I've stayed at the Yankee Inn a number of times, and I'm always very pleased. It is extremely clean and well tended to, even the rooms in older building are fresh and clean.
The employees are very friendly, ready to help at every moment. The breakfast is varied and ample and tasty. The indoor pool and hot tub are great, and the outdoor pool is delicious, especially on the kind of bright sunny day I was there.
The location is terrific. You can go behind the hotel and sit by a quiet pond, or you can take the exit and be withing a short distance of shopping, quality entertainment such as Tanglewood, and multiple outdoor areas for hiking/walking for any age and ability. The Hancock Shaker Village is less than 15 minutes away and definitely worth a full day's visit.
I had two small issues that could be easily addressed: The lighting in my room wasn't great--the bulbs were not very bright and the lamps were kind of ugly, but it's was mostly a matter of taste. And I would very much appreciate a night light in the sink area, as it's very dark, no ambient light, and easy to trip getting to the bathroom at 3 a.m. This could be a big issue for seniors who are a little unsteady.