Our favorite place on Cape Cod
by TripAdvisor Member cutter385
We have stayed at the Fairbanks Inn in Provincetown nearly every month for almost a year - it is our favorite place to stay on Cape Cod. The owners are wonderful - friendly and helpful - and the Inn is a pleasure to stay at - very interesting rooms, all of them different with lots of amenities and personal touch. Very enjoyable outdoor sitting areas on several levels, with inviting gardens. Great breakfasts and a wonderful central yet quiet location. We have met other guests there from all over the world. We highly recommend the Fairbanks Inn!
Quaint, relaxing, unique, and friendly
by TripAdvisor Member DevonLBC
My partner and I stayed at the Fairbanks Inn in Provincetown, MA for two nights in the month of November. Never having been to Provincetown before (or the Cape for that matter), I didn't know what to expect. I can say that the people of Provincetown and the Fairbanks Inn exceeded my expectations.
November is a quiet time in Provincetown. According to the Innkeepers, the vacationers leave around October and leave the winter months to the locals which total 3,500 residents. However, this small town swells to approximately 40,000 people during the summer season. So, needless to say it was pretty quiet in Provincetown while we were there and that's what we were looking for. Though several of the restaurants and shops had closed for the season, there was still a good selection.
When we arrived at the Fairbanks, we were greeted by the two Innkeepers who offered us a warm welcome. The grounds were well kept and the Inn was conveniently located in the center of town within walking distance of most of the attractions. Though it was not as much of a concern to us because it was the offseason, the Fairbanks Inn offers parking right in the heart of town which we heard from more than one person is hard to find. The Inn itself is an old captains house, replete with history and decorated with art from the resident Provincetown artists.
We chose Room 7, which had a wood burning fireplace. Apparently, this is the only room that will maintain it's wood burning status. The other rooms with fire places were being transformed into gas fireplaces.
The next morning, we experienced a "familiy" breakfast." I say this because this is a bed and breakfast, not a hotel. You really get to know the Innkeepers and other guests personally by having a drink with them in the evening and/or having freshly baked muffins and coffee in the morning. I can say that all of the guests were wonderful and I think that reflects on the Innkeepers and the quality of the Inn because such nice people return year after year to this unique place. The other wonderful thing about this Inn is the diversity of people that stay at the Fairbanks. While other places in Provincetown tend to attract a unison crowd, the Fairbanks clientele we met were younger, older, men, women, straight and gay individuals. The Innkeepers also told us that with notice (there are certain rooms that are not in the main house and tend to be more sound proof), they happily welcome small children and babies, which seems to be rare in Provincetown.
Overall, it was a great stay and I would highly recommend it. I have read other reviews about Provincetown hotels and one of the main complaints seemed to be a lack of individual attention. Here, the Innkeepers deal with their clients personally, they don't hire a front desk person or a breakfast person. They are front and center and seem to really enjoy it. When someone loves what they do, it really shows. Thanks for the memories.
Great place to escape to
by TripAdvisor Member CelticRunner
There are alot of reasons my partner and I return to the Fairbanks Inn each year, the beauty of the home itself, the location (one block from Commercial street) and now a new reason...the egg nog! The innkeepers, Kathy and Alicia welcomed us warmly and offered us a room upgrade with a jacuzzi (its our new favorite room). The original wood burning fireplaces have been upgraded to gas, but there are still 2 rooms (the common room, and a guest room) that do burn wood. Breakfast is served on the sunporch with a nice selection different newspapers and magazines but why read when the conversation is so good! Obviously, we enjoyed our stay and will return to the Fairbanks Inn as soon as we can run away for another long weekend.
Comfortable, relaxing, fell in love with the Fairbanks Inn!
by TripAdvisor Member AlmondEyes
We arrived on probably what was the coldest day of the winter - sub-freezing temperatures on the outside, but warm, cozy and inviting on the inside. Since we were the only ones at the inn that weekend and the owners were working on some of the rooms inside the inn, we were upgraded to the Carriage House, which is more like a small apartment with a full kitchen and eating area, king size bed, comfy couch and fireplace. We were welcomed inside the inn to sit before a lovely fire on Saturday morning after enjoying a delicious breakfast of fresh coffee, yogurt, fresh fruit and juice, muffins, bagels, etc. Kathy and Alicia had given us some ideas for restaurants to enjoy dinner, and both were right on - just what we were looking for. Delicious food, comfortable surroundings, and personable wait-staff. Though many shops were closed for the winter, those that were open held many treasures and sales. The shop owners were very helpful and what we enjoyed most was how so many were willing to share how they came to be "Provincetowners". Very interesting stories and a very eclectic group! We spent as much time as our short weekend would allow before heading home and to reality. We hope to return many times in the future, (most likely in warmer weather), though even the harsh cold and wind provided it's own kind of beauty. Our first choice would, again, be the Fairbanks Inn.
