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Governor's Inn Restaurant Catering & Special Events Book a memorable birthday or anniversary parties, wedding, Celebrations of Life or any event in the Rolland Estate, in our beautiful Ballroom and out on the Courtyard! Call us at 332-0107 or email us at Info@Governorsinn.com. See you soon! THE GARAGE is open for LUNCH & DINNER, Thurs / Fri / Sat. from 11:so am with food & craft beer, indoor & outdoor seating, and live music from May thru October! Like the Garage FB page here for updates. Few Inn's have the spacious, old world elegance as well as the culinary and hospitality capacity of The Governor's Inn.
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Custom built in 1920 for former NH Governor Huntley Spaulding, the Inn was designed as a Georgian Colonial and features lace woodwork, marble fireplaces, an elliptical staircase, French-pane windows and a red brick patio. Governor Spaulding, along with his brother, Governor Rolland Spaulding, who lived in the estate next door, was head of the Spaulding Fiber Company and other early industries located across New England and overseas.
A delightful alternative to the standard conference center or event venue, The Governor's Inn is where amenities are enhanced with old world elegance! With rooms of all different sizes and a staff eager to please, The Governor's Inn is the perfect location for any event from corporate outings, trainings, to birthday, bridal, and retirement parties with everything in between!
We like to say that we have no standardized "functions" but rather that we cater "Special Events." In fact our reputation is staked on making them truly special! From day one, you will find that planning your event is a pleasure with our professional events coordinators. We invite you to tour our ten event rooms!
Old world elegance and exceptional cuisine. The Governor's Inn is the perfect choice for your wedding! The grounds are gorgeous, the greenery is lush, the flowers abundant and our formal red brick and lattice gazebo is tucked away for a very private ceremony. Your reception can begin on our Courtyard under a festive white party tent or in one of the Inn's exquisite dining rooms or common areas.
Reviews (28)
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Elle H.
Jun 08, 2022
Great experience staying here. We stayed here for just one night as a pit stop to Acadia National Park driving from Ohio. We got caught in traffic and got in pretty late, and the staff was so accommodating. They made sure someone was there for us to check us in around 11pm. The continental breakfast is more grab-and-go style. They things such as muffins, bagels and coffee. The rooms were clean and beautiful. Would recommend staying!
Yup That'S. Me
Apr 07, 2022
Rooms need to be updated, one owner has threatened employees before. Prices are high for as rundown as things are
Dawn
Feb 15, 2022
I very much enjoyed my stay at the Governor's Inn. The staff was great, the rooms are beautiful and the food was good. I would definitely recommend staying here and it was great that they allowed dogs.
Rita Ellis
Jan 10, 2022
We really enjoy when we attend a event at the Governor's inn/the garage. Food is always hot fresh and delicious. The all the staff is so friendly and professional. The facility is well kept and pleasant decor. Love this local owned and operated business. Always look forward to going there.
Betty Keegan
Dec 25, 2021
I was completely embarrassed by one of your waitresses chasing us down in the lobby because she felt we didn't leave her the tip she deserved, had we done that she would have gotten less. We got there at 5 no one was there and we never left until nearly 8. Food was good but waitress was slow. I doubt we go back
Nathanial Pridham
Nov 22, 2021
Just did a tour, rooms are huge and very nice. Common areas also very nice. Only complaint, no way to cook while staying here. No stove. not sure about microwave though. I forget if there was one
Cathy Ken H.
Oct 07, 2021
If you want charming (not brand new) with super friendly staffing fantastic menu for dinner, this is the place. We usually stay in name hotels or cheap small town motels. Old home with 20 rooms, attached restaurant as well as a summertime beer garden with music in the summer.
Richard Fand
Sep 27, 2021
My Son's Wedding was here and the room accommodating the event was perfect. There was an outside patio directly behind with a short walk to the parking lot. All of the staff was friendly and courteous; very professional in making this event a wonderful evening!
Robert Kenney
Sep 18, 2021
Good food, good drinks. If you want more craft brew, ask them if their "The Garage" pub is open next door for a wider beer selection. The pub/restaurant -inside- the Inn, proper, is called "The Spaulding Steak & Ale".
Pavina T.
Sep 10, 2021
The Governor's Inn was a beautiful historical building with gorgeous courtyard my daughter and I loved exploring during our stay. She loved the swing in the back by the tree and the next door flower shop/botanical garden was pleasant which made it well worth our stay. The staff were accommodating and helpful. Loved the hand-written welcome notes.

