Stephen Daniels Guest House

I was really excited about the possibility of staying here in October because it has such great reviews, however trying to book a reservation was a complete nightmare. I called on Sunday to get information and the owner was very nice and helpful, telling me it would be $ 180 a night, which seemed great. I let her know I would probably be booking it but just wanted to check a couple things and would call back. I called back later that same day several times but no one answered. When I tried the next day the same woman told me they were suddenly not taking reservations for October yet. I reminded her that we spoke on Sunday about it and she was willing then to book it. She then remembered speaking to me but then got weird again about booking it, but said she would. When I confirmed the $ 180 price however, she said it had changed to $ 400 a night. I said I would have to think about that and she ended with «you do that» and hung up. I was nothing but pleasant to her and was really looking forward to staying there, but will definitely be booking somewhere else.

At first I was nervous about staying here, I was afraid the house was going to feel claustrophobic and dark. I was pleasantly surprised with how much larger the rooms actually felt, and the amount of sunlight that came in. My parents, boyfriend, and myself all shared the rose room. I was a little nervous about all having to share the one bathroom that came with those rooms, and offered to buy the additional room across the stairs that came with another bathroom. My parents talked me out of it and didn’t want me to spend the extra cash, but when we came back from dinner the Inn keeper, Robin, left a note on our nightstand saying we were welcome to use the 2^nd bathroom. Robin did a great job with welcoming us and giving us great suggestions of where to go. The linens were very clean and very comfortable. She also makes delicious muffins, my boyfriend actually ate 3 because they were so good. Highly reccmond staying here. If you do, check the drawers in your room, there are tons and tons of little notes hidden everywhere.

First of all, you have to understand the house is a historical legend. It’s actually OLDER than the House of the Seven Gables around the corner, which is a place where they won’t even let you touch the walls because it’s so old. But here, you can sleep and hang out and do whatever. This place is AMAZING.
So it was built in 1667, by Stephen Daniels. As Robin will tell you, he wasn’t part of the witch trials, which is pretty cool. Robin and Kay are great hostesses, and breakfast was always a treat. We actually chose to stay an extra day because we were having such a good time. For such an old place, we certainly felt right at home!
To describe the house is quite difficult, because there is really a sense of awe when you enter and realize that not only are you in this space, but get to sleep here and feel at home. Kay has filled the house with stunning antiques over the years, and we enjoyed making stories about the different paintings in the different rooms.
My partner and I stayed in the main room, where we really had half the house on the second floor. We had a back room with a full bed and sitting area as well, which we made use of by playing chess with Kay’s antique chess board. I’ve stayed in some fancy hotels before, but I’ve really never had this much space. It was beyond luxurious and exciting. Also all the rooms were air conditioned and the bathrooms were totally modern and lovely. So while we got to stay in a colonial mansion, it certainly never felt like colonial times!
Kay and Robin were lovely, and everyone who we met at breakfast and out in the town were just wonderful. Also, the place is pet friendly, so we got to meet an adorable dog and guinea pig during our extended stay. I came to Salem for my birthday, and I wanted to find a place with history. And we certainly got it, plus more! We can’t wait to go back!

So I found this guest house on rainy night to stay in ! Was welcomed nicely with some great drink !! Cozy and beautiful bedrooms ! Some different experience in Salem !

This is a tough review to write. I wanted to love the Stephen Daniels House but it wasn’t the best experience. In concept, it is a really cool place to stay, definitely one of the oldest in Salem filled with lots of crazy antiques. But with that much history comes 300+ years of smells. All I could smell in the house were pets, mustiness and smoke. I am super sensitive to smells and I didn’t realize there would be a cat running in and out of rooms, so my allergies made me absolutely miserable. We were given a two bedroom suite with three total beds even though we said there would only be two of us, which seemed really odd. The room was really cool though and like the rest of the house, decorated with some great antiques. The caretaker is super sweet and she made a great breakfast for us the day we left. Though when we checked out they did not have any change which is strange for a place that is cash or check only so I paid more than I had to, which amounted to the tip I would have left anyway, but I don’t like being forced info giving more. Also there was confusion at booking. My boyfriend was given a rate $ 10 lower than my rate when I booked.

We had a fantastic time. Dog friendly– fantastic muffins for the continental breakfast. Our family -(man, woman and 2 dogs) enjoyed the beauty and charm of this wonderful place. Great location– great of a family– we had ¼ of the house– 1 bedrooms and 3 bed with a bath. Sad we did not have friends with us of the visit.

