drawn into this wonderful woman's
world, high up on a hill in this tiny Arkansas town.
The Hilltop Manor was not a bed and breakfast before the current owners
and proprietors took the reins. The Hilltop Manor was a private residence that
has a dirty little bit of history. According to the innkeeper, the likes of one
Al Capone took up roost at the Hilltop Manor at some time in its history. Built
at the end of the 19th Century, this place is a true diamond in the
rough. While you may think you have no business at a place like The Hilltop
Manor and Hot Springs Arkansas, there is much more to this place than meets the
eye.
While we were first with Innkeeper Faith, she
gave us a whirlwind tour of the house, the grounds, and all the other guest
rooms (there are five guest rooms total) before taking us to our room; the
Sycamore Suite. The Sycamore Suite had just undergone some last minute tweaks
before we arrived and even though our innkeeper assured us that "we're
always making changes," the Sycamore Suite is one room that doesn't need a
thing done with it. While I didn't stay in all the rooms; we toured them all
and they all looked great, but Sycamore Suite where we stayed was a joy!
According to the Hilltop Manor's website, The
Sycamore Suite is "a lover's getaway. Perfect for honeymoons, engagements,
special birthdays and the all important Wedding Night." This is
attributable to the generous king sized bed, beautiful stone fireplace, and the
two person corner Jacuzzi tub right next to the fireplace in a private nook.
Moreover the guest has complete control of their surroundings! The fireplace is
a gas fireplace which can be used for ambiance only or you can raise or lower
the heat. There are about ten lights in
the room; each on individual switches, many on slide dimmers (two nightlights
on either side of the bed had controls to raise and lower the brightness for
early slumber and the late night reader) and there were windows opposite the
Jacuzzi nook at a private table (where you could, if you wanted, enjoy your
breakfast in your room) as well as in the bathroom so you could even get a
cross breeze blowing if you wish!
The Sycamore Suite also has an in room
refrigerator (snacks, water, and sodas were upstairs in a public fridge in the
hall) and a microwave! Imagine our joy when we could prepare TV dinners
ourselves! It's a small solace but even if you're staying the weekend and you
brown bag a great dinner, leftovers can be stored and heated up at Hilltop
Manor. Plus there is only so much fast food that one can take before TV dinners
begin to seem like delicacies.
The Sycamore Suite also is one of the more
"technologically advanced" suites in residence at Hilltop Manor.
There is WiFi available on the whole grounds, but the Sycamore Suite has a
40" flat screen TV, cable, and a DVD player. The Hilltop Inn has a small
but growing collection of DVD's available to watch. My dear wife tried to
challenge me to a game of Scrabble on the night we were there while we
vegged-out to some TV time on the bed! It was great; Hilltop Manor's Sycamore
Suite really does leave room for whatever you wish!
The bathroom at the Sycamore Suite is another beast
entirely. With a free standing shower room, the bathroom integrates the old and
the new. The Sycamore Suites shower is unique because of its combination of
ceramic tile and 100 year old stone. The shower at the Sycamore Suite also
contains a couple of "body jets" which are designed to sooth aching
muscles and start you on your way. My poor wife was trying to figure out the
complicated bath system and ended up getting sprayed in the face; she reported
back that she's not yet tall enough for body jets. It was quite funny!
The bed at the Hilltop Manor also deserves
another look. This thing was gargantuan but strangely understated. The sheets
and comforter were warm without being suffocating, and sleep was blissful.
There is no other way to put it. 1000 thread count sheets and a comfortable bed
mean that you could find yourself hitting the snooze button on your alarm.
Never fear though as the Sycamore Suite comes equipped with an iPod doc
alarm clock. So set your phone like usual, then in a pinch, plug in your iPod
for dual effect alarms!
I grew up playing, watching, and learning about
baseball; one of the things they always tell you in the little league is that
contact is important; putting your bat on the ball; but follow through; that's
what really separates the good from the average. Innkeeper Faith obviously
learned a little bit about all that in her previous careers because the follow
though you see her exerting at the Hilltop Manor is second to none. When we
first arrived and were touring the grounds, she tried to show us our in room
fireplace. Innkeeper Faith seemed frustrated with herself because she couldn't
get it to work! We sloughed it off; not a big deal when so much of the rest of
the inn was so great. Once our tour was finished we decided to go into town to
pick up some dinner and when we came back a short time later, there was a note
on our café table in our room; "Enjoy your fireplace; it's all
fixed!" and sure enough, the fireplace worked again. This was good but the
thing I was really impressed with was she said to us before departing for the
evening "coffee service will be outside your room at 7:30." I didn't
know what to expect but the attached photograph shows exactly what we got. A
coffee service (!) with carafe, two clean and new looking mugs, creamers,
sugar, Splenda, Sweet and Low, and stirrers. I'm always impressed when my
expectations are met; even more thrilled am I when expectations are exceeded.
The coffee was great but when we got out to our breakfast, Innkeeper Faith and
the Hilltop Manor knocked it out of the park!
This breakfast was a dream. We started the meal
with a Scottish Scone and raspberries and blueberries soaked in musket over
French cream. The cream was served in a champagne flute and this was delicious.
For our second course we were served crème Brule French toast and mini quiche
with ham, mushrooms, onions, and cheddar cheese. The quiche was HOT, which
Innkeeper Faith relayed really bothered her; "If it's supposed to be hot,
it shouldn't be lukewarm." I could not agree more; the visitor looking to
wolf down breakfast has been warned. Of course there was our choice of juice
and more coffee and a few words later with Innkeeper Faith and we were off.
The Hilltop Manor Bed and Breakfast is one of
those places that you really need to experience firsthand to appreciate.
Websites show pictures and reviewers write things but at Hilltop Manor, they
really have so much to offer so many different needs. There are also things
going on in the nearby community all year which you can learn more about from
Innkeeper Faith.
You may not have any business with Hot Springs Arkansas, but
the Hilltop Manor Bed and Breakfast could become the business you have here.
And a vacation destination where you don't have to go anywhere to have
everything you need is the best kind of vacation there is!
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