Chateau Bourbon Bed & Breakfast now open!

We did it! After much preparation and hard work, Chateau Bourbon officially opened its doors to the community on Wednesday, January 20^th.

THE IDEA: Our journey began in August 2014. I had spent the summer observing and reflecting upon the growth of Norton Commons. Several of my neighbors had opened successful businesses in the community that year and I noticed my own entrepreneurial juices started to flow. I kept thinking, “If they can do this, why can’t I?” At the time, I was successfully employed as a developmental psychologist, but things were changing in the organization where I was employed and I was finding myself unfulfilled and worn down. During that time, I recall one summer night when I lay awake all night mentally creating a business plan for a potential bed and breakfast in the neighborhood. After all, I had always dreamed of opening a bed and breakfast “one day”, but assumed John and I would move further south first. By morning, I had convinced myself that the idea of opening a bed and breakfast sooner, and in my own community, was worth further exploration.

THE PLAN: Over the course of the next week of discussing my plan with John, my mom, my builder, and the Norton Commons business office, I was overwhelmed at everyone’s excitement and shared the belief that that business could succeed and thrive. 

At that time, we started drafting a plan. Literally. We worked with an architect for three months to design the property for the bed and breakfast. Many factors had to be decided in order to know if the plan would move forward. I needed to know that I could get all of the features and finishes I wanted for the property AND we could afford it. Basically, if I couldn’t have the B&B designed a certain way, I didn’t want to move forward. Luckily, after a lot of brainstorming and creativity, we came up with a perfect design and, best of all, it was right within our budget. We knew then we were moving forward.

We obtained financing, secured our lot, and crossed our fingers that this crazy scheme would work. We broke ground on April 17^th 2015.

From that moment on, it was time to make the selections that would assemble themselves into our bed and breakfast vision. We knew exactly what we were going for…an elegant, historically representative Kentucky home that was equally warm and inviting to provide comfort to our guests. Bourbon-inspired décor and furnishings mixed with soft, romantic elements…the perfect mix of masculinity and femininity. Unique, fun details for guests to enjoy such as swings, a sleeping porch, guest pantry, and a business center. We chose every single detail from both the construction side as well as the decorating side, providing an environment that is 100% based on our vision and concept.

We worked equally hard at creating the ultimate guest experience. We studied and practiced recipes, took cocktail classes, and made connections with the local and state distilleries, bourbon experts, and bourbon groups. We sampled and purchased towels, linens, robes, and toiletries in order to select the very best for our guests. We hand-made several items for our property, including a bourbon barrel sink, a barrel headlight fixture, bourbon bottle soap pumps, headboards, picture frames, etc. (John is VERY talented!). We had 20 pieces of family furniture restored and refinished to fit the design concept. No detail was left without consideration.

With our grand opening set months in advance, it became difficult near the end to accurately predict our completion date. A few days before we were scheduled to open, we had a major setback that caused us to postpone our closing date 2 weeks. Even though it was devastating to postpone our opening, it actually worked out for the best. It took us much longer to move in than we anticipated, so by having extra time to reschedule our opening, we had time to perfect everything before we opened our doors.

THE RESULT:  We began hosting guests on December 27^th, 2015. A few weeks behind schedule but SO pleased with the result, we realized that like quality bourbon, Chateau Bourbon was worth the wait. Our hard work and diligence had paid off. And it turned out perfectly. We have had nothing but rave reviews from our guests. They love the incredibly comfortable beds, the delectably filling breakfasts, the oversized showers, plush robes, and complimentary cocktail and dessert. Best of all, we have got to experience how FUN it is to be innkeepers. Making people feel welcome, comfortable, and in a way, loved, is an extremely fulfilling experience.

Our official grand opening celebration took place three weeks after we began hosting guests on a cold, snowy day. Despite the weather, approximately 200 community members attended to show support and tour the property. By all observation, they were blown away. After sampling some food and drink items, touring the guest rooms, and meeting with the innkeepers, everyone expressed such kind words and encouragement. To see everyone react to our dream made the whole process worthwhile. And the cool thing is, it’s just the beginning. Now the REAL fun begins!

We look forward to making Chateau Bourbon B&B a major success. We invite you to come stay with us and experience some southern hospitality…but we warn you, you won’t want to leave!