My wife and I have celebrated our wedding and anniversary here for the last four years. This was our fifth stay at the mansion. As soon as we walked in, we knew something was different. Ken (previous owner) was not there to greet us. In fact, no one greeted us. A voicemail was left on my phone with a key pad code for the mansion and our room. There was no one to take us to our room and make sure everything was in order and check with us to see if we had any questions. There was a note in the room requesting us to call or text the number should we need anything. The next morning, our breakfast was in a basket at our door with a knock. When I opened the door, no one in sight. No one to make sure we had what we needed or to inquire how our stay was. The breakfast was just okay. Not to the quality and standard that Kimberly (previous owner) had. After breakfast we went out for the day. When we returned (6 hours later) our room was not serviced. Trash was not emptied, in room coffee and supplies were not restocked, dirty towels we placed in the tub for replacement were still there. We even had to make our own bed. No time during our two night stay was our room serviced. As we were getting ready to head out again for the late afternoon, we bumped into an employee and asked where the previous owners Ken and Kimberly were. She was very polite and advised us they retired and there was a new management company. This explained the change in experience and service. Another couple staying at the mansion asked us if we knew anything about the history of the mansion. They were surprised there was no one to show them around and provide some history. We proudly shared some of the history that Ken shared with us over the years and pointed the couple to a location in the mansion where they could find blue prints of the original layout. I realize the new owner has only been in place for about three weeks. I truly hope the focus on the history of the mansion and personal hospitality increases. It's what sets the Cotton Mansion apart from other B&B's. Sadly, my wife and I will be moving on to a different option for our next anniversary getaway in Duluth.

Absolutely fabulous experience!! My husband and I stayed here for our honeymoon and it was better than we could have ever imagined!! We stayed in the Terrace suite which was so beautiful, spacious, and comfortable!! The owners are so wonderful, very welcoming and such gracious hosts!! They made us feel right at home and we're so kind to us during our entire stay!! Kimberly makes the most delicious breakfast too, way better than any restaurant of the many we had in Duluth and otherwise! The mansion itself is absolutely breathtaking and very well kept and clean! Pictures do not do it justice (even though I took a million). We could not be happier with our experience and will never forget this experience. We will most definitely be back for another stay in the future and they have earned our business forever- stay here, you won't regret it!!

We were married at the cotton mansion last weekend and it was everything we wanted and more. Kimberly was very kind and ran through everything with us as soon as we got there. Our room was wonderful. Breakfast was delicious as well. I would definitely recommend the cotton mansion for an elopement. We will definitely be coming back for our anniversary.

Truly SPECTACULAR mansion. This not your average B&B. We stayed here for our honeymoon almost 14 years ago and have returned twice. My favorite room is the Belle Cotton Suite, which is so romantic and is the only room with original bathroom, which we thought was pretty cool. The home was built in 1907 in Italian Renaissance style for the Cotton family. Mr. Cotton was an accountant for Rockefeller so this was Cotton's 2nd home where they spent summers (main home in NY). Ken and Kimberly are awesome hosts, breakfasts are super yummy and you just feel transported to another time there. By far our favorite B&B experience.

Lovely and classy place you can wish for bed and breakfast. Hosted by very welcoming people who takes good care of you. The mansion itself is very well decorated, spacious, classy, clean and photo perfect. We have stayed in two of their rooms and they both were very beautiful. Perfect for anniversary and special occasions. We celebrated our fourth and fifth anniversary there and we loved it. Breakfast was good and tasty. They also consider some special request too. Note: we were pleased to know that they sanitized their rooms in advance for COVID time stay.

Showing her age a bit from curb, but inside is well maintained, with historic furnishings. Remote management was a bit off-putting. Maria, who probably has multiple properties to manage, promptly returned texts, patiently answering questions and addressing concerns. Still the mansion deserves a greeter to offer tours and knowledge about her history. Our suite was clean and comfortable, with sparkling updated bath. It was an anniversary celebration, and we wandered and wondered through the common rooms.

Update- was contacted by a manager who apologized. 1st of all-Cotton Mansion is no longer a B&B but is owned by a rental company, so you never see an owner. We were supposed to get an email with the door codes at 3pm. You can't check in until 4. Since we arrived in Duluth early we decided to stop at the mall and walk around. At 4 p.m. we still had not received the email with the codes so I texted the number that had texted me the info. They resent the codes to my email. I didn't get them. Then they sent the codes to my husband's email. He did not get them either! At this time it is now after 4. Finally, they texted the codes! They said it was for security but what's the difference if you're sending the codes to a bunch of different emails. You know you're talking to the people who rented the room so it made no sense! So at 4:30 we are finally able to check into our room. (A note for the rental company-I finally received the codes to my email at 7:38 p.m. but my husband never got the codes so good thing they were texted!) Our room was not in the main house but one of two rooms in the carriage house. Luckily there's more than one spot up there because the white SUV from North Dakota was taking up two spots directly in front of the carriage house. So we had to park to the side. As soon as we got up to the rooms we could hear the neighbors TV on full blast and it stayed that way the whole weekend. We eventually saw the people staying in the other room and they were very young. They were extremely loud the whole time with the blasting TV and making other sounds that nobody wants to hear. So much for a quiet weekend. We did tour the main house and it is beautiful over there. We saw a deer couple walk through the yard which was also pretty neat (see picturs!). There were other people touring the main house who we said hi to but they ignored us which we thought was incredibly rude. The rental company provides pastries and coffee in the morning but we didn't get any either day because come to find out they serve them at 7 a.m.! By the time my husband went over to the main house just after 9 they were all gone. Who gets up at 7 a.m. on a weekend vacation? Maybe business people but they don't usually stay in a mansion. So that was extremely disappointing. We even mentioned it to the rental company but they just said sorry you didn't get to try them. Maybe they should think about bringing pastries and coffee to the carriage house since the folks staying in there miss out because of greedy people in the main house taking more than their share. As for the room, it was pretty large and had a large jacuzzi tub. The first day we went to use it there was no hot water. There's a sign that says it takes a while to heat up but I filled the entire tub and it was cold so I ended up just draining it. We did get to use it once but it was later at night. Luckily the shower had hot water both days. The bed was comfortable and the fireplace was neat being able to see it from two sides. There was a large closet that was ice cold for some reason. The rental company provided microwave popcorn which we did not eat and also bottled water and coffee from the Duluth Coffee Company. Side note-roads in Duluth are horrendous! I'm surprised we didn't break an axle or get a flat tire (not the property's fault of course- just a tip- drive slow).