I stayed here with a friend last week after searching very hard for an authentic, no-​nonsense experience during my travels on the east coast. THIS was one of the most fantastic experiences I’ve ever had, well, anywhere! If you truly want to slip back in time and have an open mind to experience a little bit of magic and mystery without pretense (and skip the boring hotels and hokey tourist traps), then this is definitely the place for you. Salem is a magical place, and I think this is one of its hidden crown jewels.
Kay Gill is the owner of this beautiful, whimsical home from the 1600’s (yes, the 1600’s — the same family owned it for over two centuries!) and I felt extremely welcome in her home. When my friend and I arrived in the morning, her assistant Robin was very sweet and showed us around and to our rooms. Robin also helped with breakfast in the morning (the muffins and fruit and drinks were great!!) and was very accommodating.
The home is filled with books and magazines about Salem and every other kind of subject you can think of, plus a treasure trove of antiques from around the world. Ask Kay about them — she has worked very hard to attain some really cool things, and there are a lot of stories to hear. Be kind to Kay and Robin and the other guests — be a pleasant traveler and considerate of others (and open to meeting new people), and I think your experience in Salem will reward you tenfold.
Also — the house is kept in FANTASTIC shape — my friend and I have dust allergies, but had absolutely no problems during our stay. The rooms are incredibly unique and just wonderful. Every nook and cranny has something to peak your curiosity.
As a kid who always wished/​felt like I belonged in another time period — this was a dream come true. I absolutely cannot wait to return — the Stephen Daniels House is now my first choice of stay when I come back to Salem. Much thanks to Robin and Kay for a wonderful stay — we sincerely wish we could have stayed with you longer!

I’ve been terribly remiss in writing about this amazing old home. It’s been nearly a year since I visited, but I’d jump at the opportunity to go back.
Warning: This is not the place for you if you a) find creepy old houses, well, creepy and b) can’t do without modern amenities. Normally I fall into the latter category, but I also love creepiness, and that aspect won me over. Mind you, I’m not into rundown old rack-​shacks; this home has real charm and is well-​maintained. It’s like stepping into history.
Built in the 17^th century, it’s three stories high and has nice, roomy guest bedrooms. There’s a lot of cool historical facts that our colorful hostess, Kay, pointed out. One of its most notable features, the humongous fireplaces that were taller than me, made me feel like I was on the set of The Crucible. We got the largest bedroom, the green room. It was decorated as it would have been 300 years ago with cool/​creepy little touches everywhere – like the portraits of men and women whose stern stares seemed to follow us around the room… and the eerie baby’s cradle in the extremely large, attached bathroom. I was expecting it to start rocking by itself… but, again, this all added to the fun. It was like Halloween in April.
Kay is a tad on the elderly side and all the way on the deaf side… but she’s a dear lady and so sweet. She helpfully gave us a sightseeing map and even told me where I could find some antique shops (we talked enough for her to find out about my antique addiction, but she wasn’t the overbearing type that traps you into long conversations either). It was a little disconcerting to find out that we were the only ones staying there that night – and that her only hired help was indefinitely in the hospital – but, we were gone most of the day and had a great time sightseeing around the very interesting town of Salem.
We returned late that night, and the house was so quiet that we felt compelled to tiptoe in. Even the stairs to our second-​floor room were delightfully narrow and winding. We had a fireplace in our room, but we weren’t sure whether we had permission to light it or not, so we didn’t. We snooped around a little and found a bunch of cool little handwritten notes around the room from past guests. Several of them alluded to a «mystery guest» that would come visit us in the middle of the night. That definitely piqued our interest! We wondered if there was a ghost legend. Some time later that night, my husband opened the door to go outside and smoke… and the mystery guest/​ghost cat ran in and hopped right up on the bed with me! Okay, it wasn’t a ghost, but a real-​live black cat. It kicked back a while with me and then left when my husband came back. That made for a cute memory.
I kind of feel like this place really deserves 5 stars, but I’m giving it 4 only because the «breakfast» part of «bed and breakfast» was lacking. We made it downstairs the next morning only to be presented with the driest muffins I’ve ever tasted. You could literally hammer a nail into the wall with these muffins. I wondered if they’d been sitting out for a week. In addition, we were served sour orange juice (the frozen variety, I’d guess). We picked at the muffins and then went down the street for a real breakfast.
Only other (minor) complaints: She only takes cash or checks (no credit cards) and our bathroom towels smelled musty, not freshly-​washed. However, on balance, I highly recommend this place for the unparalleled experience and for the pleasure of meeting this dear, dear lady, Kay. She’ll even give you a little tour of the amazing house… well worth the visit! I’d definitely go back.

Stayed here recently and 20 years ago. Like living in the House of Seven Gables. Not too many chances to stay in a 17^th century home in the US.