Paused

With the New York Pause officially in effect, we are on pause.

In fact we closed the Inn last week because we decided that would be best for public health at large— for our staff, our guests, the entire neighborhood, and beyond. And while I am in no way to be happy to be closed, I am relieved that the Governor has made this choice for everyone.

It is surreal.

In some ways, Steven’s and my daily rhythms have barely changed. He’s still making books, we still have both kids at home like we always do. We live in a cycle of naps and nursing and reading books and baking bread and taking walks. But today is the first day neither of our other Innkeepers are here and it’s hitting me harder than I expected.

I’ve been posting on Instagram Stories more than here obviously, if you want to follow along. There are lots of soothing nature pics:

And kid stuff, like Amina’s wacky outfits and my one big tip for hanging out with them at home:

It’s also where I’ve explained our thought process that led us to closing before the Pause and where I’ll be adding updates on reopening etc as things continue.

Stay home. Stay healthy out there.

Congrats to our 2020 Spruceton Inn Artist Residents!

Here they are! Our 2020 Spruceton Inn Artist Residents:

Ariel Aberg-Riger, visual storyteller / D. Arthur, writer / Sage Brown, photographer / Rachael Cole, author & illustrator / Meg Day, poet / Micheal Foulk, writer & performer / Shanita Hubbard, writer & performer / Heather Jones, writer & designer / Alexandra Marvar, writer / Glynnis MacNicol, writer / Jovanna Tosello, animator

HOLY CRAP was it hard to choose this year! We got about 300 applicants and Steven and I read through every. single. one. And yes, our eyes felt like they were going to fall out by the end of it, and yes, it is so emotionally overwhelming to digest so many artists’ work and hopes, but yes we are sooooo excited about the 11 folks we chose to come this year.

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.

Hiring! Artist Residency! Workshops!

SO MUCH good stuff going on at the Spruceton Inn this fall:

Ain't no Sunday Scaries here. Not when you're behind this Front Desk & Bar hanging out with the coolest, nicest guests around! SO COME BE AN INNKEEPER WITH US! 30-40 hours per week. No hospitality experience necessary.  Ideal start date is mid-November but if you're worth it we'll wait. More details about the position and online application here.

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Applications open September 1st-30th for our 6th annual Artist Residency! We're awarding about 7 artists a free room for a week this winter, no strings attached. Learn more about the program and how to apply here.

Aaaaand registration is open for our two fall workshops!

Btw, workshop teacher Chloe Caldwell (who was also a 2018 Artist Resident!) just published the most beautiful piece on being a stepmother in the Times. I 100% cried when I read it.

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See you for some of this fun soon?

Summer and Fall Workshops at the Spruceton Inn

Registration is officially open for all three of our workshops this summer and fall at the Inn.

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Details including workshop descriptions, schedules, rates ($200-$675), and how to sign up on the Inn’s website here!

TGIF

Funny how when you run a hotel, Friday afternoon is actually exactly when the action begins.

Weddings at the Spruceton Inn

Last year we hosted five weddings at the Inn in the new (but yes, very old) barn. This year I think we’ll only do four maximum. They are, unsurprisingly, a TON of work and we enjoy being a hotel first and foremost.

All that said, how dreamy are these pics from a wedding we hosted here last September? Thank you Map & Compass Photography for sending them along! And thank you Maria & Jake for getting hitched here!

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For the curious (and perhaps the recently engaged??) you can see details about our 2019 dates, rates, and other details about how we do wedding weekends right here.

Spruceton Inn Artist Residents 2019

We just announced this year’s Spruceton Inn Artist Residents and I am SO EXCITED!

We had just shy of 300 applications this year and it was so hard to whittle it down to these eight, but HOLY SH*T SERIOUSLY I AM SO EXCITED about these eight!

In alphabetical order they are:

Kamee Abrahamian, visual artist & writer / Lucy Ruth Cummins, visual artist & writer / Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, visual artist & writer / Aditi Natasha Kini, writer / Christina Wood Martinez, writer / Jenny Rosenstrach, writer / Sofia Warren, visual artist & writer / Alexandra Zsignmond, visual artist

They’ll be shacking up at the Inn one at a time for 5 days each this January through March. I can’t wait to talk to them about their novels and cookbooks and collages and street art projects and cartoons and fine art and kids books and installations and and AND!

Applications are Open for the Spruceton Inn Artist Residency

As of this morning, applications are officially open for our Inn's Artist Residency program so hop on it!

Details, including how to apply, can be found on our website here. 

2017 Artist Resident Ping Zhu made these beautiful paintings when she was here that I think perfectly capture what our 32 previous artists have all described their time as being like:

Looking forward to your applications!

We're Hiring at the Spruceton Inn

UPDATE: POSITION FILLED! Thank you everyone who applied. 

We're hiring another Assistant Innkeeper at the Inn! 