Beautiful home and my room was perfect. I found it a little impersonal as they utilize self check in so it was odd to stay in a "house" and never see a single employee. No phone in room which was fine - just dont forget your cell charger!

Such a cute quaint spot for a get away. Would highly recommend! Bummed they don't do any breakfast but they do have pastries and coffee that are just right 😊

UPDATE: The management team at Heirloom Vacations contacted us this morning and provided us a partial refund based on our less than stellar experience and said they would look into the safety and access issues at this property. You'll need upper body strength to stay at The Cotton Mansion in Duluth, MN. Run by Heirloom Properties, this circa 1907 mansion needs some serious renovation. Most notably, the doors are nearly impossible to open due to years of wood expansion and contraction. After inputting our entry code into the lock box, we had to throw our entire body weight toward the door to get it open. Luckily,’y husband and I are Hale and hearty, otherwise we would have been stuck on the stoop. Once inside, we were told (by a sign in a stanchion) to take off our shoes in the house to preserve the floors and carpet. At $297 a night, the upkeep of the floors and carpets should be included in the cost of doing business. We lugged our own luggage to the second floor (no on-site staff were available or present) and were faced with another difficult door. Throughout our stay, we could hear the rumblings of other guests wrangling to get their doors open. Our room - the Park Avenue suite - was heralded as a deluxe room with a jacuzzi tub. There was indeed a large jacuzzi tub, however, you have to be a triathlete or an acrobat to access it. You have to climb three stairs and throw your body over without the help of any handrails. The shower is part of this jacuzzi set-up, so even taking a shower was a Herculean feat. The toilet was in a water closet - meaning the toilet was put into what was once a closet and perched up on a platform - two steps up. The door to the water closet would not close because - again - the wood was too expanded. Because the only closet in the room was retrofitted into a toilet, there was no actual closet in which to place our clothes - just six hooks around the room that we had to use to hang up our formal wear for the wedding we were attending. Breakfast? Stale pastries on a tray appeared each morning. Not stellar. The coffee machine, thankfully, made a decent latte. The building is magnificent, but it is really in need of an upgrade to warrant its “luxury” billing and price-point. In summary, if you're going to open a “luxury” bed and breakfast in an historical building, you have to spend the time and money to make sure it delivers on its promises.

This house is so gorgeous! Beautifully decorated, cute tea/coffee service, quiet and courteous housemates. The only thing I didn't like about the house was the bedroom doors- they stick because they're not square (house has shifted over the years), so forcing them open and closed was Really loud.

We didn't stay at the mansion, but took part in the Murder at The Mansion - Holiday Edition event tonight. It was the first time doing a "who done it" like this and it was a blast. Very well done and the others there (quite a large crowd) were a blast. Definitely something I'll look to do again. The only comment from the "investigator" role people (I wasn't one) was to have some thing more to fill their time during the first part and a little more general interactivity.

Beautiful house and wonderful hosts! Highly recommend staying. A welcoming home with historic detail in all the finishings. We only we able to stay one night because of our schedule, definitely coming back when we can stay longer.

Rooms are spacious and beautiful, lots of old hand-carved detailing throughout the home from times past. Plenty of amenities, with a beautiful bath set up and plenty of fluffy towels in our suite. Coffee set up in the room with some water bottles and snacks, which were a nice touch. Sounds do spread throughout the building quite easily, but that’s to be expected in a building as old as this one. Overall a very comfortable and enjoyable experience!

My now husband and I planned our wedding in about 3 weeks, though I had been eyeing this place for years. We booked a last minute elopement and I couldn’t be more happy that we did! The mansion is absolutely gorgeous and makes for a great background in pictures. Ken and Kimberly were both amazing and helpful and though we were only scheduled to be there an hour, allowed us a lot more time for photos. We had to drive for a few hours before the ceremony and they were even so kind as to offer us rooms to change in so we wouldn’t have to travel in our wedding clothes. The rooms were beautiful and spacious as well! I can’t recommend them enough, they helped make our day so simple and stress free. It was absolutely perfect in every way!

My husband and I eloped here summer of 2021. Absolutely stunning venue for a reasonable price. The service was exemplary, and Kim was warm and kind. It was nothing less than perfect, and we plan on returning whenever possible.

We received a gift certificate for a stay at Cotton Mansion. It looks like a wonderful place, but it’s impossible to book. To start, they never picked up the phone. Voicemail inbox was full. Eventually, the number was disconnected. Beyond that, they’re unresponsive on Instagram and Facebook. Fortunately, it’s still possible to buy gift certificates! Priorities are clearly in order.

This mansion is gorgeous! Lots of history and charm. Large rooms, quiet, clean, comfortable, and super relaxing. The hosts were amazing! Some of the best breakfast we've ever had! Our room (Bell Cotton) had a whirlpool and gorgeous bathroom. Great views of Lake Superior and Downtown Duluth. We will definitely be back!