Just wished there was a lock positioned a bit higher to lock the doors from the inside so my lovely, intelligent 3 year old can't quite reach but we managed. Took some creativity and maneuvering but we can't wait to visit again! Thank you staff for our pleasant visit.
Sandra Metivier
Aug 19, 2021
I just read the reviews and my experience was totally the opposite of what I just read. We were so disappointed. Have used the Governor's Inn as a go to spot for years. This was our first visit in about five years and the cleanliness, quality of food and staffing were all a huge thumbs down. From waiting in line to check in, while the manager finished a private conversation with a friend at the desk, all the while listening to kitchen staff holler out what orders were ready for pick up.

It use to be a high end environment. We ended up not staying because of the stained duvet, obvious lack of vacuuming and black mold in the shower stall. We were told the mold was there because the inn was an older house.
James S.
Mar 16, 2019
Attended a "murder mystery theater" event here. The food was fine and the Inn staff were great but the opening song to the theatrical performance was borderline hate-speech. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly where the line is between being a song being harmlessly politically incorrect and its being pure hateful, but this song raised the question for sure.

The song was a twisted version of Kermit the Frog's "Rainbow Connection" song, written and forcefully delivered as an attack on the LGBTQ community's adoption of the rainbow flag as a symbol for the community. It added nothing to the performance other than a disclaimer to the audience that they shouldn't expect a "politically correct" evening.

The crude sexual references and lousy jokes that followed were to be expected, but surely the performers did not have to deliver the anger-filled bastardization of an otherwise much-beloved song for the evening to otherwise work out. It was just mean, loud, and cruel. Many in the room thought it was funny, but was it satire or hate-speech? I genuinely don't know. and that scares me.
Chris C.
Dec 23, 2018
Excellent food, good selection on menu. Very nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. Will go back again. Not just for special occasions.
Bryan R.
Mar 29, 2017
Sunday night dinner, party of 3. Hostess was very pleasant. Server was quick with appetizer and drink order. Devan was very friendly and timely. Bacon wrapped scallops were excellent. Dinner overall was terrific. The scallop and steak tip dinner in a whiskey reduction was absolutely amazing! Would recommend that dish to anyone who likes tips or scallops!
Britni L.
Oct 09, 2016
Just a quick update - we keep coming! Often for special occasions. We went this week and ordered from a 2 for $30 menu that gave 2 entrees and an appetizer for $30. I noticed that most of the items listed to choose from would basically add up to $30 or less anyway, but the steak tips would be a deal. They are normally $15.99 each. So we were getting a few $ off and a free appetizer.cool.

We got the chicken nacho appetizer and it was delicious! We didn't expect to love it so much and honestly, it was so big it could've served as a meal. Our steak tips were delicious and cooked to temperature. The veggies and mashed potatoes were also quite good. The service was excellent, we were visited frequently by a few staff members. Everyone made sure we were comfortable.
John D.
Aug 07, 2016
My wife and I went to the Spaulding Steak and Ale for the first time. I think this restaurant has the potential of being great place. I have 20 years experience working in an award winning gourmet Steak House. I feel that I can be overly critical. Let's get started. Wife and I walking in the door and the entrance was a little sloppy. We had to wait a few minutes before anyone greeted us. Hostess approached us with a beautiful smile.

She gave us an option and we sat in the tavern. The waitress approached us with a smile she seamed friendly. She took our drink order. We ordered an ice tea, a beer, and two glasses of water. 15-20 minutes later the waitress returned and said "I am sorry I forgot. What did you order?" The rest of the evening her service was ok. We never got the ice water.

The waitress did not carry a note pad or pen. She tried to do I all from memory. We had to ask for bread and a straw for the ice tea, bread should be standard when someone orders dinner. Bread and ice water. We both ordered steaks and they were cooked perfectly, delicious, and juicy. Spaulding Steak and Ale has great potential. The restaurant does not look dirty just a little unorganized.

