Real Talk with Domino Mag

A writer from Domino reached out the other week with a handful of questions for a piece she was working on about running a bed & breakfast.

Since only a portion of my answers actually ran in the article, I thought I’d include ‘em all here for those of you curious about what it’s actually like to run your own small Inn.

When did you start thinking about opening an inn? Was it a longtime dream or something that came about more recently?

I was living in Morocco back in 2009 and started daydreaming about renovating an abandoned riad on my block and turning it into a small hotel. I didn't move on the idea of opening a spot in earnest until a few years later once I'd relocated back to Brooklyn where I grew up. I wound up opening my inn upstate in the Catskills, but I still fantasize about opening a place back in Morocco!

What was the driving inspiration behind your idea to open an inn?

After years of freelance writing and design work, I really wanted to build something tangible of my own. A small hotel like ours is the crossroads of so many of my personal and professional interests: travel, interior design, hosting, graphic design, art, good beer...

How do you intend for your inn to foster a sense of community?

Our inn is specifically designed so that you can interact with the staff and other guests as little or as much as you'd like. Some folks come to simply get away from it all. If you want quiet and solitude, we got you-- we're set on eight acres in the middle of the Catskills Park, five miles down a seven mile dead end road with no cell service! Other folks check-in and post up at out itty-bitty bar and make fast friends. Next thing you know they're all grilling dinner together and sharing their s'mores supplies at a bonfire late into the night, swapping phone numbers at check-out. Our bar is also open to the public on weekends, so locals will stop by for a bourbon and a chat. I love to see neighbors and guests laughing it up together.

Why do you think community is so important when it comes to inns/B&Bs?

Big, road-side hospitality brands used to offer you the same thing no matter where in the country you were as part of their appeal. Lots of travelers now want a taste of local life. Community is a part of that-- chatting with the owners and the staff about their lives, getting recommendations from other guests who have been there for a few days already, meeting locals who drop in. There is plenty of anonymity in daily life these days; becoming a part of a small community for a weekend can feel like a treat.

How did you feel when your first guest checked in?

Fifty percent like I was eight years old and playing hotel, fifty percent like I was the badass business owner I'd worked so hard over the previous few years to become.

What surprises you the most about running an inn? Unexpected challenges? Unexpected benefits?

I worked at a hotel to gain experience before opening my own, so luckily most of the surprises and unexpected challenges were less about the business and more about the realities of life in such a rural area with such extreme variations in weather. (Think 80F and sunny in the summer and negative 20F with five feet of snow in the winter!) As for unexpected benefits, I had no idea just how much I would come to adore our regulars. Some people come three or four times a year. I see their names in our reservation calendar and it literally makes me smile. Some have even become friends of ours outside of the Inn-- we've gone out to dinner together, gone to their weddings. I even hired a regular to cover me for my maternity leave when I had my first baby!

What inspired you to make your inn a "bed and bar" as opposed to a "bed and breakfast"?

I don't eat breakfast. Seriously! I wanted to build a place that I would go to. I'm way more interested in wine than waffles. It's best to play to your own strengths and interests in a business this small-- your enthusiasm (or lack thereof) is contagious. Don't worry though-- we do serve very delicious, complimentary Café Grumpy in the mornings... with a flask of bourbon next to the milk of course.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I cannot count many times people have told me, "You're living the dream!" And most of the time it really does feel like it. But to all you aspiring innkeepers out there: the dream includes a LOT of work. Like, 24/7 work if you're not careful about setting up systems and boundaries! It's the truth about most small businesses really. So do yourself a favor, don't approach it like it'll be a little extra laundry and some chit-chat on the side. Approach it like it's the dreamy, occasionally grueling, oh so rewarding business that it is.