Hermann Hill
711 Wein Street, Hermann, MO 65041
573-486-4455

Hermann Hill Home Page

August/September 2009

Welcome to www.weloveourlife.com. This is our page dedicated to our experiences while staying at Hermann Hill Bed and Breakfast Vineyard Inn in Hermann, Missouri.

Accommodations

	Hermann Hill offers accommodations in their bed and breakfast or on the other side of town in the Riverbluff Cottages. Their website does a wonderful job of explaining the differences between the two locations and provides a “guest profile” for each type of accommodation to make it even easier for future guests to determine what accommodation they are interested in. We’ve traveled extensively and spent a lot of time at bed and breakfasts so we opted for a cottage, which is more private. We still needed to go to the main bed and breakfast to check in. While there, we were met by the resident greeter, a nice black lab.
	This is easily one of the nicest places we have ever stayed. And the value was incredible! We stated in the Charles Eitzen Suite #401 in the Monument Cottage. Each cottage has two suites and we stayed on the top floor. We liked the décor of the suite – modern and not fussy but comfortable.
	There was a kitchen with granite counters and stainless appliances; the kitchen included a full-size refrigerator (side by side) with ice maker, a microwave, a dishwasher, and small appliances such as a coffee maker and waffle iron. There was a granite-topped table and four chairs and the floor was stone. The kitchen is open to the living area, which includes a couch and tables that face a see-through fireplace and plasma TV.
	The bedroom had a king-size bed, the see-through fireplace, another plasma TV, a long vanity with granite top, and one of the biggest whirlpools we’ve ever seen – it was round with plenty of room. By the whirlpool was an aromatherapy fireplace – they provided two scents that you pour in and then turn on the fireplace. It provided great atmosphere. There was a separate compartment for the toilet and a shower with multiple heads, rainforest shower head, and steam functionality. We noted that the sheets on the bed are some of the softest we’ve ever slept on – they must have been a very high thread count.
	The deck was unbelievably large and was composite so we didn’t need to worry about getting splinters. The deck was partially covered (over the table and four chairs). There was a gas grill and a large hot tub.
	There is a great view of the Missouri River and the countryside and there are walls for privacy on either side of the deck. We could see the sunset from there.

The innkeepers really thought of everything when they were designing these suites. Being on the second floor, there was a cathedral ceiling, clerestory windows (sort of small dormers along the roof line), ceiling fans, and plenty of recessed lighting. Plenty of towels were provided, including larger towels for the hot tub. The hot tub had a stereo system in it and speakers that rose, but we hadn’t brought CDs along – it would have been nice if we could have played our iPod through there. The walls were somewhat plain and we commented that we probably would have put up a few more paintings but it really was a great, private space. This is the type of place you don’t want to leave. We sure weren’t ready to go after three nights!

Inn Amenities

We didn’t stay at the inn proper but at one of the cottages. We felt the amenities in the cottage where we stayed were superior. The inn states that all of its accommodations offer Wi-Fi, which may be important to some people. We were on vacation and as such, were computer-free for the week. You can’t go wrong with this place.

Inn Food

The B&B serves guests breakfast. Since we were in a cottage, the refrigerator was stocked with breakfast fixings for the three days we’d be there. In addition there was soda, plenty of bottled water, coffee, waffle makings, fruit, and popcorn (for the microwave). Here is the one area where they could improve. We had let them know ahead of time that Lori was allergic to mushrooms. When we checked in, we were given a sheet of paper explaining the breakfasts for the three days we would be staying there. Right away we saw something that had mushrooms in it and pointed it out to the woman who checked us in. She said if we let them know ahead of time then she was sure there would be no mushrooms in the food. Unfortunately, there was nothing on the food to indicate they had left off the mushrooms and it was a sort of egg and cheese casserole. There was something dark in it and we couldn’t tell if it was mushrooms or not (there were two casseroles). So Keith tried his first. He still wasn’t sure. Lori tried hers and said she thought it was sausage, but we were a little nervous, as you can imagine.

