Ben Maddox House B&B

I was very much looking forward to a stay at Ben Maddox because of the historical value of a home built in 1876. It was also my very first B&B experience and I was thrilled to finally try it. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the Innkeeper Lucy and brought a bottle of wine (I was thrilled). She said she would give us time to settle in and then be back to discuss our time there. Then she disappeared...and we didn’t know how or where to find her. We waited and waited...and during the wait my roommate noticed the room needed dusting, floor needed cleaning and the windows made it seem like it was foggy outside. (This was disappointing for us because we loved the yard and wanted to look out from the beautiful view of the Rose Room we were staying in). The tone for the entire stay seemed to be set and it was hard for us to remain optimistic. I hate being a “Debbie Downer” and would love to be signing praise right now…but that’s not the case this time. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: Greeted with Wine. Breakfast was GREAT. Presentation and service at meal time is excellent. Food was also tasty. Picnic lunch was a great idea and very enjoyable. Front yard is beautifully landscaped and well kept. The innkeeper did agree to make arrangements to serve us breakfast earlier on Sunday than they usually allow. The house itself is a beautiful relic of history. I loved the 1876 style. Decorated beautifully. Central air conditioning and ceiling fan keep us cool. Cons: The pool was filthy (complete with floating pool vacuum, leaves, bugs, and dirt on the pool floor). The lawn furniture cushions were so dirty, they were un-usable. We couldn’t find service or staff when we needed them. We didn't know where to find the innkeeper. We arrived around 4 or 430pm and didn't get "checked in" until almost 9pm. We did not receive all that we paid for through our Living Social package. Nor was it ever clearly gone over with us on how it would work once we arrived. Dog barking across the street. Our room was not cleaned/made up upon our return. We were given apologies and excuses but no recompense of any kind was offered for this unacceptable action in the hospitably industry. Neighbors played room-rattling music until midnight. Peace and rest was evasive (seemed to counter the purpose of a B&B). Have to park in street…sprinklers will wash your car for you. Huge cracks in bathroom ceiling. Cobb webs in windows. Back yard and patio seating not kept or inviting. Communication was vague and poor and last minute. Overall, experience was disappointing. I think it didn’t need to be if the innkeeper had showed a little more compassion and offered recompense of ANY kind. We paid $80 more of the Rose room which isn’t that much bigger or different in quality than the others. The other rooms are sufficient. Overall, not worth the $200 a night.

The Ben Maddox Inn was perfect for my family's stay in Visalia. We could walk to a great restaurant for dinner. The innkeeper was very accomodating and shared her knowledge of the area. Breakfast was delightful.