Mendota Lake House B&B - Madison, Wisconsin

Cassandra B.

We stayed for a night on our way back home from up north. It was a great mid point stop and not far from our evening activities at The Duck Pond to see the Madison Night Mares and Madison Mallards play.

Space was great. Check in was easy, and the view is amazing. Get the lake view. It’s worth it.

Note: there is a small continental breakfast offering. If you are counting on this for your first meal of the day, go early. Served from 7-10, but was pretty limited by 8:45. If you’re not an early riser, you may want to find a breakfast place. We did not *need* a big breakfast so the coffee and scones that were there were perfect for us and yummy.

P B.

We stayed only one night while passing through Madison and wish we could have stayed longer! As a queer Canadian couple, we felt welcome and safe in this beautiful old house. Some of the perks were: the view of the lake from inside the house, the stunning and fragrant gardens out front, the quiet atmosphere, our comfy bed, and the delicious breakfast before we left in the morning. Highly recommended! We’re already trying to figure out when we can come back again for a longer stay! Thank you!

Francis B.

I really hate being like everyone else, but in this case, I feel compelled to do like everyone else and write a rave review of this place.

If you want to stay in a building that looks new and completely picture-perfect, this ain't it. But if you're good with staying in a charming 100 year old building that's faithfully served and will continue to do so for the next 100 years, you'll love it here. This isn't your typical sterile hotel experience. Think of it more like your uncle having a spare room at his big, old house, where he'd love for you to stay for the summer. It's super clean, it's cozy, and it's got an incredible view of Lake Mendota. (See the attached view of the lake and our Subaru posse!)

The check-in process was smooth. The policies were explained well, and since it's a small place, we had no trouble finding our room. My husband loved the whirlpool tub built into our private bathroom. The WiFi worked well. I also appreciated how the sheets had some color to them, rather than the boring white you always see at hotels. And we got our own piece of balcony, too. Our room didn't have a view of the lake (we had to go to the first floor for that), but it did look out over the lovely front yard garden.

The breakfast scones are amazing. And you've gotta try Bob's homemade (inn-made?) granola with the organic milk that's provided. Also on offer are fruit and bagels. We didn't ask, but we assume the jelly was homemade, too. Around 8, little egg quiches were served. Before I knew it, I was stuffed and not hungry until after noon. Sadly, I'm going to have fasting labs taken for my next visit, so I won't be able to experience the breakfast again. I've asked my husband to save me a scone!

The owners are both charming! They try to stay out of the way, but they also offered their phone numbers in case we needed anything and were happy to talk when we ran into them at breakfast. You can tell they love each other and love what they do.

Everyone always says, "we'll be back." But in our case, we won't have to wait long. We've booked another stay in August!

Brian O.

We have stayed here twice, and both times had a very pleasant experience. Though our room wasn’t the largest available, it did have a large bathtub and a balcony. The common areas are beautiful and delightful to hang out in. Bob and Dave are wonderful hosts.

W

Great place to stay in Madison! Centrally located for an easy walk to downtown. Easy access to a short trail along Mendota Lake that was maintained in the winter. Tenney-Lapham is also a beautiful neighborhood to take a walk. The Oscar Wilde room was very spacious for the two of us. The bathroom had a separate “room” for the rain shower and bathtub. The bathtub has a heating feature that keeps it warm and it has an air setting that is similar to jets but not strong pressure on your skin. Mendota Lake House is a great example of old architecture with tasteful remodeling efforts. Highly recommended for the price, I would definitely stay here again.

Kathleen S.

This is a peaceful retreat with a lovely lake view. We stayed in the Walt Whitman room, which I chose because it has a balcony. The room was spacious and comfortable. |Breakfast was a very enjoyable continental, with scones, organic yogurt, and mini quiche. The coffee was strong and flavorful.

Michelle S.

I enjoyed my stay at the Mendota Lake House B&B. I stayed here by myself while on a business trip. I stayed in the Walt Whitman room, which has a private balcony looking out at the lake. The homemade scones in the morning were delicious and I enjoyed with coffee and cheese samples. I left before the egg bites were put out, so I cannot speak to those. It is an old house, so you will hear creaking and people walking around. Only has stairs to upstairs rooms/floors, so it will be an issue if you have mobility problems. I specifically stayed here for the balcony room and enjoyed the view from the balcony and in the room. If you know that it will be different than a modern hotel and like the B&B type of places, you will like it here.||Pros: view, location away from downtown and on the lake, small breakfast included (yummy scones), lower cost, free parking, and beautiful gardens.||Cons: uncomfortable bed, old house creaky noises (especially stairs), and location of showerhead in the double person jet tub.

nettieli

While the common rooms were beautiful--furnished with Craftsman furniture and decorations and with a fabulous view of the lake--the room itself was a little run down and not at all as appealing as in the photographs. However, it was clean and the breakfast was fine, if minimal. Perhaps other guest rooms were nicer. I stayed in the Tennessee Williams. The ensuite bath was clean and included a jet tub. There was a slightly noisy window unit A/C. The house is very well-situated on a bus line and a short walk to the Capitol. I wouldn't recommend it for a romantic holiday but for a business trip, it's perfectly adequate. The Airbnb where I stayed for most of the week (I was in Madison for a wedding) was a bit further out but much nicer and more reasonably priced.