Stanley House, The, Marietta

From the beginning, this was a less than pleasant experience. Making/confirming reservations was difficult, considering the fact that phone calls are often answered by the machine and messages weren't returned with any sort promptness. Our reception upon check-in wasn't terribly friendly, but I really don't mind that. Others might, however. The house itself is a bit shabby and in sore need of updating. The carpeting, wallpaper and bedding are all at least 20 years old and are in disrepair. The flowered comforter on our bed was very badly stained on the underside (looked like some kind of beverage had been spilled on it) and was very unsightly. I had to take it off of the bed for the remainder of our stay. The mattress was incredibly saggy, the wallpaper was peeling, the doorknob on the closet kept falling off and the extra pillows in the closet were old and stained...all little things that don't annoy on their own, but as a group become very annoying. The breakfast was also dismal. Actually, it was really terrible. I've had better food at high school cafeterias. It was bland, boring and unimaginative. Bland scrambled eggs, bland heat and serve hash browns, grits (!), wheat toast cut into triangles and one glass of O.J. The coffee was wretched. One last little bit of info: there is a train directly across the street, which runs frequently and late into the night/early in the morning. If you're a light sleeper, this could pose serious problems. In sum, I did not feel as though The Stanley House is a good value for the price at all. It is borderline roadside motel quality for 3 or 4 star prices.