Shaw House Inn

Loved the solitude of this place. I was fortunate to only have to share with a couple that spent most of the day out & about. Had the whole house to myself. The library was very comfortable; lots of books, games, puzzles, musical gadgets, etc.. Used sitting area in the evening to browse on my laptop. Actually spent most of my time sitting on the front porch area taking in the beauty of the grounds. Excellent breakfasts! Quality food & reflected the time & care put into the preparation. Homemade treats at "teatime". Mini fridge stocked with yogurts & drinks for the taking at anytime. Also, added bonus of a mini ice machine & microwave under the stairwell. I haven't found that in other B&Bs. I see in some reviews that people complained about demeanor of owner. I found her very pleasant. She left you alone, but was always available if needed by text or phone. She lives on premises. My room was not inside the house, but very accommodating & easily accessible. If the place was full my experience might have been very different. But I believe it is setup that you still wouldn't be in anyone's way. Very close to downtown shops, museum, & public gardens.

Ferndale prides itself on being a Victorian town and Shaw House Inn definitely fits with this! Pros: a lovely but cluttered house in a lovely garden, with tea and coffee and a fridge with juice/yoghurt always available, plenty of comfortable seating in communal rooms and a warm welcome. Cooked breakfast (no choice of menu) was good, with well spaced breakfast tables in every corner. Cons: we felt the lighting in our room, and particularly the bathroom, was extending the Victorian theme too far, reminiscent of candlelight…

Wonderful old Victorian home a few blocks from the business area of Ferndale. Easy to find the home on large grounds but how to enter was not well marked (missed the small 'Entrance' sign at the end of a white picket fence near the East end). When we approached the house, it was unclear where the 'Office' was until we noticed the smallish parking area to the right of the home. We took a short 'tour' of the downstairs when we arrived, and given our room key which also opened the front door. We stayed in the Shaw room which was up a steep stairway which had a 90 degree turn with stairs on the curve (no landing). The room was beautiful with elegantly vaulted ceiling over the bed. The attached bath with a claw-foot tub and an obviously non-period fiberglass shower had low ceilings on the sides and a single old sink. It was very warm when we checked in, so we opened the patio door and used the provided fan to cool it off. The small patio off the back of the room was slanted away from the house, so it did not feel comfortable to us. The facility had beautiful old shady trees in the front but was not inviting to visit (no tables or chairs in the front) which we felt was a waste. The concrete walkways were obviously old with extensive cracks. There is a community garden next door that features displays of native flowers and plants, which was wonderful. We walked a few blocks to find one of the (few) restaurants in town which was a beer/wine bar with a Mexican restaurant next door. Reservations were required, which was a surprise, but they seated us outside on the sidewalk right away. The breakfast was served between 8:00 and 9:00 AM the next morning which was very nice: Fresh fruit, crustless quiche, juice and such..

Lovely old home. Very historic and characterful. We arrived on the hoof and got the last room. Very lovely room with a freestanding bath and shower. Bed was superb. Had a nice balcony. Excellent breakfast and provision of tea, coffee and fruit at all times. Lovely garden. Highly recommend.