The Swann Inn of Beacon

My girlfriend and I stayed at the Swann in for two nights over a weekend in November. We traveled to Beacon from NYC by train and our hosts generously picked us up from the train station. The charming Victorian house is a very short car journey from the center of town and a 15 minute walk from the main street. We stayed in the Blue room. The room was warm, spacious, clean, and very comfortable. The recently fitted bathroom, which features a iron cast bathtub, was palatial and the highlight of the room. The hosts are friendly and attentive. If you are looking for a comfortable, well located, and reasonably priced base from which to explore Beacon, the Swann Inn is an excellent choice. The Inn is also well located for hiking.

Our stay at the Swann Inn was great! Neil, the innkeeper, was kind enough to pick us up from the train station and offered to drive us around town during our stay several times. The green room had it’s own bathroom and was beautiful and clean. The food was great — fresh fruit every morning. We had quiche the first day and maple cinnamon French toast the next. They leave out fruit coffee tea and snacks for 24 hours in case you get hungry. The location was a 5 minute walk away from the mt beacon trail and a short walk away from all the action on Main Street. Stay here– it’s great!

I have mixed feelings about this inn. While we had a great time that wasn’t a result of the service.
The owners Neil and Darlene are a bit socially awkward. Not sure they are really concerned with the guest experience.
They parked their vehicle in front of the inn, meaning guests have to park elsewhere on the snow filled road up. Warning, they don’t shovel or remove snow from their driveway up… I think they are too cheap or lazy but it is an inconvenience. We slipped walking to the car with the bags … It was just indicative of the kind of service.
I will however say they were accommodating in regards to my food allergies. I’m allergic to tree nuts, and they use almond flour on their waffles so she made me regular waffles instead. That was nice of them and I did appreciate it. The food was pretty good and my partner in crime thought the peanut butter cookies were delicious… I’m pretty sure he ate them all as a late night snack.
They have a little snack bar with cookies, apples, lollipops, chocolates and snack bars. Alongside a coffee and tea station equipped with a keurig. It’s nice it’s available ²⁴⁄₇ but for breakfast I would prefer fresh brewed coffee. Not K cup coffee!
The tranquility room was cute, décor was okay, it was clean. They are really big into signage. Everything has a sign, don’t use towels to wipe make up off, don’t hang here, don’t open the doors etc. it’s kinda annoying. Maybe a little OCD.
I’d probably never come back here but it’s an okay option for the area.

This inn is short drive to downtown Beacon but off-​the-​road enough that you feel like you’re in the country.
Recommended if you’re attending a wedding at the Roundhouse or just visiting the area.
The rooms were cute and clean. Breakfast was very good and very accommodating. An extra star for the great coffee and tea options at the self-​service coffee bar.
Stay here instead of a lame hotel in the area — even if you’re not usually a fan of b&b’s.

Cute spot that checks all the boxes of a B&B experience — tons of charming chintzy furniture, swan figures and doilies, luscious back garden, tea and (k-​cup) coffee at any time of day along with random cookies and sweet treats and an overwhelmingly large but good multi-​course breakfast. Food leans on the sweet side, the main offerings were doctored up versions of classic breakfast dishes (whole wheat banana walnut pancakes one morning, gluten-​free amaretto almond waffle the next). While you wait for them to cook those up, they bring each person a big plate of fruit, some kind of dessert (caramel apple tart or blueberry cobbler, delicious but a bit much for 9am) as well as yogurt cups.
Rooms are clean, though a bit dark (windows are small, and no overhead light, but there are plenty of little lamps in all sorts of nooks and crannies if you have the commitment!), and toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, more than enough towels are all available for you. In fact, «more than enough» seems to be a recurring theme here, when it comes to decorations, breakfast, lamps, towels, and come to think of it… the buffet-​long array of sugar-​free syrups for you to sweeten up your coffees. Certainly nothing to complain about, but worth remarking on!

This is the first review I’ve ever left on Unilocal that was under 3-​stars. The main reason this negative review is being left is: they didn’t care about our experience at their business, so why should we care if this review costs them business. The owners went away for the weekend, so we were given vouchers to a local diner to make up for not being served breakfast. We were aware of this in advance. However, the diner refused to honor the vouchers on two separate days. The owners touted this diner as «their favorite diner in town.» When I brought this up to the owner, he agreed to refund my card the amount of the vouchers. He never offered a sincere apology. This stay was during our wedding weekend, and it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. We’ve stayed in so many bed-​and-​breakfasts I can’t even remember — and this was, by far, the absolute worst. The driveway is uneven and bumpy too. ** I do believe that this might be an isolated incident, but the owner showed his true character here. If this was my business, I’d be abhorred if this happened to a customer.

This review is a bit late; my wife and I stayed at Swann Inn August 26 – 28 and loved it from the start. The owners, Neil and Darlene are both informative and accommodating with local information and seeing to your comfort. The inn has a nice cozy Victorian feel and our room was very comfortable. Breakfasts were quite tasty and satisfying. Neil is an authority on nearby Pollepel Island, location of Bannerman’s Arsenal and the inn has a great collection of paintings and drawings of the castle and island. It was a pleasure at night to sit in the drawing room and read the interesting books about the area in their collection, look at the paintings and enjoy the quiet. A coffee and tea service in the main hall was there for you to self serve any time. Our first night sitting on the front porch protected during a rainstorm reminded me of many childhood memories. Out the driveway and a left turn then a straight line took you into Cold Spring. I would go back to Swann Inn anytime. Keep up the good work Neil and Darlene!

