Green Woods Inn  

"For those of you seeking a Kingston bed and breakfast, Green Woods Inn (which actually straddles the fine line between inn and bed and breakfast) is a fine choice. First, host Nigel Dearsley�s appealingly dry sense of humour and wife Tessa�s warm welcome will make you feel right at home. I also got to briefly meet Gran, Tessa�s mom, who lives with them. What a delight she is; full of wit, warmth and sparkle. Second, there�s the home itself offering oodles of Victorian detail augmented by crystal, china and other eclectic collections throughout. Third, travellers with dogs may be able to bring Fido if they meet the conditions laid out on the inn�s website (see below). Then there are the guestrooms; all spacious, nicely decorated and all offering private en suite bathrooms. All four rooms are upstairs and there�s padded wall-to-wall carpeting everywhere to keep noise to a minimum. Each has beds with top-of-the-line mattresses and beautiful linens coordinated with the window treatments. Since the rooms are close in price I�d either choose by bed size or opt for the two at the back, the Oak or the Ash, both with queen-size beds. My favourite is the Oak Room with its ritzy bed dressing, though the antique chest of drawers is out of bounds for guest usage because the Dearsleys store some belongings there. And here�s another consideration: though seemingly far away from downtown Kingston, because of its highway location just south of Highway 401 at the eastern edge of the city, it�s not. In fact it takes hardly more than five minutes to zip into the very heart of Kingston. And here�s a BIG plus � there�s plenty of parking at this bed and breakfast. I�ve stayed at downtown Kingston bed and breakfasts without off-street parking only to find street parking a bit of a headache because of the way the by-laws work. Nigel and Tessa bought this bed and breakfast in 2001 and have undertaken major renovations and are now well along with their ambitious landscaping plan. Though there�s no guest living room, each room has seating and the makings for coffee, tea and hot chocolate. As well, both the entry and second-tier verandahs offer a place to sit and chat. There�s also a small second-floor landing area with a couple of chairs and lots of area info. Next morning breakfast is served in the formal dining room with plenty of dark wood and light glancing off various collections including a sideboard covered in crystal. When I was there Tessa served fresh fruit followed by crepes with a saut�ed plum filling, plus croissants and the usual accompaniments. Your main course might be cinnamon French toast with apple saut�ed in a cranberry/orange sauce and drizzled with locally produced maple syrup. Or, perhaps you�ll get to enjoy eggs Benedict with herbed tomatoes dusted with Parmesan cheese."