A Union Jack flying from an inviting front porch full ofrockers is the first sign of what the Queen Victoria is all about. Dane Wells and his elegant wife, Joan, who is active in the restoration and preservation of Victoriana nationwide, have created a genteel country inn in the center of the historic district. It’s an homage to the queen, her family, and the period named for her.
Three restored seaside villas make up the property. The 1881 Second Empire— style Queen Victoria and Stick-style Prince Albert Hall are the two main buildings. They have similar facilities, such as outfitted guest pantries, and are open to all guests, who are encouraged to move between them freely. Breakfast is served in both elegant dining rooms, while a proper afternoon tea, with sweet and savory treats, is poured on the porch ofone house in summer and in the other’s parlor with fireplace in cooler months. Adorning the walls are historic wallpapers (two dotted with Victoria’s imperial crown) and pictures of the ubiquitous queen. Furnishings are carefully researched period pieces.
Guest rooms are named for people in the Queen Victoria and for places in Prince Albert Hall, but all have appropriate items of decor, such as a framed scarf of Victoria and her court in the Mayfair Room. Accommodations range from small rooms to luxury suites, and furnishings include white wicker, brass and iron, and the dark woods of high Victorian. Cable TV is found in suites and a parlor, and many rooms have whirlpools. Regent’s Park, a small cottage with fireplace adjacent to the Prince Albert, is accessible to guests with disabilities.
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