Name: Chestnut Charm Bed & Breakfast
Address: 1409 Chestnut Street, Atlantic, Atlantic, Atlantic, 50022, United States of America
Rating: 8

Smoke-free property

Garden

No elevators

Reception desk

General

Breakfast

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Hiking

Picnic area

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Rock Island Depot

Chestnut Charm Bed & Breakfast

Atlantic

My wife and I just came back from an anniversary stay at the Chestnut Charm Bed and Breakfast.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves., and saw a lot of interesting things in the area.

By way of background, we are experienced travelers, in the States, and elsewhere – we have stayed in a number of different types of accommodations here, in Canada, and in most of Europe.  We are veterans.

 Here are some specifics.  Our suite in the carriage house was spotless, roomy, had a lovely balcony on it and was very clean and comfortable AND quiet.  It was, as one reviewer said, a step back into another era.  IF you’re looking for modern and new, go somewhere else; if you’re looking for a relaxing time in another era, you want to come here.

The breakfast was home-made, good and was served in a sun room which had a lot of plants which, not surprisingly are in dirt, as most plants are (unless they are plastic) We did not feel “unclean” at any time

The owner was very helpful and understood privacy.  When we first sat down for breakfast, she asked if we wanted her to join us and, at that time, we said no, and she very nicely went away and checked back in again.  She was very helpful with suggestions on where to go and things to see; and if she felt she was offering too much information, she would back off quickly.   If you don’t like suggestions, just say no.  We certainly did not feel like “teenagers” as one reviewer put it. 

In short, this is an older place with old furniture and charm; yes, there wasn’t internet service in our room, so if you’re trying to conduct a lot of business, you might want to go elsewhere – but frankly, it was our anniversary and that’s the last thing I wanted to be tempted to do (there is an adequate WIFI router in the main room which you can use to check emails).

We recommend this place.



Very quaint place - quiet, good breakfast - nice in-keeper

We stayed here this past weekend. It was lovely. When I called for the reservation Barbara also told me about several places to visit on our way there. One was Walnut Iowa. It is filled with shops! Some great antiques and other fun places! She also told us about a wonderful restaurant, Redwood in Anita Iowa! It was fabulous! The food was the best I’ve had in years and they treat you wonderfully! Our room had a fireplace in it connecting the bedroom and bathroom. The   Jacuzzi was great and also has a nice big tub and shower on it ! We had a cute little balcony also. She made us and egg omelette that was yummy and the best apple cinnamon muffin! She was a great host and told us many interesting facts about the Victorian home we were at. 

Wonderful Host!!

This beautifully restored mansion features a formal sitting room, a music room and a light-filled atrium in which our breakfasts were served with courtesy and flare.  Chef Barbara's creativity and expertise were on display with every breakfast.  For example one morning we had fresh asparagus wrapped into scrambled eggs served with Iowa bacon, great coffee and juice.  Another morning it was cinnamon baked apple serve with her own maple syrup.              

We felt comfortable immediately in our spacious room,  This was just what we were looking for.  Our hostess Barbara is a noted professional chef as well as informed source of information about the town of Atlantic and the surrounding areas.We loved roaming the grounds of the estate with its  giant shade trees,  lovely gazebo and native plants.
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Truly, this is no" cookie cutter" type of lodging.  We  discovered Chestnut Charm allowed us to immerse ourselves into a nostalgic, sensory and peaceful setting. We will be back.

From a Victorian past, a hidden gem to enjoy

First of all, the room was nice but several things did not work… the fireplace and the heater in the jetted tub.
Second, the website said the room was $125 and we were charged over $250. Breakfast cost an extra $10 per person and it was not worth the cost.
We will not be back

Don’t waste your money

Have you ever visited a Victorian house museum?  One where you pay admission and walk through but can't touch anything or stay overnight?  Well -- this is a hidden gem where you can look, touch, and stay overnight.  The main house is a largely original 1898 Victorian -- grand oak staircase, larger front parlor, beautiful bedrooms, some with the original, operating 1898 plumbing, and some with their own sitting rooms. Many antiques -- but it is an operating house, not a museum stuffed with antiques. Plus, there is a separate rehabbed carriage house with modern plumbing, if you wish, including two-person bathtubs (no, we didn't try the tubs). The owner prepared a wonderful breakfast -- fresh baked peach and blueberry muffin, a poached egg on toast baked in a cup, bacon, etc. Two acres to wander and look at the plants. Very quiet. Reasonably priced. Recommended. Our grandson is 15, but young children are not recommended. Check the web site. We were late, didn't arrive until 10 pm, and the owner sat up for us.

