A recent guest at Hargrave House Bed & Breakfast had quite a “small world” experience. Julie is from a small town in southern Australia where she helps make lunch for a children’s day school, and she was staying with us while her husband was in business meetings.

One morning after breakfast she was walking up Main Street doing some shopping when she heard her name called out, “Julie, oh Julie”. She assumed they meant someone else, as the only two people in Doylestown that she supposed knew her name were either at a meeting (her husband) or cleaning up after breakfast (Lorna, our Innkeeper).  She kept walking, but she heard “Julie” again rather breathlessly and heard running footsteps approach. She turned around to see an unexpected but familiar face. It was a woman from her home town in Australia!

Over a pleasant lunch at the Pennsylvania Soup & Seafood House, they compared notes. The woman was one of the Moms whose child Julie had been preparing lunch for only a week or so prior in Australia!

Last week, TripAdvisor.com named a local bed and breakfast as #2 among the Ten Best Luxury Bed & Breakfasts in the US and #4 on the World Top Ten List (see here and here). Huge congratulations to Mike Amery, the Owner of this now (even more) famous Inn at Bowman’s Hill just south of New Hope, PA.

We have been acquainted with Mike for some time. He was even kind enough to walk through the Hargrave House Bed & Breakfast a few years ago, when we were re-furnishing, and give us advice on how to improve the comfort and experience of our guests here in downtown Doylestown. Our guests should be grateful to Mike for our adoption of some luxury items like the “amazingly comfortable” beds & linens, Keurig coffee makers, flat-screen HDTVs, individual fridge, individual climate control and the atmosphere and service we provide. While Mike provides a romantic setting in his estate near the Bowman’s Hill and Wildflower Preserve with his pond and pool and beautiful grounds, we find Hargrave House provides a home away from home for many business travelers and lawyers during the week and, on the weekends, we host guests who want to enjoy the unique atmosphere of our lovely town, attend special events, or have a second honeymoon. We thank Mike for helping us to be able to host this diversity of guests to Doylestown with style and luxury, and we wish him well in dealing with the increased world-wide guest traffic this well-earned bit of fame will provide.

This is the real “Spirit of Christmas” stuff – and one of the nicest traditions in Doylestown, PA!   Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church runs this amazing tour of some of Doylestown’s nicest homes every year.  Four different homes are chosen and decorated most imaginatively and beautifully each year within an easy walking distance of each other (1.2 miles) and the church (at the corner of Pine and Oakland).  You can take a guided walk through each of the houses and then retire to St. Paul’s Parish House to do a little shopping at the Boutique.  They always have wonderful hand-baked sugar cookies, other baked goods, seasonal gifts and decorations and greens.  There are also raffles and very nice tea and refreshments.  All in all, a most festive beginning to this season!

Tickets are available for advance sale now at the Parish Office ($20).  You may also purchase them at the Parish Hall door during the event ($25).  The event times are: Friday, December 3rd, 6 to 9PM, and Saturday, December 4th, Noon to 6PM.  (Snow date is Sunday, December 5th, Noon to 6PM.  Cor more information call (215) 348-5511 or visit the St. Paul’s website at www.StPaulsDoylestown.org.

Proceeds benefit the Bucks County Housing Group (Doylestown Homeless Shelter) and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Believe it or not, a large portion of our clientele are from over seas. Who would have thought that quaint Doylestown was a hub for international tourism? But in just the past few months we received guests from China, Europe, and most recently, Israel.

As with all guests, we go the extra mile to suit the needs of all those who come to our lovely B and B. This is especially true when those staying with us are not only in a a new town, but a whole new country. We’re careful to extend our personal service and care to those particular travelers, even when there is a language barrier, and have been very successful to this end. In fact, we recently obtained a translation of a couple Hebrew  notes that were left for our Inn Keeper, Lorna, and here is what they said:

Dear Lorna,

I will warmly recommend this place to all of my friends.  Your warmth and your willing to help and answer all our needs, turned this stay to a wonderful experience.

With deep friendship,
Koby

P.S.  I will surely return here with my family every chance I could!!!

