Oliver Inn

So I just stayed here on the 5^th and 6^th of this month. although the place is beautiful and the inn keeper was great (I never once met the owners Alice and Tom) there were a few issues. The house is old and I know old houses are not insulated so everything was cold, all the time. My room at some point in the evening the heat shut off completely. I wondered why there was an extra space heater in the room, but nothing was mentioned to me about it. the house has radiator heating which is centrally controlled not individual. I woke up frozen and my tiny dog that was traveling with me was shaking terribly. This was the Colfax room. The bath tub is extremely tiny, you can only sit, and barely fit. I am not a big person. There is only 1 restaurant near by and it was awful, so I resorted to the pastries and cocoa in the kitchen because my dinner was inedible. One old Swiss miss packet in a box and 1 sad cookie under glass was what was available. Other guests couldn’t sleep and continued to open and close doors at all hours of the night and the noise echoes through the house. I got zero sleep. So I was unrested starving and frozen come morning. The up side, minus the creepy life sized stuffed man sitting at the piano in the foyer, the breakfast was good, anything you ask for will be made. The fruit was fresh, the coffee good and I enjoyed great company and conversation at the table with other guests. the place is very clean and tidy. They take dogs for a fee which is nice, and you have only two rooms to choose from, a very large room or the freezing smaller room. other than freezing and not sleeping due to noise and being hungry the place is ok. Signed, Shannon C.

Stayed here on a weekend getaway. Tom and Alice were excellent hosts and made us feel right at home. Alice’s breakfast cuisine was amazing and the Oliver House had such great character and a rich history. From the claw foot tub to the impeccable gardens and amazingly comfortable bed, this place was perfect for our couple’s getaway!

Beautiful quiet and quaint location, we made a quick decision to get away for a night and found this gem online and booked it, having never been to a B&B I was a little nervous but was very glad we did. Rooms are all well decorated, and not stuffy but a livable feel, very comfortable furnishings throughout the place. Owners are just perfect at what they are doing, awesome fresh cookies in butlers pantry was nice to cure my sweet tooth before calling it a day. Loved their coffee mugs and the endless coffee that we were able to enjoy in the morning on our private balcony, again very peaceful and will definitely be back when we need another short break from the hustle and bustle,

The Inn is very well kept and beautiful. They try to keep it looking and feeling as close to the era as possible with some very nice modern amenities. It was our fist visit to the inn and a bed and breakfast, but it won;t be our last. The owners are so welcoming and friendly. The rooms are well kept and comfortable. We loved our stay and will be returning the next time we are in the area.

As we drove up the drive of this enchanting home we were greeted by the Innkeeper, Alice. She is very personable and will go out of her way to make you comfortable and make sure that you have everything you need for a comfortable stay. The house is amazing on the inside and makes you feel like you are actually in the time when this was an active family home. Alice and Tom are the most gracious hosts you’ll ever meet. The breakfast Alice makes is unforgettable and Tom makes sure that your coffee cup is never empty. If you’re coming to the area don’t pass up a chance to go back to the Victorian era and stay here. Check their internet site as they also run some very reasonable specials.

My wife & I took a «stay-​cation» during our break from teaching and found this place online. When we stayed the night we were the only guests in the inn! Our experience was awesome. Tom and Alice (owners) were great. They are very welcoming, the rooms were very clean, the jacuzzi bathtub was great. The inn was also decorated since it was right after Christmas, and looked beautiful.
Breakfast the next morning was banana coffee cake, baked apple pancake, bacon seasoned with pepper and brown sugar, and fresh fruit. The food and service were awesome. If you are looking for somewhere to spend a romantic night and just relax, I highly recommend the Oliver Inn. If you’re going to be in the South Bend area and want some place to stay that is as good as a chain hotel but with tons more charm and character, I also recommend the Oliver Inn.

