River Lily Inn Bed And Breakfast

We’ve seen good and bad. The night before we got here, we stayed in a B&B in Marietta, GA. It was convenient, looked good in the ads, and it had a room — a good thing, because the one we’d booked earlier in Atlanta was damaged by a falling tree. Worse — they didn’t tell us; we had to find out from another traveler. Oy. The Marietta B&B turned out to be uncomfortable, loud and the breakfast was just fair. Meh.
River Lily is what the Marietta place should be. It’s really good. It’s convenient, looks good in the ads and it had a room. But there’s more — which is why we’re going to a B&B in the first place.
It’s not on the ocean. Instead, it’s on the intracoastal waterway. It’s on the quiet intracoastal waterway across a street with a vigorously enforced 25-​mph speed limit with a view of a pretty little green park. There’s a nice bike path-​ish sidewalk that goes for miles. It’s a short drive to the very nice beach. There are a bunch of surprisingly good restaurants very close by — try Chucherias for an elegant and seriously delicious lunch or romantic dinner; Caribbean Jack’s is fun and delicious. And the beach …
The ads don’t quite do it justice. In real life, it’s softer. The beds, that is. Our room was comfortable, quiet, had lots of windows, and though a bit small, the bathroom was generous and the shower handled us nicely. We had our own porch. And also, the beach.
The pool was kinda cold for much swimming late in the season, but a trio of younger female guests found it just right for yakking with wine after dark. The front porch was a great place to watch a sunrise with coffee and donuts. There are pretty gardens and sitting areas complete with birds and hilarious anoles. Nothin’ bad going on here.
The owners are very friendly and the innkeeper is very competent. Breakfasts were also competent, and the small tables helped make conversation with other guests intimate and enjoyable. It was fun, comfortable and just nice.
Perfect? No … a bit pricey. Not at all terrible, just an adequate value and no more. We’ve had better breakfasts (Dream Catcher in Las Cruces, NM – THAT’S a breakfast!), though the ones here still beat the pants off what you’d get at any hotel. And some minor stuff. Basically, Yay, I’m a fan, but not quite Woohoo.
Go there. Enjoy the beach. We might just go back ourselves.

It’s a beautiful old house with modern amenities, and it’s a lovely view of the Intercostal. Great extras, like free water, hot tea, sodas, and Klondike bars (if there’s any left when we leave). And beer and wine at low cost.
The innkeepers, Polly and Art, are very friendly and kind. We visited for our 2^nd wedding anniversary, so we came to breakfast to find candles and sprinkled rose petals on the table.
There is a good-​sized pool and they provide beach towels.
The linens and furnishings are great quality, and the rooms are impeccably clean.
There was a problem with the AC in the room we booked, but they knew ahead of time from getting it ready and offered us a choice of two other rooms. One was an upgrade and was lovely (and we took it).