B&B or Hotel Loyalty?

Hi Everyone,

When you travel are you a bed and breakfast person or a hotel frequenter? If you’re like me, reward programs (Marriot, IHG, Hilton, etc.) keep you committed. Loyalty plans are clever because they keep [us] devoted for “free nights” and other perks. They also make some people (me) forget about the charming aspects of bed and breakfast options.

Here's a great recommendation if you plan to visit Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Smith Steiner Bed & Breakfast! This place is quaint, cozy, convenient and oh so delicious at breakfast time.

Side story: Jeff and I didn’t do the undergrad, out-of-state college tour thing with our girls. The State of Georgia had plenty of options that suited us (and them) just fine. I get why our route may not suit others though. Differences are delightful!

Grad school is panning out differently. Diana is in the midst of hearing back from law schools that she applied to last year. What’s different is, we are travelling to explore schools after acceptance, while undergrad tours [would have been] prior to the application process. Granted, fancy tours aren’t happening because of Covid, but we’re travelling to explore culture and surrounding environment, all the same.

Last week Diana and I visited Penn State Dickinson Law school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

We spent two nights at The Smith Steiner Bed & Breakfast which is located precisely across the street from PSDL.

Strolling the university grounds was uncannily convenient. The inside of Steiner is meticulously and newly renovated.

We slept in the smallest room (the Dickinson, my mother’s maiden name :-). There were two twin beds, two bathroom sinks and four windows spanning three sides. I love windows! The color scheme was blue, red and stars...utterly adorable.

Becky, the hostess, is ever so welcoming, accommodating and above all a supreme cook that will have you reminiscing about breakfast.

The artisan, perfectly toasted bread (who knew all toasters are not created equal) and stone ground oatmeal with chia seeds really got me going. There are several other healthy places to eat in Carlisle, like Grazery.

And there is coffee to die for at Denim.

Typically, I don’t choose B&Bs for reasons like...darn “points.” But after my and Diana’s stay at The Smith Steiner I realize "quaint and delicious" is being sacrificed, from time to time. Attributes of lodging aren’t necessarily pertinent to law or undergrad school choice, but they’ll come in handy if that is where one lands.

Don’t forget about bed and breakfasts, especially The Smith Steiner! I promise you’ll be happy if you chose it over loyalty points, at least while in Carlisle, PA!

Thank you for stopping by!

Love, Shelley

Bubble tea isn't exactly healthy but this was very delicious: Issei Noodle