As of Saturday, May 9, the Glasbern Inn in Fogelsville is open and offering zero-contact overnight lodging and dining. Their team invited us to come experience it for ourselves—here's what it was like!
There's no need to leave your car to check in. Guests are instructed to call the front desk when they are 15 minutes away and, upon arrival, park in the five-minute spots. Almost immediately, someone will come out to do a socially distant check in, wearing a face mask and standing a good six feet away from your car window.
After checking in, we were led to our room. We stayed in the Carriage House Sunroom Suite, which featured surrounding windows that showcased the scenic views, along with a fireplace, jacuzzi and more. It was by far the nicest room we had ever stayed in and exceeded all expectations!
We were told to call the front desk when we were ready to order dinner and that it would be prepared in courses by renowned Valley Chef John (JP) Pukanecz. There were two standing trays at our suite's entry way, one where they would place our food and the other where we could stack plates and items to be taken away. Once we finished one course and were ready for the next, we were told to call and let them know so that it could be freshly prepared. When our next course was ready, they gave us a courtesy call to let us know they'd be bringing it down. It felt like a flawless system.
We started off with a round of drinks—I ordered the Lemon Raspberry Mule, made with Tito's vodka, house-made raspberry lemonade and ginger beer. It was so delicious that I may go back to Glasbern just for that cocktail alone! My fiancé ordered his go-to: an Old Fashioned, made with Knob Creek bourbon. It did not disappoint.
For our first course, we each ordered the Creamy Lobster and Mushroom Bisque, made with chunks of delicious lobster. We shared the Steamed Mussels, made with pinot grigio, saffron, tomato, garlic, chorizo and shiitake and cream. There were so many, it took us a while to devour every single one.
We had moved on to our second round of drinks—I ordered the Pomegranate Cosmo, which they were happy to make on-the-rocks. My fiancé enjoyed the Margarit-a l'Orange. All drinks came with a protective layer of plastic wrap around the rim.
For our main course, we couldn't resist the Hershey's Grass-Fed Filet Mignon, served with an herb potato croquette, cipollini, shiitake “bacon,” spinach and a truffled pinot noir reduction. Every bite of it burst with flavor and just melted in your mouth.
Dessert came in the form of Warm Flour-less Chocolate Torte—topped with peanut butter mousse and served with toasted marshmallow and mixed berries—and Crispy Apple Dumplings. We were divided on our favorites, but mine was the chocolate torte.
In the morning, we enjoyed coffee and breakfast—buttermilk blueberry pancakes and The Glasbern Sandwich (made with a fried egg from local favorite The Nesting Box).
The entire stay left us feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. The hospitality and the attention to health and safety blew us away. It felt like a true escape.
We may not be traveling far and wide on vacations this summer, but all are invited to “Shelter and Romance in Place” at the Glasbern.
Read more about the options available here and check out their message on COVID-19 here.
