When you go to Grandma's house, you expect certain things, and that's what you get at the Briar Rose Inn. Friendly, caring, clean accommodations. We, unlike Sara, were greeted by the husband, I'm thinking Tom, or Ted, but forgettable, sorry Tom/Ted, you made me carry my bag, almost all the way up the two sets of stairs, and that, was not really excellent service. And unlike Sara, we had Sally make us breakfast cause Tom/Ted went to play golf...but no worries, while cooking is not her 'forte" as put by Sally herself...the breakfast was good...not excellent...but Grandma good.

The rooms are comfortable...although ours felt a bit "crowded" like we have this, so we should put it somewhere and so let's put it right here in front of the fireplace...good idea. And our request for ice came; a teacup with ice in it...OK...I only wanted to cool my drink...

The trains start at 4:00 a.m. but to the credit of the Inn, this is NOT their fault and the other motels/hotels (2 I think, total) are closer to the tracks than are they , so...if you are in Vancouver...you will have a train, or 6, coming though between 4 and 6...7...8 in the morning. But if in Vancouver; I choose the Briar Rose Inn...it's just like staying with family.
And to their absolute credit...my husband left a pair of shorts there, and they sent them to us...no bill...no "how are you going to pay"...sent them to us..just like family.

LindySez: Sally gives you the ear plugs for a reason, use them.

Cozy B&B in historic house in the heart of Vancouver. The location is very low traffic and forms a great place for jumping off to see the area. We stayed in the smallest room (hemmingway), but it was plenty large for two people. The bed was comfortable and we had a private bath. The French Toile room also has a private bath. There are plenty of local restaurants within walking distance. Not alot of nightlife, but we came for relaxation, so it was perfect. The only drawbacks are the train and airplane noise and the very creaky stairs. They can't do anything about the outside noise and the stairs give it some charm, but may bother some. They provide earplugs in the rooms. Breakfast was fantastic with good conversation and when Ted (the owner) found out we were exploring the area, he provided a very good map. That is good attention to our needs.

This B&B definitely has character. The room we stayed in (E.Hemingway) is the only one with bathroom inside. The breakfast that Ted makes is excellent. He and Sallie are interesting to talk to. A nice,low cost alternative to staying at Portland across the river.

My husband and I recently had the pleasure of spending four nights with Ted and Sallie at the Briar Rose Inn, and what a pleasure it was! We were in Vancouver for a conference, and while all the rest of the conference attendees were staying in the same old boring hotels, eating the same old "breakfast included" buffets, we had a fabulously elegant room with an enormous king sized bed and a different gourmet breakfast every morning! Sallie and Ted were so gracious and accommodating, even allowing us to switch rooms after the first night as my husband was too tall for the queen bed with the footboard. We enjoyed hearing all about the renovations (we got some great ideas for our own kitchen remodel) and met some great people at breakfast. I am not a morning person and I rarely eat breakfast, but I managed to make it down every morning, and on our first morning home, I woke up craving a yogurt, fruit and granola parfait. I had mentioned how much I loved the French decor and that I was hoping to do something similar in my kitchen, and on our last day, I came downstairs and found at my place setting a coffee cup and saucer that Sallie had brought from a cafe in France…just one of many of the personal touches that made this such a wonderful experience. Also on our last morning, Ted made his should-be-famous gingerbread pancakes with maple whipped cream, and we ate until we were stuffed. Ted packed us some "car cakes" which we brought home much to the delight of our two rapidly growing sons who promptly devoured them. On the business side, we got to spend an extra night since our B&B was nearly half the price of hotels (and we were trying to figure out how to stay another!), and we had easy access to all the main highways (we were only fifteen minutes from the new Portland IKEA!). The rooms and bathrooms are all beautifully appointed, each with an individual theme, and kept meticulously clean. The neighborhood is not only beautiful but felt quiet and safe as well, and since we were staying in April, we were treated to a spectacular show in the well kept gardens. We are not hotel snobs by any stretch of the imagination, but we have stayed at a lot of them lately, and we wish we could find a place like this EVERYWHERE we want to travel. In fact, I found out about the Briar Rose Inn here at Tripadvisor while searching for a place to stay. I read the reviews, I was sold and now that we have stayed there, we HIGHLY recommend it to everyone who is tired of the same old hotel experience and/or wants to go back in time a little and feel pampered. We find ourselves making up reasons to make the six and half hour drive to the Vancouver/Portland area just so we can visit Ted and Sallie at the Briar Rose Inn.