Brookstown Inn, Winston-Salem

The historic hotel is lovely and I am pleased to see an historic mill converted for this purpose. BUT I will not stay here again. The staff was not pleasant or helpful at all...but I can deal with that. The main issue was the fact that the smoke detector sounded off several times during the night. I finally had to ask the night staff to remove the smoke detector from the ceiling (NOT SAFE!!) Brookstown ghost or crappy wiring? I have no idea, but I'm not going back to find out!!!!

I have a posted review from December 2008 on this place and it was great, the room was great and the Cotton Mill restaurant onsite was great. That was then, this is now. New restaurant owner, new staff and a change in hotel management and this place goes from great to a disaster. The restaurant staff was inept, inattentive and clueless to our displeasure and the food was a culinary nightmare compared to the previous visit. The room I was in had broken furniture. Disregard my review on 12/3/2008, this place is NOT worth another visit, stay or consideration. A complete turnaround from "a great place" to a total waste of money.

I travel to Winston Salem 2 or 3 times a year and I stay here everytime! I have never had trouble out of this place. I love the historic feel of the rooms and unlike other hotels you never know what you will get in your room. Everyone that I have stayed in has been different. I am so glad they have recently installed mini fridges and microwaves in some rooms. That makes my stay so much easier. I will continue to stay here as much as possible!!!

I had a great stay in the Brookstown Inn. The place is steeped in history and charm. The room was large with lots of brick and wood. The Cotton Mill restaurant was a very nice place inside the inn and had great food and the best service. People were very friendly and professional in the restaurant. I will stay at the Brookstown Inn everytime I am in Winston Salem.

Love the new Cotton Mill restaurant. Great food and atmosphere and well worth a visit. The menu fits the history of the building, southern and classic selections. Very good prices...$15 for a salad and a whole chicken pie and a sweet tea. The building is from the 1800's and is unique and very comfortable. It surely beats a corporate hotel and the restaurant has the best food in town. The only problem was that the restaurant is in the lower floor of the Brookstown Inn and I had to look for it. It is located inside the doors from the patio. I can't wait to go back and eat again.

The hotel is beautiful and the furnishing help give the space a historic feel. Unfortunately, an apparently "historic" smoke detector decided it would go off periodically through the night. Eventually I was able to get the front desk to find a security guard to take the smoke detector down. Was it a faulty detector, Was it the Brookstown Inn ghost...who knows? Needless to say, I did NOT get much sleep. And the staff would not agree to discount my room price the next morning. Although I enjoyed the appearance of the hotel, I will not be returing.

Really enjoyed my two nights at the Brookstown. Convenient to all parts of Winston Salem. Very charming in the rooms and in the lounge. Breakfast was typical continental style with eggs, a meat (we had sausage one morning and ham the other), and biscuits & gravy. There was also the choices of bagels, toast, cereal, and fresh fruits. We'll stay again if in Winston.

Our stay here for Wake Forest graduation was less than desirable. Though the hotel and rooms are very beautiful with exposed brick and high ceilings, the service was absolutely awful. Breakfast was nothing short of gross, plus the tables were not cleared and new silverware was not put out. When we asked the front desk for silverware, they said, very rudely, that we needed to ask the breakfast hostess. After she finally came back, she was extremely snappy. We left our room at 10 one morning, putting the "service room" hanger on the doorknob. When we returned after 3, the room still had not been cleaned. We also found earwigs on the floor and in the beds. The front desk staff always had the most sour expressions on their faces, and never greeted us when we came or left. One morning we called down to ask for water, and were told we could come down and get it ourselves. Apparently, they don't do room service. It's a shame the service is so dreadful, because otherwise it would have been a pleasant stay.

Pros: Conveniently located close to Old Salem, the visitors center, and nearby restaurants; beautiful courtyard; wine and cheese in the evening; and warm cookies and cold milk before bed. The historic element was a nice change from regular, chain hotels. The hotel's Cotton Mill restaurant had a very professional waitstaff and delicious food. The evening wine and cheese and chookies and milk hostess was warm, friendly, and personable (quite a contrast from the morning and afternoon front desk staff). Cons: Front desk staff was discourteous, unprofessional, and inattentive. Our room wasn't ready at 3:00, as promised; however, on checkout day, maid service knocked on our door well before time for us to leave! Please don't be fooled by the "decorative" fireplaces listed as one of the amenities. The fireplaces are just that...decorative! They do not light at all! Not even a fake light in ours!! Therefore, do not expect a cozy experience at night - no snuggling by the warmth of the fire! I won't even comment on the furnishings or the carpet. Before you sign the receipt upon checking in, make sure to check the price. We were charged well over the rate quoted to us over the phone and had to have a "short discussion" with the front desk guy before getting the agreed-to rate. Don't expect a great continental breakfast. They must have added the word "European" to get your hopes up, but the choices were not that great, the juice wouldn't dispense, and one microwave and toaster wouldn't stay on (the extension cord had a short). As pretty as Old Salem is, don't expect a good view from your room. We had a "lovely" alley outside of ours. Loud!! We could hear babies crying, doors slamming,...

I loved the history and the conference room. The food they had for breakfast was alright. I would've liked more "healthy" options. The only other thing I wish they had was a pool and/or hot tub area! The rooms were homey and comfy, the location was nice and easy to find. I liked the little touches like cookies and mild before bed.