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Bee and Thistle Inn

3.5 star property
Riverside tranquility meets refined comfort at Bee and Thistle Inn, where garden views enhance fine dining and spa treatments offer genuine rejuvenation

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The Bee and Thistle Inn, riverside, offers a peaceful retreat with garden views and full amenities. Guests enjoy a full breakfast, relax by the lobby fireplace, and savor cuisine at The Chestnut Grille. Free WiFi and attentive concierge service complete the experience.

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast included
  • Spa
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
  • Business services

Room options

View all photos for Room One

Premium bedding, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room One

  • Garden view
  • 26 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Room Two

Room Two | Premium bedding, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room Two

  • 30 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Room Three

Room Three | Premium bedding, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room Three

  • 31 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Room Four

Room Four | Premium bedding, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room Four

  • Garden view
  • 18 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Room Five

Room Five | Premium bedding, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room Five

  • Garden view
  • 18 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free WiFi

Room Seven

  • 12 sq m
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Double Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Room Eight

Room Eight | Premium bedding, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room Eight

  • Garden view
  • 24 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Room Nine

Room Nine | Premium bedding, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room Nine

  • Garden view
  • 20 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Room Ten

Room Ten | Living area

Room Ten

  • 23 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Room Eleven

Room Eleven | Premium bedding, individually decorated, individually furnished

Room Eleven

  • Garden view
  • 17 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed
  • Free WiFi

About the neighborhood

Located in Old Lyme, Bee and Thistle Inn is in the historical district and on a river. Ocean Beach Park and Essex Island Marina are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those in the mood for shopping can visit Essex Saybrook Antique Village Shopping Center and Essex Plaza Shopping Center. Saybrook Country Barn and Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center are also worth visiting. Visit our Old Lyme travel guide
View more Inns in Old Lyme
Map
100 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, 06371

What's nearby

  • Florence Griswold Museum
    Florence Griswold Museum
    2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Mohegan Sun Casino
    Mohegan Sun Casino
    27 min drive - 39.7 km
  • Mohegan Sun Arena
    Mohegan Sun Arena
    27 min drive - 39.7 km
  • Foxwoods Resort Casino
    Foxwoods Resort Casino
    40 min drive - 53.3 km
  • Old Lyme Historical Society
    16 min walk - 1.4 km

Getting around

  • Old Saybrook Station
    9 min drive
  • Bradley Intl. Airport (BDL)
    61 min drive

Restaurants

  • Ashlawn Farm Coffee
    5 min drive
  • Coffee’s Country Market & Catering
    4 min drive
  • Dunkin'
    14 min walk
  • Burger King
    6 min drive
  • Starbucks
    6 min drive

About this property

Bee and Thistle Inn

Inn by the river
Consider a stay at Bee and Thistle Inn and take advantage of free full breakfast, a garden, and a fireplace in the lobby. Treat yourself to spa services, such as aromatherapy, a facial, or a deep-tissue massage. The on-site American cuisine fine-dining restaurant, The Chestnut Grille, features garden views and dinner. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi, and guests can find other amenities such as a bar.
Additional perks include:
  • Free self parking
  • Wedding services, tour/ticket assistance, and luggage storage
  • Free newspapers, meeting rooms, and multilingual staff
Room features
All guestrooms are individually furnished, and include comforts such as premium bedding, as well as thoughtful touches like free WiFi and free bottled water.
More amenities include:
  • Bathrooms with free toiletries

Similar properties

Property grounds
Pier Blue Inn Old Saybrook - Essex
Saybrook Manor
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  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
  • Air conditioning
8.0 out of 10, Very Good, 1,008 reviews
The price is AED 291
AED 334 total
includes taxes & fees
20 May - 21 May
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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Free full breakfast available daily 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Coffee and tea in common areas

Restaurants on site

  • The Chestnut Grille

Conveniences

  • Free newspapers in lobby
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Tour and ticket assistance
  • Turndown service
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Meeting rooms

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • On a river
  • Picnic area

Spa

  • Aromatherapy
  • Couples treatment rooms
  • Deep-tissue massages
  • Facials
  • Hot stone massages
  • Swedish massages
  • Treatment room

Accessibility

  • No elevator

More

  • 1 building
  • 3 floors
  • Built in 1756
  • Designated smoking areas
  • Fireplace in lobby
  • Georgian architecture

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Private bathroom

Food and drink

  • Free bottled water
  • Room service

More

  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM

Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 9 AM - 9 PM

Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours

To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property ahead of time using the information on the booking confirmation

If you are planning to arrive after 9 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation

Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children 16 and younger are not allowed at this property; All guests older than 16 are welcome

Rollaway/extra beds are not available

Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
This property's policy is to refuse certain bookings for the purpose of group events or parties, including pre-wedding stag/bachelor and hen/bachelorette parties
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments; reservations can be made by contacting the property prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
Children 16 years old and younger are not permitted at this property

Frequently asked questions

Is Bee and Thistle Inn pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking?

Self parking is free at this property.

What time is check-in at Bee and Thistle Inn?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Bee and Thistle Inn?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Bee and Thistle Inn located?

Situated in the historical district, this spa inn is within a 15-minute walk of Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme Historical Society, and Lawrence & Memorial Family Medicine. Connecticut River and Goose Island are also within 2 mi (3 km).

