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Inn at Aberdeen I didn’t meet the little girl who lives at the Inn at Aberdeen – for which I am very glad, because that little girl, as the story goes, is a ghost. Spotted on the sweeping staircase by guests and blamed for misplaced items, the girl is said to be the spirit of a child in the Ritter family, who lived in the large home around the turn of the century. She has gained quite a reputation, the subject of newspaper articles and an investigation by the Indiana Ghost Trackers Investigative Team. But she must have been absent the weekend I was there. As one who read too many scary books as a kid and was raised to believe in God and souls, I have an overactive imagination that makes watching all of “Sixth Sense” impossible. Yet I never felt any creepy skin prickles on the stairs or in our room, which was right at the top of the stairs. And all of my things stayed put. One couldn’t blame the little girl for wanting to hang out on the staircase. It’s magnificent, with polished dark wood curving up from the inn’s grand entrance to the second-floor landing. In fact, the entire entry is impressive. Elegantly papered pale yellow walls stretch up two stories high, interrupted by windows set far above the front door, and a giant chandelier hangs above. On the left is the dining/banquet room, with a sitting room and library beyond. On the right is the bright solarium, a round room circled with windows at seating level and again nearly two stories overhead. All bear a sophistication and elegance characteristic of the Inn at Aberdeen. Today’s setting is a far cry from the property’s early days as a dairy farm, horse farm and hunting lodge. An old stone wall still borders the grounds along the road, but the rolling land around the inn has been developed into a cohesive community, including several small neighborhoods with giant homes on large wooded lots, a spa and handful of professional offices designed to match the exterior of the inn, a restaurant just a short walk from the inn and an 18-hole golf course. The feel is of a small village, with the inn crowning a hill at the entrance. The Inn at Aberdeen opened in 1995 after extensive renovation and the addition of a wing. It boasts 11 suites with private baths, most featuring fireplaces and two-person Jacuzzis. The Inn also has the space and technology to serve as a conference center and offers packages for business retreats, mystery weekends and weddings. Such services lead to a professionalism more characteristic of a high-quality hotel. The staff is very personable but less personal than is typical of smaller establishments. Breakfast is served on long rows of tables in the large dining room, where place settings are arranged to allow couples to sit with fellow guests or by themselves, if they choose. And a host is ready at the front desk should you need anything. Quiet service is quickly and consistently offered but never forced. Our room was the Dunnottar Suite, named for a coastal castle south of Aberdeen, Scotland. The centerpiece of the room was the massive California king bed, covered in soft, silky sheets and mounds of pillows. Oriental rugs were scattered over the hardwood floors, and two windows looked out over the front yard. A writing desk and wingback chair lined one wall, and an armoire held a television in another corner. One end of the room was a dressing area with lovely wooden vanity and sink, somewhat inconveniently separated from the bathroom and a bit too narrow to hold a hairdryer and more. An Oriental rug protected the floor there but needed to be washed of the debris it caught from the vanity; otherwise, the room was spotless. The bathroom held a double Jacuzzi, complete with candles, and a spacious shower. The décor throughout the suite was elegantly traditional with a hint of colonial. Though adjacent to the second-floor landing, our room was fairly quiet; only the beeping of the front door and the occasional conversation could be heard. The rest of the inn is quiet, too, even as pleasant music blends into the lovely wainscoting and crown molding. That evening we enjoyed some time in the cushioned wicker seats of the solarium, stocked with ample reading material. We also made good use of the boiling-water faucet and single-cup coffeepot to sample the wide selection of teas and coffees in the mini kitchen there. Other snacks are available, but the real draw for most guests is the constant supply of cheesecake in the refrigerator. Before breakfast the next morning we visited the library, in one wing of the inn through the parlor that served as the original entrance to the home. A big game table fills the center of the room, and built-in bookshelves flank a large stone fireplace. A bay window looks out into the side yard from this uber masculine room where one likely could sit and read for a long time without being disturbed. Breakfast was as delicious as it was artery-clogging, starting with the pudding-fruit-cereal parfait, breads and muffins and ending with the eggs, bacon and hollandaise casserole. It was enough to serve as lunch, too. An attentive waitress served the dishes and saw to refills. It was hard to leave such an elegant place where someone met all of my wants and needs. The guests who signed the journal in our room agreed: It’s easy to feel spoiled at The Inn at Aberdeen. No wonder that little girl on the stairs likes to stick around. The Inn at Aberdeen 3158 South State Road 2 Valparaiso, Indiana, 46385-9676 219-465-3753 www.innataberdeen.com Check-in time: Check-out time: Rates: |
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