Like I said on Instagram: My baby is still a *little* too young to work the Front Desk and Bar so WE’RE HIRING! Assistant Innkeeper, 30 hrs a week. You’ll be joining me and our other Assistant Hannah (@comeandgoblues) as we do the little bit of everything that it takes to run this place. No hospitality experience required. Ideal start date is ASAP, but if you’re worth waiting for, we’ll wait! Details on our website including how to apply at sprucetoninn.com/jobs

Spruceton Inn Artist Residency Applications Are Open!

Time for our 4th annual Artist Residency at the Inn!

Through the month of September, writers and 2D artists can apply for a week long, no cost stay at the Inn. Residents are announced October 20th and come stay at some point between January and March. 

Last year we had over 300 applications for 8 spots. We can't WAIT to see this year's applications! Check out previous Residents, program details, and how to apply right here. 

Spruceton Road

Last night I was walking down Spruceton Road at sunset and it got me thinking about the first time we drove it four years ago, unknowingly just moments away from spotting the property that would change our lives. Then I started thinking about how our guests might feel driving down it for the first time on a summer Friday evening, about to embark on their weekends. Both thoughts made me happy.

I'm just so damn glad we're out here.

Chloe Caldwell X Spruceton Inn Writers Workshop

We're hosting another Chloe Caldwell writers workshop at the Inn this August 7th-9th because the first one was such an enjoyable success!

Check out schedule details and how to reserve your spot here. 

WE'RE HIRING AT THE INN!

Come live it up with us in the Catskills this summer and fall as our Assistant Innkeeper!

It's part-time (about 22 hrs per week), temporary position during our super fun high season. Duties include checking guests in and out, handling email inquiries, coffee and bar service, and generally being a Catskills concierge to our kick ass guests. 

Email info@sprucetoninn.com for more details if you're interested!

Be Your Own Inspiration

I like when Pinterest picks out my own hotel as inspiration for me. RIGHT ON PINTEREST. Right on.

I'll Tell You: Everything Will Get Done Because It Has To

The upstate focused website And North asked me a few questions about what it's like to run my own business in their collection of 5 Women-Owned Businesses We Love in Upstate New York. 

I'm often a little stumped at first when folks ask for general business advice. Everyone's path is so different, right? But I do stand by what I ultimately told 'em:

My mantra when opening the inn was "Everything will get done because it has to". I must have told myself that ten times a day because, frankly, there were points when it seemed impossible — this idea that all fifty thousand things you have to do to open your business will get done. And it’s not just the sheer amount of tasks, it’s the variety. There were days when I would spend the morning finalizing our liquor application, the afternoon ordering sample linens, and the evenings designing our website. That’s a lot of different hats. But that’s exactly what I wanted — to have my hand in everything. And you know what? Everything got done because it had to!

It's not the sexiest mantra but truly, it was the lighthouse that got me through some of those rougher, uncertain patches along the way. 

Let's Talk About The Weather

You can't live in the country and NOT talk about the weather at least, oh, four times a day. Especially if you take a trip to the Post Office, in which case the weather must be commented upon with each and every person who comes and goes.

But seriously? We have a big ol' storm coming our way tomorrow. Upwards of two feet! My skier is quite excited. Our kitchen team a little less so. And we have loads of folks staying at the Inn this week!

Left by @Victoria.Emanuel, Right by @SprucetonInn

We'll see which brave souls actually get out of bed for coffee service tomorrow morning...

I Love Lamp: Renovating The Barn, Part Two of Many

So remember how back in June we got a dumpster and demo'd the sh*t out of what we could in the barn?

Well, life took over and we pretty much didn't touch it again until now. In the dead of winter. Because that's a totally ideal time to be doing work in an uninsulated, unheated barn. 

We had some friends up for New Year's Eve and in between walks to the waterfall--

And lighting massive bonfires--

We put them to work building tables! Out of barn wood, OF COURSE. And with some legs from ModernLegs.com just like we did for our coffee table. Then today, Steven and I went in and swept up, rearranged and ta-da!

Why on earth did we decide to do this today? Because we're having a Dungeons & Dragons retreat here this weekend and they're going to use the barn for their Friday night welcome event! I'll snap some pics then too so you can see it in all of its tapestry/string light/electric candle nerding out glory.

We're still planning on doing a real-deal renovation in the spring/summer, but for now it's great to have this space even remotely usable!

Spruceton Inn Artist Residency Program Deadline Extended!

We've had such an avalanche of last minute applications for our Artist Residency program that we've decided to extend the deadline through Friday, November 4th.

Writers and 2D artists, apply online here!

We're Hiring at the Spruceton Inn!

Ever fantasized about living in the country and running a little Inn? Well dang, come on up and do it with me! We're hiring for a full-time Assistant Innkeeper here at the Spruceton Inn!

Details about the position and how to apply can be found here.

And for those of you who know and love my current Assistant Innkeeper Megan, you can wish her well as she moves on to wonderful things with Memorial Sloan Kettering! I am SO SAD to see her go, but 100% rooting for her in her next adventure.

UPDATE: Hired! Thank you so much to everyone who applied.