Fitzgerald’s Irish Bed & Breakfast

My husband and I were celebrating our anniversary and we delighted to find an Irish B&B within the distance we were looking. Based on the website, we were anticipating a wonderful weekend. Unfortunately, the owners were not there (they also host trips around the world at various parts of the year, according to the website), and the inn sitter was not very hospitable. Both mornings when there was lively chatter with the other couples there for the weekend around the breakfast table, she interrupted the conversation without so much as an «Excuse me», and took food away without asking if I was done. The Sunday morning everyone was to check out, she broke into the conversation and said that we all needed to check out at 11:00 and needed to pay our bills beforehand. I felt there was a better way to handle this, such as speaking to each couple individually before breakfast. It was very awkward. Being an older house and the weather being very cold while we were there, it was chilly in the downstairs almost all the time. She was not always available to turn the heat up, and when someone did, she was somewhat confrontational.
I’ve stayed at many B&Bs because I do travel writing, and I’ve never seen a place that didn’t have coffee and/​or tea available all the time, and often cookies or some homemade treat. Nothing like that was available, except packaged flavored nuts, chocolate candy bars, soda, bottled water, and small bottles of various alcohol in the room with a note that said it wasn’t complimentary. The one evening I asked for a cup of tea because my throat was a little scratchy, the innkeeper sounded as if it was an imposition to fix it. I would have been glad to fix a cup of tea myself, but we were told at check-​in that we were not to use the kitchen.
The food was a bit disappointing as well. The second morning was a baked bread pudding dish that was still soggy in parts. While the fresh fruit cup was good both mornings, the meat was a little dry, and so were the biscuits. Additional cups of coffee seemed troublesome for the innkeeper to provide when putting more than one carafe on the table would have been a quick and easy solution.
Considering the cost of the B&B and the promotion on the website, we were very disappointed and will probably not be returning.

Synopsis: House was gorgeous, innkeepers friendly but a bit aloof, and we were disappointed that the breakfast at a B&B modeled on Irish B&Bs had only a continental breakfast.
Longer version: we were celebrating my wife’s birthday and I was excited to find an Irish style B&B near somewhere we wanted to visit. We loved the friendly folks in Ireland as well as the fantastic full breakfasts. I saw the video that indicated visitors to Fitzgerald’s B&B got a full breakfast, and I figured they might at least say happy birthday to her.
When we were met the night before her birthday, Debbie, the proprietress, welcomed us warmly, and in passing mentioned that the next morning we’d be having a continental breakfast. I didn’t want to raise a fuss, so said nothing. Later that evening I read a brochure left in the room which said a full breakfast was one of the amenities. Still later I found on the website where it indicated that full breakfasts were served on weekends and holidays, but continental breakfast on other weekdays.
Therefore, I hoped to see the husband in the morning and maybe pursuade him to make an egg or two for us in addition to the cereal and coffee.
Unfortunately, the morning of my wife’s birthday, we saw neither hide nor hair of the proprietor, and didn’t think of calling him to ask. To be fair, there was a very nice fruit bowl (tasty and fresh with mango and peaches) for us, as well as a scone (good but not as good as I’d hoped based on the comments), along with coffee and a selection of cereals. But no yogurt or toast or hard boiled eggs.
We did look around at their nice décor, see the musical instruments, and did enjoy the ambiance of the house. And the room was very nice.
So, if you’re ok with a B&B with the emphasis on the first B, and innkeepers who give you plenty of privacy, this is a good place for you. But if you’re expecting an Irish style B&B with a full breakfast (or maybe even an Irish breakfast), you’ll be disappointed.

I LOVE Fitzgerald’s Irish B&B! There is not TOO much to do in Painesville, but it is only about a ½ hour from Cleveland and Northern Ohio wine country. My husband and I have stayed there three times… the first time was when we first starting dating in 2009 and was our first stay at a B&B, and our most recent visit was this past February. I love the French Tudor home, and the design and architecture is beautiful. We have stayed in both the Galway room on the 1^st floor, which has an amazing bathroom with two person jacuzzi tub, and the Bushmills room, which is a private, awesomely designed room on the 3^rd floor.
Tom and Debra who own and live in the home are gracious hosts, and they strike an excellent balance. They are friendly, accommodating, and willing to talk to you about their travels, tours or restaurant recommendations yet they are also not intrusive or in your face. The rooms, beds, linens and amenities are all of excellent quality and comfortable. The breakfast is delicious! Tom is an amazing chef… those scones!!! I recommend staying during a weekend to get a nice sample of savory and sweet breakfast entrees.
Go there! I can’t wait to visit again, and we hope to accompany the Fitzgeralds on one of their tours sometime.