Briar Lea Inn & Jolly Drayman Pub

Hotel

Beautiful old renovated house with really comfortable beds. The building is old and imperfect, which in my opinion only adds to the charm. They have an authentic English Pub and restaurant downstairs and the food is terrific. Best part of this stay were the owners. Super friendly people that will do anything to make you comfortable. In fact, the lady who owns it try’s so hard to make you happy that she comes across a bit intense/anxious and you feel like saying, “It’s okay, I’m not that hard to please”. The only thing negative I can say about this place is that, like any old house, the walls are paper thin, the floors creak and the road noise outside is rather intrusive during the day. I will definitely be staying here again.

We were crossing from Bangor to Burlington in early Spring doing college tours and I had booked this for the location. I had no idea we would be staying and eating like at home! The food in the pub was exceptional. The service from the owners in the Inn was how I would treat guests in my own home. The bedding was lush and warm and just what we needed. I would definitely recommend the Pub for Dinner and the Inn for ski season or summer hiking. Would LOVE to go back!

Wonderful owners. Very friendly, caring. Fantastic delicious food. Marvellous experience in a place where we were almost stranded without accommodation.

Comfortable B&B close to Sunday River. The owner is very friendly, and the UK-style pub is much better than area alternatives. The pub has tofu options for its Indian dishes, which is a rarity for ski lodgings in New England.

Sunday River Ski stay place I ski Sunday River a few times a year and have stayed at many places. The JD is the most comfortable option in this price range. The bathroom was squeaky clean and there is lots of hot water for a soak after a day on the slopes. We are New Englanders and have eaten a lot of fried haddock. The batter on the JD fish is supremely good. The curry is excellent. The hosts get an A for effort. Cozy old New England pub 8 minutes from the slopes.

These people claim to not have a room even though we booked. They said there was some problem with Expedia. As far as I'm concerned I drove all the way up here and I don't have a room. The owner also was sick as a dog and grab my wife's phone. I wasn't super happy about that. Stay away don't recommend.

We stayed in another hotel so I can only comment on the bar. The portion sizes are great, the kids meals were amazing. The burgers were great and the Indian food was awesome for a British bar and the service was amazing.

Best fish and chip for many miles around. And it's all you can eat Saturday night. Good luck getting the second portion down lol. Cozy, friendly environment, wait staff/owners make you feel at home.

We stayed at the Jolly Drayman the beginning of October. If you're expecting the usual motel experience, you'll be pleasantly surprised. The Jolly Drayman has a cozy, intimate feel. The fully stocked bar is small but not crowded. The bartender was attentive and knowledgeable. Our food was delicious. And after eleven hours of driving, the beds felt especially comfortable. Dani, the co-owner, was very nice and made our stay memorable.

If you’re gonna be in Bethel stay here. This is the spot. Amazing service, everyone I met was incredibly friendly, wish a special shoutout to Dani for being the perfect hostess. Then the food, dinner was delicious I got the fish and chips which I recommend but there’s so many options I’ll be trying something else the next time I come here. Then the included breakfast couldn’t be better, omlettes or yogurt parfait made special to your liking at whatever morning time you’d like. The room was very clean, bed was very comfortable. The room had a coffee maker and free bottled water. I’d give it 6 stars if I could, will be back.

Dan and I had the privilege of visiting Dannie and her husband, very generous with their home. A delight to chat with, very accommodating and great cooks. We have never tried a B&B before and have decided to again, not sure if anyone can come close to the kindness of Dannie the owner. But if ever we r in Bethel again we will stay here. The rooms are quaint and very quite from the road traffic.

Quite a surprise, because we had chosen this site by chance! Very friendly and attentive. The kitchen is excellent and the lunch is served by the owner who offers excellent service! Thank you Dani for all the great experience you offered!

Great place. At 170 years old the place has really good charm. The Inn keeper was wonderful. Recommend this place for history buffs.

Staying at the Briar Lea Inn in Bethel has been the highlight of our two week vacation in Maine that began in Bar Harbor and is ending in Portland. Rooms here are tastefully decorated and well maintained, with comfortable and ample bedding, easy to maneuver blinds for filtering the natural light, and plenty of complimentary amenities. If you are a light sleeper, the Tavistock room is wonderfully quiet at night, though rooms facing the road also come with sound-proofed shutters to diffuse noise. The attentive, helpful innkeepers provide top notch customer service, and have a wealth of didactic materials about the area on hand to orient newcomers. They also serve hotel guests a delicious, complimentary breakfast each morning with your choice of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs or omelette, toast or english muffin, and coffee or tea that you order the night before for the time slot that works best for your schedule. We ate dinner both nights of our stay at the downstairs English style pub, the Jolly Drayman, which serves our favorite Old Speckled Hen on tap, along with some fantastic renditions of beef wellington, bangers and mash, homemade mac-n-cheese, and chicken korma. The pub atmosphere is relatively cozy and laid back, even when busy, thanks to the service staff who make sure all the guests are well cared for.

Excellent one night stay at the Inn. While the "green" room is a bit small, especially the bathroom, the bed is very comfortable, and the service is excellent. After a long day of driving, we had dinner from the pub delivered to our room, and the next morning, the hostess went all out to provide a superb breakfast for us (vegetarians). Wished we could have stayed longer.

Tried the restaurant & pub on separate visits. Thought the restaurant was overpriced for uneven quality of food, but this is a resort area. Dishes were OK but not stellar. Pub side is cute with lots of British touches, and great beer in tap. Barkeep was very friendly. Definitely would return for pub visit.

Totally wonderful food. Great atmosphere. Almost felt like I was in an English pub.

My son and I stayed here in July, 2017. The room was lovely, with very good beds. The Innkeeper graciously offered to refer us to places to eat in Bethel, but thanks goodness we chose to eat at the Pub downstairs. The food was wonderful (especially the Beef Vidaloo) and the beer selection was very fine. From the Inn, it is an easy walk into town and back. I highly recommend this delightful establishment.

Food at the pub was fantastic. Guy at another table wouldn't stop talking about how it was the best fish and chips he'd had since 2013 in a local favorite in Oregon. The beef in my boyfriend's cottage pie was what beef aspires to be when it grows up. The potatoe cakes were A+. Stayed at the Inn and it was lovely and homey as well. Clearly run by people who really care.

Service and drinks were great. Food overall was really good overall but the chicken Tikka Masala lacked flavor.

Rooms are kind of Spartan and old. Service and breakfast are very good. Dinner was excellent.

On our recent spring ski about, we stayed at the Inn. The pub and dining areas really do have the feel of an English pub. The Indian cuisine was a treat we hadn’t anticipated. Our room was charming, furnished with antiques, quilts, and period photos. In fact, we enjoyed the accommodations and hospitality of the hosts that we stayed another night.