Blog at Port Washington Inn - Milwaukee-Area B&B

Innkeeping is a labor of love that is all about sharing.

To meet most innkeepers is to meet people who aspire to offer a special experience to their guests.
The care that goes into decorating and maintaining their inns and into preparing delicious food for their guests is calculated to look and feel as though it happens effortlessly.
A truely professional innkeeper will manage to provide this experience in spite of all the snafus they may have been dealing with behind the scenes.

It is always a pleasure for such innkeepers when their guests are moved to express their appreciation, sometimes verbally, sometimes in a thank you note that arrives after their stay.

Our hearts are always warmed by kind words from our guests and there have been many.
The following note arrived recently from Erika who visited our bed and breakfast inn with two friends who have been visiting the inn for many years (in fact these friends gave the inn a Lenten Rose last year and have also made our hearts sing with their kind words):

Rita & Dave,

I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how beautiful your B&B home is.
The hospitality was incredible and the warmth of both of your personalities really made me feel very comfortable.
Your place is an awesome getaway.
What a fantastic job you both did with the decor.
I have spent time in a lot of B&B’s
- but your place is the most elegant of all!!
I will be back!

Erika

Erika knew that Dave (and our son Aaron) have created many special furniture pieces for the inn in their woodworking shop.
She also knew that Rita uses her sewing skills to enhance the inn.
Erika and her friends had participated in the Saturday Night Good Food, Good Company Special as well as two full breakfasts and she took home a few recipes.

Thank you for your kind words, Erika.
They truly did make our hearts sing!

Over our eleven plus years as innkeepers, we have often heard “…..our friends (or a family member) stayed with you and told us about the Port Washington Inn….” It is, of course, music to our ears! Behind the scenes we work very hard to have every detail in place for each guest’s stay. We also try our best to be flexible and accommodating of special needs and to be helpful with information about the area.

A recent article about our business, published in the Milwaukee Business Journal, alluded to our having “towels and toilet paper” in each of the rooms prior to guests’ arrival. We chuckled when we read that because the interviewer had never stayed at our bed and breakfast (or any bed and breakfast) and was therefore quite honestly unaware of the myriad of preparations we make in advance of our guests’ stays! (In truth, the article was more about the business of innkeeping than it was about the guest experience at an inn.)

Many, many people tell us they are staying at a bed and breakfast for the very first time; we always tell them that we hope their stay at our Wisconsin bed and breakfast encourages them to try others. Here is how one couple evaluated their stay with us in early July of this year:

“Though we’ve both traveled extensively, and stayed in some beautiful places throughout the world, this was our first experience staying at a bed & breakfast. It will be the first of many, thanks to the wonderful experience we had at the Port Washington Inn.

We easily chose our suite and booked our stay through their web site. They were responsive and friendly to our inquiries, and answered every question we had. I have some unique travel problems due to my height and health, and they made all the arrangements smooth as silk.

The inn itself, a 100+ yr old home just three blocks from Lake Michigan, is a fabulous place. Dave & Rita, the owners, have restored it beautifully, with modern conveniences mixed seamlessly with traditional elegance. But as nice as the place is, the people are even better. When our plans changed mid-trip, they arranged for an early arrival and went far above and beyond to greet us and meet our needs.

Prior to the trip, I had heard the ‘breakfast’ part of b&b described as everything from continental to gourmet. The meals here certainly fell into the latter category, with unique, healthful and delicious menus each morning. Fresh fruits, outstanding baked goods…I can’t say enough good things about it. I’d have paid for a couple night’s stay just to hang around Rita’s kitchen and steal a couple recipes!

We stayed five nights at the PWI, and loved every moment. We had a bit of stress in our travels to Wisconsin, but it went away as soon as we arrived at this tranquil spot. Dave & Rita are incredibly friendly, warm and hospitable, without ever being intrusive. The perfect hosts.

We planned our trip to visit a family member in the Port Washington area. There’s a chance she’ll be moving to a new locale as soon as next year, and we’ll go see her there. But, family or not, we’ll make trips to Port Washington in the future just to stay at this beautiful place with these wonderful people.”

This TripAdvisor Member:
Liked: Atmosphere + accomodations = Perfection
Disliked: nothing to dislike, other than that we had to come home