my review is way long overdue, like six months overdue. i guess you can base how great our experience was on the impression it left on me! i have horrible memory, too.
this was my first and only bed & breakfast place i’ve stayed so i really have no state of reference, BUT i think we can all agree we know when something is good.
when we went, it was right after a huge wave of people of left. apparently, the place was a full house just before us and then completely empty the nights we were there. it was fantastic– like we had the whole place to ourselves! they did such a great job of cleaning, too, i would have never known so many people were there a few hours earlier.
since we were the only guests there, the hosts got a few days to themselves. they were super friendly and sweet; i don’t know if it’s because they were extra relaxed or if they’re always like that! any questions we had about the area, they were willing to answer.
the best thing about this place was definitely the food. oh man, we ate a LOT. i think we even asked for seconds. it was always a great arrangement of delicious food. i definitely recommend this place. it’s in a great location close to many other things to visit and see in the area. we had a full schedule in our short visit. should we ever return to the area, we’ll definitely be staying here! having another groupon wouldn’t hurt either!

found this place on Unilocal actually — thanks, Unilocal.
one of the BEST b n b’s i’ve ever stayed in.
Alice and Tom were so gracious and kind. the room was nice and clean and had a fireplace! awesome.
this place is the TOP rated b n b in the DINA — for good reason.
3 blocks from the heart of downtown south bend (which is aweseome for all of you haters), this place is perfect for a fall getaway, a football weekend or just a romantic jaunt.
i love the oliver inn.

LOVED IT!
This was our first B&B, and they set our standard high!
When I was looking at B&B’s online so many have terrible wallpaper and clutter. This place is historic, yet modern, clean, and easy on the eyes. We stayed in the Oliver room, and the bed is so comfy and welcoming. The jetted tub is relaxing. Alice and Tom did a great job fulfilling our special request for our 1^st anniversary. I loved how when Alice was giving us a tour Tom on the downlow carried our bags to our room so when the tour ended at our room our bags were there. The butlers pantry with cookies and drink is a nice perk. I think my husband ate all of Alice’s fresh chocolate chip cookies, lol! Alice gave us perfect directions to the Notre Dame campus, where we took a walk. I read somewhere they have one of the prettiest campuses, and in the fall it was beautiful.
Breakfast was to die for! Apple pancake with spiraled peppered and brown sugar bacon, how amazing! Alice even shared with us how she made it. Enjoyed everything about it! Have to go back and stay here again so we can visit the Tippencanoe restaurant next door.

My wife and I spent 3 nights at the Oliver Inn for our honeymoon. We stayed in the Carraige House which is extremely private and absolutely beautiful! It has a kitchen, living room, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and one incredible jacuzzi tub. Not only are the accommodations absolutely fantastic, but the food is unbelievable. I’ve never had a better breakfast anywhere else.