Our "Peace" of Heaven
by TripAdvisor Member BuckarooBanzi
Serendipity was on its best behavior the day my wife and I discovered The Fairbanks Inn. We live on The Cape in Sandwich, and our first trip to the inn was the result of spur of the moment planning. We stayed there for Halloween weekend 2005 and returned in both October and December 2006. We would like to visit again for Valentine’s Day, but have definite plans to return in October and December of this year.
We fell in love with the inn and its owners from the moment we walked in out of the wind and rain, on a cold October afternoon, and into a main room, constructed of wide wood planks, with a fire burning in the open hearth. We had, by some unexpected good fortune, found Our Place.
The location of the inn is perfect. It is literally just far enough around the corner from the Commercial St. shops to allow The Fairbanks to be our little oasis away from the crowd but close enough to let us be a part of the flow after a short three minute stroll.
We have stayed in three different rooms, all of them clean, well kept, and unique in character. Our December visit was especially pleasant because we got to enjoy the warmth from one of the newly installed gas fireplaces.
The food is scrumptious. The breakfast is always excellent with a generous selection of coffees, teas, juice, warm muffins, yogurt, cereal, hard boiled eggs, etc. Breakfast is set out in an enclosed porch area which we find to be delightfully open and informal. We are free to eat on the porch, inside at a dinning table, outside in the courtyard, or back in our room. And, during the day, we have never strolled through the porch area when there was not some delicious taste treat, under glass, next to the coffees and teas.
Our hosts, Kathy and Alicia, are always welcoming, friendly, and attentive. We always feel as if they are welcoming us into their home rather than their business. We have had wonderful chats with them about how and why they became involved with a B&B. We can see that it is a lot of work, but they seem to have discovered the joy in the labor. We cannot help but applaud their commitment and appreciate their verve.
I tend to be a very private person. I need a lot of elbow room. In years past, we visited other B&B’s where I felt claustrophobic and intruded upon. The atmosphere at The Fairbanks is not at all cramped or intrusive. The physical layout of “The Banks”, and the manner in which it is run, allows me the space I need along with the opportunity to mingle close and cozy should I so choose.
The whole of the inn is actually three separate buildings, all with their own flavor. You know that you are in a different part of the inn because the rooms vary in layout and décor with each building. Just off the porch, and nestled between the three buildings, is a small, peaceful little courtyard. From the courtyard there is an outdoor stairway that leads to a rooftop sundeck. The entire affair it is a finely packaged world away from the world and we love it.
As for other guests, we have had fun, animated chats with different people who hailed from as close as Boston to as far off as Norway.
We read a couple of the other reviews that expressed some issues with parking. This needs to be taken in context. Parking is an issue in Provincetown (period). Think: Many Big Metal Monsters, teeny bit of space to put them. When we go, we park the car, hand over the keys, and we are happy to forget about that cash guzzling Beast for the next couple of days. However, there is a public parking area just up the hill and right next to The Fairbanks that is free in the off season.
One last word. During our December stay, we took the “Holly Folly Tour” of many of the other inns in town. This was a lot of fun and we found each inn to be unique in character. It is defiantly a town that offers some eclectic choices. But we have to say, of the many places we wondered through, we still consider The Fairbanks Our Place, our little “peace” of heaven to which we plan to return again and again.
Great character, friendly hostesses, extremely clean
by TripAdvisor Member matt70
Stayed in the large queen bedroom in the main house, and had a great experience. My wife and I just stayed for an overnight this past weekend, but found the owner to be very friendly and accommodating, helping us get settled in quickly and describing the many adventures to be had in Provincetown.
The building itself is a former captain's house, and retains much of the old world character you would expect from such a place. As a pleasantly aged building with several fireplaces and comfortable furniture, it's atmosphere also helped both of us relax and forget the fast-paced city life we left just a few hours away in Boston.
Our room was large, and perhaps most import the bed was amazingly comfortable. I slept for almost 10 hours, which I never do, and felt greatly recuperated the next day. The room was also very clean, from linens to bathroom, with no evidence of the hundreds of guests who undoubtedly stayed in the room before us.
My wife and had a great experience overall and plan to return later in the summer so we can enjoy the beaches around Provincetown and perhaps a few cocktails on the roof-deck. Thanks for a great stay!
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