B&B Hillhouse

As someone who booked a stay here, I feel compelled to share my experience to help future potential patrons make informed decisions about staying. Upon arrival, my party and I were immediately met with verbally abusive behaviour from the owner. Despite our arrival time being pre-approved by his partner, he came out screaming and began berating us before we even reached the front door. His unwarranted confrontation left us shocked, extremely uncomfortable and also feeling unsafe. What’s particularly troubling is that we had written evidence from the owner’s partner outlining the self-check-in procedure and confirmation of our arrival time. Despite immediately providing this information, he continued to verbally abuse us. We offered multiple opportunities for him to discontinue his aggressive behavior, but he persisted. One of his responses was to claim that he was a five-star establishment which only added to our disbelief. Anyone who treats their guests with such disregard and disrespect should not hold a five-star rating. We did not stay due to the verbal attack and our sense of insecurity. The owner assured us that he had not charged our Visa; however, upon leaving, we later received notification from the booking agency that he entered us as a “no show.” Doing so results in him receiving full payment. Now, we must also deal with the booking agency. As patrons, especially those who booked based on star rating and through a third-party agency, we expected a certain level of professionalism, courtesy, and honesty. Verbal abuse is never acceptable, regardless of any situation, let alone one that was not even remotely warranted. I hope that sharing this review will serve as a heads-up for potential patrons about what they may encounter and for those who wish to not support the kind of person who engages in such disturbing behaviour. Perhaps this will also encourage the owner to reflect on his behaviour and consider treating people with basic common courtesy and respect.

We were verbally attacked for a late arrival. Advanced notice was given 4 days prior. Upon proof of their written acknowledgment, the proprietor maintained his aggressive mannerism. Being in a vulnerable situation, we did not feel safe maintaining our reservation.

From start to finish, our time spent at B&B Hillhouse was lovely! Set in picturesque Knowlton, this immaculate and well-appointed home met all of our needs and then some! Louise and Gilles are the consummate hosts and happen to be very talented in the kitchen as well! The daily breakfasts were delicious and they even seamlessly addressed my gluten intolerance. We participated in the Three Pines Tour (with three other guests) that began and ended at Hillhouse. After spending nine engaging, fun hours on the tour, we ended up talking to our new friends in the front living room of the B&B for four more hours! Our hosts made us feel right at home and we were most appreciative. We’re already planning our next visit!

I picked this solely based upon the reviews, and it turned out to great place to stay. Only through the booking did we come to learn about the Author Louis Penny, her books, and Three Pines. The accommodations and food were excellent. Louise and Gilles were wonderful; we enjoyed talking with them and getting to know them during our stay. They gave us great suggestions about Louse Penny landmarks and great recommendations for restaurants. We actually met Louise during our visit. We would definitely come back.

A perfect stay with welcoming hosts. A very comfortable room, lovely common spaces and superb food. We were seated with other guests at breakfast which made for lovely conversation! Highly recommend and will return again!

We had a lovely stay at Hillhouse in connection with the Three Pines Tour. The breakfasts were fantastic, and the accommodations were so lovely! Louise and Gilles were wonderful hosts and gave us tips on local restaurants to visit. A great experience that I urge all to try!