J. Palen House
If Ohio City’s cozy residential streets don’t transport you back to the late 1800s, this circa 1883 Victorian house will. The authenticity here is on full display. From inlaid wood floors and leaded glass French doors to a two-story stained-glass window in the stairwell, there’s always something to marvel at. Six guest rooms retain the charm of the era, with exposed beams, antique mantels and private baths. For breakfast, try owner Diane Miller’s fritatas and quiches, and don’t skimp on the accompanying sauces. Plenty of guests gather in the living room for conversation or a game of chess, but mostly they ask for a recommendation on a place to go eat. “With 38 independent restaurants here, lots of guests just drop their bags and they’re gone,” says Miller. 2708 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, 216-664-0813, jpalenhouse.com
Nearby find: Since the inn was once home to a brewer, head to nearby Great Lakes Brewing Co. for a pint. greatlakesbrewing.com
Homestead House B&B
If the walls of this 1884 Italianate Victorian home in downtown Willoughby could talk, it’d be quite the conversation. The house has been a winter home, the headquarters of the Willoughby Fine Arts Association, a church, a speakeasy and bordello and a railroad boarding house. Each of the five guest rooms, which include hand-carved wood beds and a private bath, is decorated around one of the home’s past uses (the Speakeasy Room still has an escape hatch in the floor!). Owner Deanna Rowe’s breakfasts, including an Oreo cookie French toast, are as much a study in fusion as the house. Originally from Boone, North Carolina, Rowe went to culinary school in Paris for six weeks. “Many of our breakfasts are what I call ‘Southern-French fusion,’ ” she says. 38111 W. Spaulding St., Willoughby, 440-946-1902, homesteadhousebb.com
Nearby find: Corks Wine Bar offers 200 wines by the bottle as well as French- and Mediterranean-inspired small plates. corkswinebar.com
Riverside Gables B&B
This sprawling Victorian home was built in 1868 by Berea’s first physician. Each of the four guest rooms has its own unique color scheme and decor, such as the vintage Creekwood or Ewing, which has Italian villa vibes. Gather in the red barn in the backyard to shoot pool or watch TV with fellow guests. Or if the weather’s right, lounge in a hammock or outdoor chair, enjoying your morning coffee by the small waterfall pond. Co-owner Catherine McDonough’s breakfast specialties are can’t-miss, such as an open-faced BLT on a croissant with egg or an apple pancake made in a skillet in the oven. And you probably won’t miss it, since she’s happy to cater to people’s busy schedules. “Breakfast is on-demand,” she says. “If you need it at 6:30 a.m., that’s when you get it.” 50 N. Rocky River Drive, Berea, 440-973-7026, riversidegablesbb.com
Nearby find: Berea Falls in the Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation is a 20-minute walk away. clevelandmetroparks.com
Spitzer House
Built in 1890 for the Spitzer Family, this bed-and-breakfast is the perfect gateway to Medina’s charming town square, which features shops, restaurants and a Nov. 22 Candlelight Walk and Christmas Tree lighting. Cozy like grandma’s house, it’s completely furnished in antiques and heirlooms. “Some window treatments and light fixtures were there when we bought the place in 2011,” owner Hayley Benz says. The five guest rooms feature elaborate wallpaper and lots of wood, and each has a private bath — four of them with antique claw-foot bathtubs. For breakfast, try Benz’s Eggs in a Cloud. She separates egg whites and yolks, whips the whites, folds in cheese and bakes the mix, then puts the yolk back in to bake a bit more. “It’s warm and runny and looks like a yolk in a cloud,” she says. 504 W. Liberty St., Medina, 330-952-2129, spitzer.house
Nearby find: Get in the spirit with a visit to Castle Noel, a Christmas wonderland with props from your favorite holiday movies. castlenoel.com