It could use a small revision of the wine and beer list. The wait staff could use a little training to include up selling. The restaurant is missing out in a lot of revenue. I know the waitress could have brought my check up from $60. To $130.+Just by recommending some apps, sides, and desert. "Your steak will go perfectly with a Syrah" Her tip would have gone from $12. To $30. You are sitting on a gold mine. Just a few small adjustments, you and your wait staff will be raking in the cash.
Kristen B.
Dec 09, 2014
Four ladies walk into a bar.sounds like a joke, doesn't it? The joke was on us! The place was empty, yet we were turned away because the "kitchen was backed up". Hhhmmmm, does the bartender play chef here? The approach was terrible. We would have dropped $100 in drinks. Their loss! I'll never be back.
Sarah F.
Nov 04, 2014
I recently hosted a cocktail party event at the Governors Inn to celebrate my recent marriage in Jamaica. First of all the process to book the hall was very easy and quick. Hats off to their event coordinator Lisa, she made the process simple and stress free. I found the prices for the food, cocktails and the hall to be very affordable. The bartender who worked our event was friendly and very good. I've hosted a few bridal showers at the Inn before and he is great with customers and very efficient.

The customer service for checking into our hotel room was ok (reason for the 3 stars). The woman who helped us wasn't overly friendly but she wasn't rude either. We explained to her that we were also hosting the cocktail party in the ballroom that night. She upgraded us for free and we thanked her, but it was our DJ that had the hardest time with her.

Apparently our DJ wanted to use their equipment and we were told it would be an extra $50 charge, which actually turned out to be $100 more when I settled the bill the next morning. They also turned off the Wifi Internet so our DJ was not able to stream music either. I wish they would have told me that ahead of time so we would have prepared a little better. Overall, the event went well and the stay was nice. We checked out first thing in the morning so we were unable to enjoy the breakfast. Thank you again to our amazing bartender and to the event coordinator!
Andy W.
May 21, 2014
I have been living here for several months on a relo. It is a great place. the staff is professional and friendly. Robin, Lisa, Shane and April really make you feel welcome. The owners are on site and involved. The 2 mansions that make up the inn are beautiful. A little tired, but they are working on that. The food: never a bad meal. Some are just OK, some are stellar. Had beef stroganoff last night; flame seared filet on top of an incredible sauce. And healthy portions. the history, architecture and professionalism make this a great spot. Many vegetarian options too.
Michael V.
May 01, 2014
I like this place. I am rating them based on their bar and grill, not the hotel portion. I visit family in Rochester and I was looking for a place to meet someone for a drink. They close at 9 and had already had last call but were nice enough to serve us one round when we walked in at 9:11 since they still had people there drinking. They do close early but the staff was nice, they did not rush us out and even when we left said we could stay and chat during their clean up. I did not get food but the drink prices were good and they make a good gin and tonic!
Peter S.
Feb 16, 2014
This is NOT about the Inn's restaurant but rather the Inn's mystery dinner. We would not recomend the mystery dinner! The Inn's resturant was full with people waiting so Inn must be worth trying. The mystery event involves joining 120 +/- guests, some who came under the influence and kept drinking hard, jammed into an old ball room to partake of a meal best described as worthy of being served as political rubber chicken fare with mystery meat.

Now you see we do have a mystery! The cast were at times worthy of community theater performers, some had real talent but the potty jokes were stale but did entertain the drunks. A mystery should be scary and after the first act this one sure got scary. The audience was broken into groups and led to a series of upper story and basement rooms up very narrow stairways into areas with no EXIT signs low ceilings and tablecloths for wall in one case.

I suggest skipping this 30 minute adventure and hit the bar ( do you remember The RI Station Nightclub Fire!) Finally back to the ball room for the final act, thank GOD. I would pass on this and take some friends out to a nice dinner and catch a show at the Rochester Opera house, unless your friends drink hard and are fearless. Oh yes we figured out who done it! Lastly there was not enough parking for the amount of people that came to the show. Parking lot was full, we had to park down the street in the snow.
Devashis R.
Dec 09, 2013
I'm rating the lodging and not the restaurant. The inn has a cozy look to it inside and out, and the staff was fairly friendly. The morning breakfast was nothing special, granola, cereal, tea/coffee, fruit, yogurt, muffins, etc., but nice to have. I was quite partial to the coffee, it was good. When we asked the front desk for things to do, they did offer some good suggestions (most were outside of the Rochester area, though).

