Pace House B & B

Just got back from a great weekend in southern Virginia for the birthday of a dear friend and WWII veteran hero. My friends and I (as well as the birthday boy) all stayed at the Pace House. I always have a great time with these friends who I met on a tour in 2003. But the Pace House really played a huge role in how great the weekend was.
The Pace House is a well kept secret B&B in Franklin, VA, by the North Carolina border. It is very large, spacious mansion that used to be a public library and has been a B&B the last few years.
Now, I’m not a B&B guy. I like Marriotts, Hiltons, and love getting Starwood Points at the W. I like having a nice hotel bar, state of the art gym, and wifi. However, the Pace House was one of the best places I’ve ever stayed at. (BTW — it has wifi).
What makes it so special? First, the proprietor, Dan Hunt, defines «southern hospitality» and makes every guest feel right at home. Every hotelier should take a lesson from the way he makes everything perfect, from the room temperature to the coffee, to the newspaper, to the meals.
The rooms themselves are spacious with very comfortable beds (the «Heavenly Beds» of Westin have nothing on these) and the décor makes you feel like you’re back at home, or at the very minimum, your best friend’s house.
Dan and his staff are great cooks and put on a great breakfast, from eggs made to order, waffles, and southern sausage that was too darn good to pass up. We also had a party there for our birthday boy on Saturday night and the catering for it that Dan did was fantastic — crabcakes, brisket, lamb chops («lambsicles»), as well as a tremendous cake that bore the exact and precise shoulder patch logo of our friend’s US Army unit. Now, that is going the extra mile!
I understand that Dan now also has a bbq catering business as well. I imagine that must be pretty darn good if his B&B is any indication.
Now, I know not everyone will visit Franklin, VA but if you or anyone you know does, this is a no brainer as far as where to stay. Even if there were Westins, W’s, and Sheratons, if I’m anywhere in a 40 mile radius of Franklin, this is where I would stay. No question.