I must explain myself to my fellow Unilocalers. As you see, I haven’t wrote a review since last month around this time. That is because this is my 100^th review and I wanted to make sure I had a spectacular place to review. I think this is the perfect place to take my 100^th review spot.
I purchased a LS escape for the Oliver Inn. I figured that it was just far enough away to be a weekend getaway. It seemed like a really nice place from the pictures and the reviews. I always told my husband that before I venture out of the country, I would like to see more of the country I already live in. There are so many little spots nestled in the US that we know nothing about. Well seeing that I had waited till it was about to expire, I told my husband we better go.
My reservations was on Memorial Day. I was unable to participate in the traditional celebrations because of having stomach surgery the week before. So I thought that this would be perfect for some relaxation. This is a great getaway from Chicago. It’s a college town, (Notre Dame, St. Joseph to name a few) and it also houses the College Football Hall of Fame. This is also where John Dillinger robbed at a bank at back in 1934. (I’m a little bit of a history geek) Very Historic town and you can tell by the large beautiful homes in the area. The drive was nice and serene. No traffic, no construction. Lots of trees, horses, goats, cows and bulls though. And plenty of farmland.
It took us a bout an hour and a half to get there. (Had to stop at the rest area, I always gotta go, LOL) Upon arriving at the Inn, I felt like I has stepped back in time. It was a glorious looking mansion. A water fountain is in the front part of the massive yard. There were chairs and tree swings to the rear. A small patio area is in the front of the home. Coming into the Inn, we were greeted by one of the Innkeepers. Alice was very warm and inviting and welcomed us into the Inn. She showed us around the beautiful and well kept place. There was a lot of time and effort put into keeping the history of the Oliver Inn.
We stayed in Gertrude’s dressing room. It’s a room with lots of storage space and an immaculate bathroom. The room was so quaint and comfortable. I love the fact that there was a journal in the room dating from 2008. Everyone who has stayed in the room wrote of their experience. Very, very, very clean. For this to be an old house, there wasn’t one speck of dust anyway. Alice and her husband Tom are the Innkeepers. They were so nice and friendly, you felt as if you were part of their family.
Even though this is an old and historic home, they had to have a few modern things. There is a BIG jacuzzi tub in the enormous bathroom. TV’s with cable in the rooms. And of course FREE WIFI.
My husband and I had a chance to relax out in the yard on the tree swing. We also sat by the fountain and just listened to the water. Snacks and drinks are provided in the kitchen area. Alice had made some chocolate cupcakes that my husband loved. (I thought he was gonna OD on the cupcakes) I drank herbal tea all day long. I felt as if I didn’t have a care in the world.
The next morning breakfast was served at 9. Alice had made a ham and cheese quiche that was delicious. There was also fresh fruit, coffee cake and english muffins. Fresh coffee, tea and juice was also provided. I told my husband that I would love to come back. If you want to relax and enjoy historic homes, this is a lovely place to check out.

I have yet to stay at the Oliver Inn, but met the couple that owns the property during the first week I lived in South Bend. I joined them a few weeks later for a lovely breakfast meeting, and dined with their guests. I was served incredible homemade speciality french toast and a lovely quiche.
After breakfast, they treated me to a tour of the property. I would highly recommend the property to anyone that needs a quiet get away, or has family/​friends in town.

Wow, arriving late at night, it is hard to grasp the elegance of this wonderful old house. But when you see the amount of land around it, you know that it was an important residence.
We got a great room, filled with antiques and lots of windows letting in the light and the views, even a nice balcony. Breakfast was delightful and the hosts are very gracious.
This would for sure be on my list of places to come back to.
This is an old house that has been kept very much in its time period. So they have really wonderful classic old house amenities, which mean a claw foot tub and a bathroom set in the early days. It all works well, but it is not your sleek modern bath, so be prepared to step back in history, of course elegant history, this was the home of one a industrial titan, so nothing is second rate!

Breakfast was amazing. The inn was very clean. Having to call the innkeeper for climate control in the room was not that great, but I don’t think it would keep me from going back.

My husband and I got married in my hometown of the Dirty B and we wanted a nice play to stay after all of the craziness was over. We definitely loved the charm and décor of the Oliver Inn. We stayed in the Tippecanoe Room which has a Jacuzzi tub for 2 people. The owners were super nice and even let us check in a day early and drop off our stuff. And even better, when we got to our room after the reception, they had left us some freshly baked cookies. And their breakfasts are fantastic too.

The Oliver Inn is comfortable, plain and simple, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone interested in a weekend getaway or place to find some peace and quiet. Out of the dozen or so places I’ve stayed all over the USA, The Oliver Inn is the best, hands down. Every room is spacious and neatly filled with sturdy, functional antiques; color schemes are restful and interior decorating is tasteful and not an explosion of quilted pillows and lacy, and there are just the right amount of modern touches (hair drier, wi-​fi, and adequate insulation) to make everything comfortable. Alice and Tom are thoughtful, generous hosts who really do take care of each guest as if they were a guest and not just a credit card number. Alice is also a fantastic cook and her breakfasts themselves (which she designs based on guests tastes and needs) are worth making the reservation. As a bonus, the area is pleasant, there are museums within walking distance and a very good restaurant (in a former mansion) next door.