Albany’s only downtown inn, Mansion Hill, stands around the corner from the governor’s mansion and occupies several adjacent restored Victorian-era build-ings, one of which was once the neigh-borhood saloon. Owners Maryellen and Steve Stofelano (she’s a former bank vice-president and he once taught high school) bought the buildings in 1984 and finished their first renovation project the following year. The inn’s attractive restaurant soon became the neighborhood’s hub—and Steve its unofficial mayor.
Accommodations range from double rooms with queen-size beds to two huge suites, each with a living room, den, full kitchen, bedroom, bath, and balcony. Furnishings are undistinguished but
sculptures in theliving room to her blue-berry muffins at breakfast.
Although the restaurant dominates a large part of the first floor, including a large screened porch with a brick floor and ceiling fans, you can be assured that there’s still plenty of private space for the inn’s guests, from the blue and white living room and more formal parlor to the spacious and homey bedrooms. The decor of each room varies: Room 9 has a four-poster bed and Oriental rug, Room 7 has a king-size brass bed, and Room 11 has an American Renaissance—style bed and book-lined shelves.
Edie is particularly proud of the inn’s restaurant, which has an eclectic menu that changes weekly. It’s not just the food and drink that soothe the soul here but also the innkeeper’s attitude: “We only have one sitting a night for each table,” she notes. “We don’t want our guests to feel rushed.”
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