What a delightful stay! Neil picked us up in town and Darlene took care of us right away. The Red Parlor is a gorgeous room and well worth the price. It had plenty of space– including an adorable game table. The room was clean and full of beautiful furniture and artwork. The breakfast at Swann Inn was out of this world! So filling and allergies were accommodated well. Definitely worth it!
The town is about a 30 minute (slow) walk– and full of delicious places to eat and fun shops/​galleries.
Swann Inn is a perfect retreat– hope to go back soon!

Went with my boyfriend in the beginning of Spring. This was exactly the type of B&B I was hoping for. Cozy, cute décor, very clean, very comfy bed (soft soft sheets) and excellent breakfast! Would look forward to going once the garden’s going off and the trees buffer the view of the rest of the town for that country feel. Great location and all around great experience.

OK experience. We stayed there for 3 nights in January 2012. The owners were OK. They spoke to you only if you asked them something. The owner of the Inn picked us up from the station and dropped us off too, which was really nice. His wife never showed up once during our stay. Not that we expected her to. But it was just odd that they went grocery shopping one day, and she unloaded things from the trunk and quickly went into the section of the house where they lived.
They did provide coffee, tea and brownies which was great, but one morning my boyfriend went downstairs to bring some milk up to our room; and the owner sorta freaked out about the missing creamer. OBVIOUSLY we brought it back downstairs and kept it in its right place.
Breakfast was pretty good. I don’t think I would go back though.

My SO and I stayed at The Swann Inn last weekend and had a lovely time. We stayed in the Green Willow Room on the second floor of the inn. It’s attached to a large private bath with a claw-​foot tub. The room and bathroom were nice and clean and sheets on the bed were the SOFTEST I have EVER slept in.
Neil and Darlene, the inn keepers, are both incredibly friendly and helpful, they know Beacon well and were a great resource for food and «things-​to-​do» suggestions.
A nice selection of teas, coffee and snacks are available downstairs throughout the day and in the morning, guests can enjoy a DELICIOUS home-​cooked breakfast (we had the BEST pancakes and a delightful apple tart).
We are hoping to make it back to Beacon for another weekend stay during the summer or fall, if we do, we’ll likely stay at The Swann Inn again (and we’ll probably as for the Green Willow Room!).
Enjoy!

We spent Valentines Day at the Inn and absolutely loved our stay. From the time we were greeted warmly at the door by the Inn keeper Neil to our checkout we were made to feel like it was our home away from home. Breakfast was fantastic and Neil even drove us in to town so we could check out the local shops and restaurants in the evening. We would definitely stay here again.
Tip: The Red Parlor was fantastic and very romantic.

We went to Beacon last weekend and really liked it. The Swan Inn is very clean as was our room. The TV worked well and the heat was controlled by us so no issues there. Actually no issues at all with the room and I am very particular. The people in the house were pleasant. Not overly friendly and not wanting to chat too much, though available if we had any questions. This was nice as we were there for a romantic weekend alone. We went to the Dia during the day, then dinner. The town is very quaint, simple and the location was perfect. it’s not too long of a drive but far enough to really feel like we got away from the city.

Best breakfasts ever! I am irritatingly gluten free and they still managed to provide me with the most delicious pastries, waffles and pancakes for breakfast, as well as having a fabulous array of choices at their always available coffee bar.
The rooms were cozy and pretty and the town was an easy stroll away with lots of precious shops and cafes.
Not sure I would recommend the place to other families with small children — our hosts seemed a little phased by our 2 year old especially when she had an accident on the porch, but I’d love to go back for a romantic break.
We received a little package with all the things we had left behind a week after we got home, which was a nice surprise as we are very used to losing things…

I stayed there in June, 2012. The breakfast was wonderful cooking, presentation, and ample. There was a slight musty smell upstairs.

Spent two nights here in early October. We came on the train (no car) and the owner Neil kindly gave us a ride from the station with our luggage, as well as to to Main Street for a restaurant and to the Dia museum. He was full of helpful advice and information about the town, having lived in Beacon for years. He’s a great source of information on Bannerman Castle.
Our room was lovely and the bed was outstanding — one of the most comfortable we’ve ever experienced. Breakfast was plentiful and delicious. The innkeepers were attentive and also gave us lots of space to roam around without feeling like we were being watched; the perfect combination.
To top it all off, while we were enjoying tea on the front porch at sunset, we were visited by a family of deer who came to eat grass in the front yard. It was a magical moment. We loved our stay here. Highly recommended.

Friendly hosts who pick you up and drop you off from the train station, super comfortable rooms (great beds), delicious pastries in the AM with french toast (guess what the magic ingredient is), beautiful furniture in the common room, wraparound porch… must be even more beautiful in the summer!

Not the best B&B I’ve been to, but pretty solid. The owners are nice, but not too friendly. They are helpful if you ask them specific questions about the area and various activities. I think they just try to stay out of your way during your stay unless you need them for something.
Pros: very clean, very comfortable bed, good board games, breakfast is okay.
Cons: pricey for one night (depends on room), common room is small, location is secluded (con for me, maybe not for you).
Rooms: The basic rooms (Blue Sky + Green Willow) are $ 157.50 and the suite-​like rooms (Red Parlor + Tranquility Suite) are $ 187.50. For $ 30 more you get lots more in your room (check the website for descriptions). I think if you’re looking for a nice getaway, the suite is a better choice and a much better value. I stayed in one of the basic rooms and wanted to hang out in the common room, which was small compared to some living room with couches at other B&Bs. I like couches. They did not have couches.
I would recommend this Swann Inn to others. It’s quaint and a nice place to stay if you’re looking for an upstate getaway. Again it’s basic, but paying the extra $ 30 for a suite could give you a better experience. Good trails and hiking around the area, so that’s always a good escape from the big city.