Here is the issue – we had read some guest comments on TripAdvisor that said the innkeepers provided instructions for re-heating the breakfast entrees. We weren’t given any instructions so we had to guess at how long to do the stuff in the microwave (Lori was in charge of that). Since they took the time to write up a sheet telling us what the breakfasts were the three days we were there, it would have been nice if they had provided instructions, such as “re-heat for one minute on high in the microwave.” Perhaps this is something they usually do but forgot for us? Honestly, that is our only knock on the place, but providing instructions would have really helped. The food we were provided was good but we were a little uneasy about whether it contained mushrooms and how long to heat it. As it turned out, Lori didn’t have any reaction so obviously it was mushroom free.

They also provided chocolate cakes in the shape of a heart (they said cookies but they were really more like individual cakes) – those had heating instructions, and they provided a raspberry chocolate sauce to put on top.

Inn Bar/Lounge

N/A – we had wine we picked up at the various wineries we visited.

Inn People/Service

We really had very little interaction with the people (and that was our choice – we wanted privacy). The woman who checked us in was nice. She spoke so quickly that we had trouble catching everything but she was smiling the entire time. On our first night we noticed we were short a wine glass and didn’t want them to think we had broken it so we left a note for the maid. We also said there were no aromatherapy scents for the aromatherapy fireplace. She left us a note stating that she had replaced the missing wine glass and also that she lit the pilot light on both the aromatherapy and the gas fireplace, and left us some scents. Because it was late summer, apparently they don’t generally keep the pilot lights lit, but it was very cool so she decided to turn them on. One day when we got back she was just finishing up in our suite and she actually talked to us for a little – she was very nice and told us what a great place it was to work.

Area/Attractions

Hermann is in Missouri’s wine country. We visited a number of area wineries – check our Missouri Travelogue for more details.

Dining Simon’s on the Waterfront - 4 Schiller Street, Hermann, MO 573-486-2030
Simon's Waterfront Home Page
This is a casual place. “On the waterfront” is a bit generous – it sits on a side street perpendicular to the Missouri River and you can’t actually see the water from there. We ordered a bottle of local wine that was priced incredibly reasonably. Keith had pork schnitzel (good old German fare) and Lori had crab Rangoon and shrimp cocktail. The food is good, the prices are very reasonable, and the service is friendly.

El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant – 710 South Market Street, Hermann, MO 573-486-0407
El Ranchito Home Page
El Ranchito is fairly unassuming from the outside. The dining area is quite large and we were able to sit in a booth. It is decorated like you would expect a Mexican restaurant to look. We were served house-made chips with a fresh, slightly spicy salsa (really more pico de gallo style, but good). We got a pitcher of top shelf margaritas. Lori had a shrimp quesadilla which was heavy on the shrimp and light on the cheese – as it should be. Keith had…? Our server was young and inexplicably wore a heavy knit ski hat (it was late August) but did a fine job. The food tasted very fresh and if we were in the area, we would go again. Note that this is real Mexican food, and not Taco Bell!

Vintage Restaurant at Stone Hill Winery – 1110 Stone Hill Highway, Hermann, MO 573-486-3479
Stone Hill Winery Home Page

This winery is in an unusual setting – you climb one of the hills in Hermann and it appears you are in the middle of a residential area when you reach the sign for Stone Hill. The restaurant is located in a charming remodeled barn and the booths along the side are large and very private.

Keith had a salad with bleu cheese dressing, followed the German Schnitzel with sides of spaetzle and potato pancakes (both sides were incredibly and authentically German). Lori had two appetizers: the German onion tart and the sausage sampler. We love German food and whenever we travel and can find a real German restaurant, we take advantage of it. The food was wonderful, as was the service. Of course, their own wines were available and we actually got one of the most expensive bottles on the menu – a reserve chardonnel that was a very reasonably priced $26.99. We enjoyed the experience and would definitely return.

Nightlife

This is a sleepy little town but there are a couple bars downtown. Simon’s on the Waterfront had a bar attached to it which features live music. We ventured in there but it was smoky so we opted not to stay.

Weather

We visited Missouri in late August/early September. The locals in this area told us the weather at this time is generally hot and humid, but we lucked out. While we were there the humidity was extremely low and highs were only in the 70s, with night temperatures dropping down to the low 60s/high 50s. Please note this was unusual – but we sure enjoyed the beautiful weather!

Tips/Suggestions

We really felt the place we stayed was simply spectacular and even if you aren’t into wineries, it makes for a splendid getaway. See our Missouri travelogue for more ideas.