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Reviews

Bee and Thistle Inn Reviews

8.8

Excellent

9.4

Cleanliness

9.2

Location

9.0

Staff & service

8.6

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 55 out of 87 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 87 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 7 out of 87 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 87 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 87 reviews

Reviews

Verified

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
THEY ARE OUT OF BUSINESS!!!! YOU BOOKED ME A HOTEL THAT NO LONGER EXISTS!!!!!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2021
Verified

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I was billed twice for my final payment. First when I checked in and then when I checked out.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lynne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely Inn and staff was very friendly and helpful. Dinner was beyond excellent!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Verified

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Bee and Thistle was a huge letdown for us. The outward appearance of the property and grounds are very nice . The rooms however are a different story. Dark, dreary and desperate for deep cleaning and coat of fresh paint in cheery color. The bathroom is almost unusable. Small , dirty, shower that barely functioned. The bed was very uncomfortable , pillows etc. The owners need to give this place an overhaul. The dinner experience was also bad. A server touched our food with bare hands in front of us. We could not get coffee until 8 am so we had to go to a convenience store . 😭
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Verified

6/10 Okay

Guillermo

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service

Lovely area, the hotel could improve in some areas

Overall we would have to say that this hotel was okay. Nothing special but also not horrible. It is a beautiful house that has a lot of charm to it. The grounds around the house are also nice to walk around. We had only a couple issues, though to us they were important. We knew we were going to arrive late, and called the day before to let them know. They contact us via hotels.com and informed us that if we arrived after 9pm then out keys to our room would be in the basket outside the front door. Easy enough. Well, when we arrived, around 11:30pm there was no key in the basket and no phone number to call. Luckily, the last restaurant worker was leaving, making sure the front door was locked, and saw us arrive. They were kind enough to open the door, find out key in an envelope that was inside the house (not helpful) and showed us our room. Definitely not their job, but they did it. Which was very nice. Unfortunately that was the last of the good customer service. The following day no one said hello, gave us a welcome talk or provided us with information. When we went to ask the front desk person didn't know the answers to most of our questions. The second issue was the bed, after two nights sleeping on it, our backs started to hurt. Could use better pillows as well. However, otherwise we really enjoyed our visit to Lyme, the sites and the beach. It is a lovely area to explore.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dawn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Charming inn

Friendly, helpful staff that provided great information about the area and things to do. Inn was a comfortable charming place with o stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kim

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely amazing place, very comfortable accommodations. Ate dinner there too, and it was probably the best I have in a long time. A little issue with the hair dryer early in the morning and no one around, but it was such a minor inconvenience I don't want it to detract from the review. I would absolutely book there again in a heartbeat. Staff have limited hours, but when they were there, they were so attentive without being overbearing. Wonderful musicians on a Sunday night during dinner, great wine selections, and chef has a real creative way of using local items. Bar tender also creative with drinks, though I loved the wine selection. Bed SOOOO comfortable. Enjoy!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sandiphoto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Love the original art on walls, the garden with live music and happy hour. The restaurant was fantastic!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Verified

4/10 Poor

Eli

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
For years we have passed the Bee and Thistle and always wanted to stay there. What a disappointment. Great staff and location but boy is the place run down. It looks like there must be absentee ownership that has either run out of money or just doesn’t care anymore. Many areas badly in need of painting, filthy windows and windowsills, poor AC, threadbare carpets, water stains on ceilings etc., etc. Considering the condition of the property the rates should be a fraction of what they are. I’m aware of the term “shabby chic” but the current Bee and Thistle is just shabby.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Verified

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

Nice to experience how people lived in the past.

No TV in the room or on the premises. The breakfast was outstanding.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Pete

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unique place. Great outdoors
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Bridget

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Wonderful New England charm &art

My room was nice and quiet, staff were friendly and assisted with local outdoorsy info .The breakfast was delish. I love the shore area in ct.and the inns along the coast
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Quick one night stay

Wish I had more time to explore the area, but the dinner at the restaurant was excellent and the breakfast was plentiful and pretty good too!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Relaxing, quiet... beautiful

Great way to spend our anniversary....great food too
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Karen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Charming inn

Very charming inn. Cookies were delivered to our room in the evening, and we received a bag with water and apples at checkout. The breakfast was very good, with an egg dish, bacon, toast, and assorted delicious pastries and gourmet coffee and tea. Staff was very friendly and helpful.Only negative was slow-filling tub on the third floor, but completely understandable with the age of the house.Lovely toiletries.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Charming Inn in a quiet location

We were greeted by name when we arrived, an the hostess explained to us all the features of the Inn. It's very much like one of the old houses at Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, except it has electricity and air conditioning. :-) The room as arrayed like a Victorian bedroom, with nice views of the surrounding landscape. There's a beautiful Japanese chestnut tree spreading majestically near the front entrance. Parking is ample. The grounds are nice for walking, the property is located right on the river.The area is very quiet, and the bed was firm, but very comfortable. We slept with the windows open, very nice. The included breakfast is also very good. Upon checkout, we were even given a goodie bag to take with us. All in all, a wonderfully romantic weekend getaway. We'll be sure to repeat.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

nancy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing, beautiful town, near great museum, food, beaches, shopping
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Very peaceful

Quiet and close to where I was working. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Lots of space to spread out.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Extremely relaxing

Needed a place to stay for work and this was very nice, super quiet and very peaceful.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Spent a lovely evening at the Bee and Thistle. Great service and delicious breakfast.
Verified

4/10 Poor

Debra

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Not so good. Did not give me my room I picked out. Breakfast was horrible. Out only choice was sausage and eggs. That was it
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Suzanne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Classy B&B

Outstanding customer service and wonderfully friendly staff; lovely grounds and warm, friendly common areas in the evening.
Verified

6/10 Okay

Constant travel

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Uncomfortable stay

Small room with no TV,radio,coffee. Room decorated like a modern art installation with weird graffiti on wall. Unprofessional staff
Verified

8/10 Good

Christine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I was disappointed because they switched my room and my room was freezing. It was so cold I had trouble sleeping. There was no way to control the temperature. Also, they kept calling my home phone when my cell phone number was given.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Charles

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely place, good relaxing stay!

Very comfortable and great staff!