We stayed at the AL Patton recently for our first Fredericksburg B&B experience, and and there were good and bad things about the room (Hemingway Suite).

First the good:

The location is great, just at the western end of Main. We were only a short walking distance from most of the shops and the restaurants. Walking into the suite, it is very impressive in terms of size, appearance, and layout. This second floor room is very large and the living area's 4 or 5 main windows look out over Main St. I liked the decor for the most part, even though it seemed at times that they were blending too many different styles. The bedroom was seperated from the living area and had a little fridge and microwave in the closet. The bathroom was very nicely decorated and the most pleasant of all the rooms. It also seems they have attempted to correct some of the problems mentioned by previous guests. The heater in the suite worked (almost too good - I put it at 72 and woke up in the middle of the night and had to turn it down). Even though no breakfast is provided at the building, they did have a cheese and cracker plate in the fridge along with a $10 voucher good at some of the coffee shops and bakeries on Main.

Now to the bad:

Most of what I had read from previous reviews is true. One of the primary complaints was from noise and I have to say the noise was somewhat bothersome. When in the bathroom, we could hear people talking from the adjacent room (Barcelona). Street noise was also audible, but any place on Main St will have a little street noise so that wasn't as big a deal. We brought our iPod and portable speakers, which drowned out all this noise, but a lot of people might not have this option. The restaurant underneath the room was closed all day, so we didn't have to deal with that noise at all, which was mentioned by other guests. The noise that bothered us the most though was the bedroom fan (very squeaky) and the sound of the heater turning on and off. Both my wife and I had a bad night's sleep even though the bed was very comfortable due to this noise. I didn't notice a problem with dust as other guests had, but it did appear that the room could benefit from a more attentive cleaning crew. The shower glass looked like it wasn't cleaned at all before we arrived. Also, the breakfast voucher we received was good at a only a handful of places, but none of them served a good big full breakfast from what I could gather, but rather most were coffee/bakery style places instead.

We stayed at the AL Patton only one night and it was on a Sunday, so the rate was less than on the weekends. Still, it was over $150 with tax, so I think you should shop around more before settling on this place. The room is more unique, spacious, and interesting than most hotels, but the value and wealth of lodging options available in this town should be considered first.

My girlfriend and I recently stayed a Friday and Saturday night in the Hemingway Suite. If you are looking for a well decorated, upscale bed and breakfast with an early 1900’s atmosphere, then the AL Patton – Hemingway Suite may be for you – but it did have its share of fairly serious problems!
The pros would most certainly be the beautifully themed décor as well as the location - only one short block from the main shopping district.
Be Warned! There is a major con that may ruin your trip if you don’t expect it! That would be the noise. There is a delicious restaurant below that gives off a wonderful aroma every morning, but also gives off plenty of noise in the evening. The first night we were there, they closed at around 9pm so the noise was not too much of an issue, but the second night they were either open late or had a private party that lasted until 11pm! We found it very difficult to relax because of the voices, laughter, and music; not to mention the constant street noise! I never knew so many big rigs traveled through such a small town.
There was also a problem with the heating system. The thermostat did not work so the heater only worked in the “on” position creating quite a nuisance having to wake up throughout the night to turn it off… then awake to turn it back on…etc.
It also would have been nice to have a working clock radio.
Our weekend wasn’t a total loss. We enjoyed ourselves but did not feel the accommodations were worth the $180 per night (one of the most expensive in Fredericksburg).

We stayed at the A.L. Patton B&B on Main. I was so disappointed with this place. You must enter the bldg from the back and it looks like you are going into a basement. You are greeted by about 20 or so stairs that go straight up. The floors were very loud and we heard our neighbors everytime they left or came home. The room sits above a cafe which can be extremely loud. We had to turn our tv up so we could hear it. We could hear every sound of the dishes and the people. We also had to hear the loud motorcycles and cars that would pass along the street until all hours of the morning. We could even hear car alarms going off for about 15 minutes. We had no breakfast with our room although it is a B&B. We had to get dressed and leave to find food as opposed to just having it brought to us so that we may relax. This was very annoying, along with the noise.

The room was covered in dust. It had been a few months since they had dusted it and there were dead bugs on the floor and in the bathroom. The heater was broken and there was no phone in the room. The fruit plate consisted of 2 apples and 2 oranges. We tried to call the number for some help with the noise and the heater and no one called us back. This is the worst way to spend close to $200 a night. Not to mention that all the shops close around 5 or 6 pm. on the weekends. It was a horrible place, except for the comfy bed. Could not relax whatsoever due to the noise and the cold. The only good thing was having each other to enjoy because we couldnt' enjoy the room.