Location was close to the small downtown area, and there was a wedding and comedian that weekend in house. What really turned me off from this place (which is unfortunate because it could be a 3 or 4 star) was the room we had. Not only were there cobwebs all over the ceiling, complete with a couple spiders, but our room was so loud from the surroundings.

We had the room on the second floor near the kitchen stairs and it really truly sounded like everything going on in the kitchen (cooking, broken dishes, cleaning, etc.) was right outside our door. This continued into the night until restaurant/bar close and resumed bright and early in the morning for breakfast. In addition, the room had a perpetual cleaning solution smell that was nauseating.

The big clue, when we walked in, should have been the propped open window when it was cold out. We ended up sleeping with the window open, despite it being cold, just to air out the chemical smell. Unfortunately, to me, the room didn't have the homeyness I came to expect when looking at the description and pictures online. In their defense, I'm sure there are some great rooms there but not for us. I do enjoy traveling to the area, but with the number of choices for B&B's, I'd be hard pressed to stay here again. Very reasonable rate, however!
Tom W.
Sep 02, 2013
Spaulding Steak and Ale is the pub that is associated with the Governor's Inn, Bed and Breakfast. I have had dinners and lunches there and each time I have not been disappointed. The food has always been well prepared with portions that are a solid value, but not too much. It is casual and comfortable, however you can also have lunch and dinner in the inn portion of the establishment which is a touch more up scale.

In the warmer months you can eat outdoors on the porch, but if you are out after dark, the mosquitos might chase you inside, so get there early. The pub introduces outsiders to a little about what the City of Rochester is all about with its theme of Spaulding High School, which is located right up the street, as well as the Spaulding Family, which built the houses that are now the Inn. Members of the Spaulding family were former New Hampshire governors. All in all, if you happen to be in Rochester, check it out.
Brian S.
Jun 02, 2013
Had dinner in the main dining room. Service was excellent. The staff is extremely friendly and very attentive. The atmosphere is very relaxing. Started with a salad of mixed greens. It was super and the dressing was excellent. For the entree we had prime rib. It was very tender with very little fat but it lacked the usual prime rib flavor. It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't very flavorful.

Wine is a virtual ripoff at $7.50 a glass. Overall, it's a relaxing place to have dinner and I wouldn't hesitate to try it again. At the same time, I wouldn't jump up and down saying this is a great place to eat.
Jessica B.
Mar 04, 2013
Being relatively new to the area we had initially overlooked the Governors Inn as even being a restaurant, but after visit there we will definitely be returning. Upon arriving we were asked if we would like a table in the pub area or the dining room, and opted for the dining room. We were then asked if we'd like a window seat, which was a nice option to a have.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and comfortable. The server was very personable and knowledgable about the menu. She was attentive but not overbearing and we could not have been happier with the service. The food was great, we had no complaints about any of our food. Every thing was cooked fresh so you will have to wait a little longer for your food, but they time it well and bring small courses in between what you ordered, like soft rolls and a side salad. This is a great place to come and sit down and enjoy the company you're with over some great food in a comfortable atmosphere.
Rick L.
Feb 17, 2013
Sunday Night Dinner in the garden with a great bluegrass band! The food was from the Spaulding Steak and Grill menu and was quite good. The staff did a great job getting food out from the kitchen and navigating the free form seating. A wonderful way to spend a Sunday dinner.
Lyd K.
Dec 13, 2011
This place has superior Mac-n-Cheese, really top notch. The chicken BLT salad is good - but you may end up with some old salad mix and slimy, blackish lettuce. It varies. The mozzarella sticks are good - good sauce comes with them. The burger is fine, but the meat tastes a little weird. I don't get the sirloin steak anymore - something about the beef is a little off in the place.

I ordered the chicken quesadilla appetizer as a meal - it is the size of 3 meals. The French onion soup is too salty. The veggie wrap is okay. They make stiff drinks. Most servers are pretty friendly. We go about 3 times a month because there are very few decent options around.
Kelly G.
Jan 15, 2008
The Governor's Inn is a great wedding venue. It has a few little connected buildings, patios, and a big back yard. There's also a gazebo out back that they're super proud of. The service was great, the food was pretty good for what it was, and the ambiance was classy. The drawbacks here are the neighborhood is not great.and also that the sun sets behind the gazebo and so at 3 in the afternoon in the summer time it's blinding.