We stayed Aug 10-12th at the Phinney House with a friend for a combined visit to both the Hall of Fame and the Glimmerglass Opera. Our host and hostess, Jim and Charlene, were wonderful- they work hard to produce a truly wonderful breakfast, the rooms are clean and neat and nicely decorated without being too cutesy and they really go out of their way to help their guests have a good time in Cooperstown. For example, we wanted to see the Hall of Fame (around the corner) first thing in the morning while our friend wanted to go to the nearby art museum, which opened later. No problem, Jim said, I will give your friend a ride. This is just one example of the many ways that they go out of their way for their guests. They had wonderful stories about local events and good recommendations for restaurants. I can't imagine what the recent negative reviewer was thinking but I recommend you ignore it or you will miss out on a truly lovely stay. I have attached a photo of Charlene's French Toast- it received appropriate oohs and aahs when Jim brought them out.

We stayed at the Phinney House during a little getaway to Cooperstown to celebrate our 10th Anniversary. We found the Phinney House to be very quaint, clean and lovely. It was a rare treat for us, given that when we travel with our children we usually stay at hotels. The breakfasts made by Charlene were especially good and truly delicious. We were heading from Cooperstown to New Hampshire, where Jim and Charlene had lived previously. They gave us very good recommendations for our New Hampshire trip, all of which turned out to be wonderfully enjoyable. Thanks, Jim and Charlene!

When I first started reading reviews on the 1805 Phinney House, I wondered if there were two of them in Cooperstown, because the glowing compliments really don't apply to the place we stayed. Given, there were some strong points -- the location/proximity to the HOF, the interesting history of the home itself and the adjacent property & the excellent breakfast (though the woman who served it was gruff in the 0.03 seconds we saw this "hostess"). Also the towels were wonderfully soft and the sheets were comfy. And it was nice to have parking available. But unfortunately, that's where the good attributes stop.

When you get out of your car at this property you are struck by how shabby the back porch looks. The check in room was fine. The next room you go through on the way to the staircase was an "okay" tv/siting room. But when you ascend the staircase (with the frightenly wobbly banister), be sure not to look to your right at the shelf with the tea cups on it. 'Cause if you do look you will notice a good inch of dust & dirt all over the shelf and the china on it. It was actually pretty disgusting. To quote Phil Rizzuto: "Holy cow!"

We were shown to our room. We told our host we wanted to head right over to the Hall. Thing is he likes to hear himself talk. A little chat/history is fine. But when the guests have mentioned numerous times they are in a hurry to get into town, the host should take heed of that and leave them in peace.

As for the condition of the room itself, that too was a disappointment. Every piece of furniture in the room was dusty. The windows were dingy, and the window sills actually dirty. The paint on the fireplace was chipped (and the brick chimney noticeably buckled). There were two pictures hanging in the bathroom; their matting was water-stained, and they were very crookedly hung. Also, there were mega-sized toiletries next to the shower, which was fine, except most of the bottles were nearly empty and the shampoo *was* empty. The toilet paper was single-ply and crumbled. You pay what these people charge per night and you expect nice amenities, not what is put out in a cheap Motel 6. Finally, there was the bed. The mattress was a much smaller size (by several inches on both sides) than the box spring & frame. So getting into the bed was more than uncomfortable.

I understand from another review on here that the owners of this establishment are re-doing their rooms and have only redecorated one so far. Fairplay. But then don't have the nerve to charge the same price for the shabbier rooms as for the (apparently) nice room. I'm sure the owners have a high mortgage, but they shouldn't take it out on the guests by overcharging for a less than spectacular place, because that's no way to engender repeat business. The 1805 Phinney House will surely never have that from us, or anyone who takes more than a glancing look around when they are in it.

My wife, myself, my father, his wife, and their 11-year old son stayed at the 1805 Phinney House and we enjoyed ourselves extremely. The breakfast was very delicious and the room was very comfortable. I enjoyed the discussions we had with Jim regarding the history of Cooperstown and the 1805 Phinney House. Jim and Charlene were both very friendly and take good care of their B&B. When we go back to Cooperstown, we will definitely stay at the 1805 Phinney House.