Dear Lorna

I arrived from Israel for business, to a town I’ve never heard of.  I stayed a week at Hargrave House.  The town is enchanting and the hotel feels like home and is charming, with gorgeous rooms that spoil you.  Lorna, the hostess, imposes a fun and relaxing atmosphere with services I have never encountered.

It was an amazing week on all accounts.  I recommend it very warmly!!!  I will come back here with my family.

Nir

A really nice way to start your Holidays in Doylestown is the Annual Christmas in Doylestown House Tour and Boutique.  This event is sponsored by Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church to raise funds for the local homeless shelter and other projects at Saint Paul’s.  (Over the years Saint Paul’s has donated over $72,000 to the Bucks County Housing Group to benefit the Doylestown Homeless Shelter – major percentage of their non-government funding.)

This multi-level event will take place on the first weekend in December to coincide with Doylestown’s First Friday – The dates are December 4-5.  This year, four borough homes, gorgeously decorated inside and out by Saint Paul’s parishioners, will be featured on the house tour.  Paxson Hall, the Church Education Center, is transformed into a festive holiday boutique, featuring Tea for house tour ticket holders, and a full array of baked goods, our famous butter cookies, dolls and gifts for the holiday and attic treasures.

The House Tours run from 6 to 9PM on Friday, Dec. 4th, and from 11AM to 4PM on Saturday, Dec. 5th.  The Boutique is free and opens one hour earlier.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.  Advance tickets may be purchased by mail by sending a check (made out to “Saint Paul’s House Tour Fund”) and a self-addressed envelope to the parish office.  Orders received after November 25th will be held at the boutique for pick up on tour days.  The address is:

Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church
84 WEAst Oakland Avenue
Doylestown, PA 18901

Enjoy the arts in the heart of Doylestown PA. Stay at the Hargrave House Bed and Breakfast, 50 South Main Street, in the center of Doylestown. They don’t make small towns like this anymore! Almost everything you want to do is within two blocks of Hargrave House. There’s the Annual Art Festival taking place in the streets of Doylestown on Saturday, September 12/13, just 1 block from Hargrave House. And, there’s the James A. Michener Art Museum which opens the doors to the premier exhibit of Jim Henson’s Fantastic World on Saturday, September 12th through November 29th. This exhibit is the inaugural show in the Della Penna-Fernberger | Paton | Smith Galleries, the new exhibition space that is the center-piece of the Museum’s $12 million expansion. Then Sunday the Univest Grand Prix international Bicycle Race will circle downtown between 10AM and 1:30PM Sunday the 13th.

Have fun walking through the art exhibits and galleries in the streets of downtown on Saturday. Shop and dine at your choice of great restaurants. Attend a movie at our wonderful restored Art Deco County Theater (2 tickets on us!) which features smaller and independent films. Enjoy the night life, and then walk (don’t drive) back to your luxurious jacuzzi and featherbed at the Hargrave House. Have a hearty breakfast cooked in-house especially for you in the mornings. Many of the streets may be closed for events like the Art Festival and bicycle race, but you won’t worry because you are parked (for free) in our private lot. Walk over to the Jim Henson exhibit and enter Jim’s world of Muppets and Sesame characters. (Again 2 tickets on us – And these are untimed tickets, not the timed tickets the Museum sells at the door.)

Our price for this terrific art-filled weekend (Friday and Saturday nights) at the Hargrave House is only $350 to $400 for the weekend – depending on room availability. We are sorry, but only two-night reservations are being taken. If you want to stay over an additional night, add a mere $100 for either Thursday or Sunday nights to this offer. See you soon!

Here is a display of Geil's Great Wall of China's expedition

Here is a news clipping of the enormous crowd that turned out for Geil's speach in Australia

To see the rest of the photo gallery, click here.

It’s that time of year again–beautiful Saturdays spent at the Doylestown Farmers Market.

This is a great way to support the local economy as all the vendors live in the surrounding areas and produce whatever they sell. Other markets call themselves “Farmers Markets,” but the Doylestown Farmers Market is the real deal. The market is located on Hamilton St., between State St and Oakland Ave.

While shopping at the market, stop by and check out or beautiful B & B. We are located at 50 South Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901