Briar Barn Inn Hotel Review

Just north of Boston in Rowley, Massachusetts resides the refined farmhouse known as Briar Barn Inn. The Inn combines rustic comfort and modern luxury giving that quaint and distinct farmhouse experience where you’re transported into a New England Dream. It’s also the perfect place to stay during one of your winter travels whether you’re exploring Boston and the surrounding area or hosting an event onsite. The hotel provides the perfect venue for friends, couples, and families to make wonderful memories that are worth cherishing for a lifetime.

Briar Barn Inn is located on the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway where you can experience the rocky coastline and gorgeous beaches of Ipswich, Cape Ann and Newburyport. It’s an excellent location to do some exploring and also have a cozy and rustic place to come back to. I truly believe this area is one of the most beautiful in the United States, but perhaps I’m a bit biased.

Briar Barn Inn Hotel Review

If you’re looking for a quaint and cozy getaway tucked in the woods with plenty of things to do onsite, then Briar Barn in is for you. As you pull up to the Inn, you’ll be greeted with modern farmhouse architecture, windy pathways, rocking chairs, fire pits and an overall peaceful atmosphere around the property. The ambiance indoors is quite warm, welcoming, and bright between the natural light, fireplaces, wooden interiors with beautiful art, lamps and books to read on every floor. What makes the hotel unique is generally the quietness you feel on property even when the hotel is fully booked. There’s just something about the layout of the hotel that makes it feel super inviting yet private and remote.

The Inn has 30 distinctive guest rooms, a restaurant which is used for both dining and events, as well as a spa to enjoy in all seasons. In fact, it’s the kind of place where locals like to visit for special dinners and staycations. And also where travelers from afar like to visit for authentic experiences and events.

Briar Barn Inn Hotel Rooms

The rooms at Briar Barn Inn are truly special. Between the natural lighting, shuddered windows, cleanliness, luxury amenities, stunning architecture, arched door frames, lounge area and fireplaces with a welcome bottle of champagne, I felt right at home. The touches of woods, golds, greenery and neutral tones also make it the most gorgeous modern farmhouse vibes which is honestly the look I’m going for in my future home.

The inn currently offers four types of rooms including the King Suites, Double Queen Rooms, Grand King Suites and Queen Rooms. Each room is equipped with a cozy seating area, a fireplace, a custom hideaway entertainment cabinet with a 46” flat screen TV, an assortment of original artwork, custom furnishings, and and gorgeous antique pieces amenities you can find in-room include complimentary water, a mini-fridge, a selection of convenience items, a room service menu, as well as plush bathrobes, slippers, luxury bath products, an alcove tub and a separate standup shower.

If you’re interested in booking a room at Briar Barn Inn, be sure to do so through my VIP hotel booking link to get the best room and rates.

The Spa At Briar Barn Inn Hotel

Taking advantage of the spa is always a good call at hotels. I personally don’t treat myself to spa appointments unless it is paired with a hotel stay as it just enhances your experience. The Spa at Briar Barn Inn includes facials, massages, foot soaks, makeup application, waxing and lash treatment. They also have a separate building for all the treatments where you can indulge in pampering sessions designed to help restore & relax.

During my stay, I went for a classic Swedish Massage but learned very quickly upon arrival that this type of massage wasn’t my style. I realized I’m more into a Deep Tissue Massage for sore muscles, tightness and strains as opposed to oily and aromatherapy massages. Ryan was super accommodating, attentive and patient when figuring out what massage would work best for me. He was very professional in his practice and really helped me work through some terrible muscle tension I had in my head and neck. Because sitting at my desk all day as a blogger really builds up pain in that area. And within an hour I already felt so much relief! The room was beautifully lit, the music was calming and all the scents were so relaxing. I definitely recommend this spa for treatment.

During the month of February, you have access to special packages including a February Foot Soak, Hot Cocoa Massage, Couple’s Deluxe Foot Soak, Valentine’s Weekend Specials, A Solo Spa Day Package, a Girls Day Out Package as well as a Classic Spa Day Package. Click here to learn more about what these packages offer.

Briar Barn Inn Hotel Amenities

As with any luxury hotel, you have access to a plethora of amenities available to you including the onsite restaurant, gas fireplaces, high-speed internet, bottled water, Frette bed and bath linen, flat-screen TVs, ironing board & iron, fine quality in-room bathrobes, all natural bathroom products, hair dryer, in-room safe, mini-fridge, access to the onsite spa, dry cleaning services and express check-out.

In fact, I personally enjoyed the onsite restaurant, spa, bottled water and luxury bathroom products with makeup remover wipes as well as a black makeup cloth. This is only the second hotel I’ve seen do this and I always find it so considerate because I hate getting a white washcloth dirty with makeup. It’s a very thoughtful touch and that’s just one example of the many intentional touches and details around property.

The Grove at Briar Barn Inn

Now let’s get to the best part of the Inn, The Grove. Located right next to Briar Barn Inn, you’ll find this luxury farmhouse with gorgeous interiors, white string lights, rustic decor, formal seating, separate rooms to explore and a bar right in the middle. Not only is the ambiance stunning with dim lighting and Frank Sinatra playing but the food is absolutely delicious.

The menu gives you a taste of seasonal dishes year-round that you can enjoy for brunch on the weekends and dinner during the evenings. Some dishes we tried for dinner includes the Fried Dill Pickles with everything sauce, Potato Skin Patatas Bravas with a creamy and savory spicy aioli sauce, parsley, bacon, scallion & creme, the Tuna Nachos (my personal favorite) with asian salsa, sake soy broth, citrus aioli, wontons and seaweed salad and the pasta bolognese. All such rich with flavor and design making it a delicious and well-rounded meal. The cocktails were also fabulous and strong!

The best part about The Grove is that it caters to a number of meetings, private events and weddings, making it the ideal location for celebrations. In fact, the Inn itself caters to weddings and events year-round. So having The Grove as an additional space is the cherry on top of a beautiful event. The space is very functional and allows for cocktail hours, receptions, dance floors, formal seating, casual seating and offers an abundance of choices for mingling both indoors and outdoors.

My Honest Review Of Briar Barn Inn Hotel

During my stay at Briar Barn Inn, I felt taken care of from the moment I got there until the moment I left. Between the easy parking, warm welcome in the lobby, cozy fireplaces, stunning decor and details, spacious and well-lit room, bottle of champagne, the spa experience and The Grove, I felt like I truly had the well-rounded Briar Barn Inn experience.

The staff was kind and accommodating, the rooms were immaculate, the property was quaint and intimate and also the restaurant was to die for. The Grove was definitely my favorite part coming from a cuisine and an events perspective. It’s such a classy spot to host a celebration whether an anniversary dinner or a full-fledged wedding. Oftentimes event spaces and venues within hotels feel a bit stuffy or formal since they are typically held in conference-room style setups. Briar Barn Inn + The Grove create a completely immersive experience where you get that intimate and luxurious setting in stunning buildings designed to entertain.

While I typically have a few dislikes to share, I don’t have any for Briar Barn Inn. I think the winter is an awesome time to come, especially when it snows. But being able to enjoy the outdoor courtyard and patio connected to The Grove for events would definitely be epic in the spring and summer.

Overall, Briar Barn Inn is great for staycations, couples, north shore travelers and also those looking to host a memorable event.

Upgrade Your Stay

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