A Victorian house where you can actually stay overnight

My girlfriend and I found this place after the hotel we originally planned to stay at for a friend’s wedding, was fully booked. It was the best thing that could have happened, because Chestnut Charm B&B was such a great experience! It definitely made our trip from out of state, so good. From check-in to check-out, we were very well pleased with our stay. Barbara was very kind, down to earth and hospitable. She treated us as though we were family. Our room, Gretels Garden, was very clean and so homey. The jacuzzi tub was extremely relaxing and definitely got a lot of use during our weekend stay. The surrounding area, complete with trees, flowers, plants, and various wildlife was serene. Barbara made some of the healthiest and tastiest breakfast we’ve ever had! The fact that she uses stuff from her own garden is great. The coffee alone was so pure and smooth. We have absolutely nothing bad to say. This place far exceeded some of the best hotels we’ve stayed at in our travels. If you are looking for something serene, cozy, homey, friendly, with a delicious homemade breakfast, then this is the place for you. If we are to travel back to the Atlantic, Iowa area again, we will absolutely be staying here again. Thank you Barbara for a great experience!!!! - Jeremy & Danielle

What a great experience!!

It is obvious that the owner is writing her own reviews as they are far from the truth. After I posted the truth about this establishment with pictures, she posted a five star review saying that her heart aches about the negative reviews. Said that they couldn't be far from the truth. Well current pictures do not lie. I would rather sleep with the homeless than stay there again. We stayed there in August of 2021 right before her raving 5 star review.

This was not an amazing experience for us

The website presentation of the property did not reflect what we found upon our arrival.  We arrived at 7:30pm there were no lights to be seen from the front porch.  The approach to the front door and front porch were eerie, dank, and unkept. The porch had a strong musty smell.  As other reviews have stated there were half-dried potted plants filling half the porch.  As our host answered the door she noted that we were early and she had just turned on the air.  The inside was dark, and the hosts process of turning lights on and off as we progressed through the rooms was foreboding and controlling as if she didn’t  want us to see what was in the room.  Our host did not show us our room only told us where it was.  Our room also had a similar musty odor that we knew we could not handle. The appearance of the kitchen was very unkept and untidy and made us uncomfortable with dining in that environment.  We decided that we could not stay here.  We gathered our belongings and explained to the host that it did not meet up to our expectations. She has our credit card info and we are hoping she does not try to charge us.

We were disappointed and very uncomfortable!

This place is beyond amazing.  My heart aches about the negative reviews on here. They couldn't be more far from the truth. I cannot understand why people take time out of their day to be so negative but cannot take a moment to stop and embrace the beauty and history around them.  Thank you to the owner for keeping the history of this location alive and providing such an amazing getaway!!! I am forever grateful

AMAZING EXPERIENCE

The bad reviews do not even come close to how our experience was there. It May be the worst B&B in the USA. Don't trust the pictures on the web site because they must be at least 10 ten years old at least. Very deceptive. The hostess was rude and controlling right from the start. The grounds around the property were over grown and cluttered with concrete rubble and I also found a large  amount what appeared to be animal poop around one of the trees just outside of the home. There were weeds and trees at least 3 feet tall in some of the beds around the outside. The gazebo was rotting apart. Maybe that was because that is where she hung laundry out during the day. The entry at the front was atrocious, it was cluttered with old dirty flower pots. The stench was terrible. The walls of the entry were covered with mold and mildew. When we got to our room it was obvious that it hadn't ben occupied for quite some time. We could tell by the amount of dust on the bed covers. There was at least 1/2" of dust bunnies around the concrete blocks which were keeping the center of the bed from collapsing. Even though it was advertised that it had air conditioning, the window air conditioner couldn't be turned on. It was August 2021. I guess what was meant as air conditioning was opening the windows and turning on the bathroom exhaust fan. The room was sort of charming if you like a vodka box cardboard covering the fireplace. 
    When we walked through the cluttered kitchen we noticed insects crawling out of the garden produce strewn across the counter. The stove was not clean and was totally missing at least two burners. 
    The hostess bragged about how she used her own home grown vegetables in her omelet. It was terrible. It looked greasy and flat. I took one bite of the omelet and that was one bite too many. It ruined the rest of my breakfast.
    We understand that times are tough and we have a little compassion for the Hostess, but due to her odd behavior and we are trying to make sure that no one else falls into her trap. We are writing this review.
    We were afraid to comment to our Hostess about these issues due to her very strange behavior. In fact we  piled our luggage against our door at night just to feel safe. We strongly feel that you should be aware that this is not a nice place to stay.

Chestnut Charm Bed & Breakfast

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