Destination: Solvang, California - two hours North of Los Angeles. I had convinced one of my best girlfriends to join me on my overnight expedition to conduct Field Research on one of my Chosen Dreams - owning an Inn.
The week prior I had set up the trip with the General Manager of The Ballard Inn - in beautiful unincorporated Solvang (what used to be Ballard, CA). Christine was willing and very capable of imparting very valuable insight into what it would be like to Own and Operate an Inn.
Along the drive up there, some car trouble set us back a couple of hours. I exercised my new attitude that you can't control everything and let it all roll right off my back. My friend and I chatted up a storm and enjoyed our time together regardless of the automotive hiccup.
Once we arrived, it was straight to work. We checked in and immediately made our way down to the common room to begin taking notes.
Christine, the GM, found us moments later. I asked a slew of questions - all of which she answered candidly. The main message she wanted to impart was that Owning and Operating an Inn is A LOT of work. She called it a 24-hour job, if you choose to run it yourself. Her greatest advice - as soon as possible, find someone good to run it for you and also do NOT live on the property (or risk never escaping work).
But she clearly loved what she did. She was enthusiastic, friendly and obviously enjoyed tending to her guests. She educated me on the many standards an Inn must meet to achieve a certain level of accreditation...which I had not even thought about before. To my surprise those standards were pretty detailed and stringent (i.e. front desk phones must be answered within a set number of rings and a guest's name must be repeated a particular number of times within that call).
Shortly after, we met the Owner and Head Chef of the Inn's Restaurant, Budi Kazali. He was more hospitable and helpful than I could have imagined. Born into a family of Inn Owners, Budi ventured out on his own seven years ago when he purchased The Ballard Inn (he is the third owner).
He echoed many of the things Christine had said...including the advice that my Inn have 15 or more rooms to make it profitable. Anything less, they said, could not recoup a respectable profit. This was serious food for thought, as it was not in my plan to go that big. Budi suggested that if I must start small, to expand as quickly as humanly possible. Same went for the Bakery.
As we made our way around the Inn, my friend and I made many important observations. The welcome we got from the Front Desk attendants was wonderful and made for a great start to our stay. The common room was complete with Board Games and coffee at all times, which I loved. The rooms were void of TV's or phones (which I wasn't sure I liked for my Inn), but apparently their guests enjoy the lack of technology. And at 4:30 p.m., they held a welcoming wine and food spread. Not to mention, there was a wine tasting bar inside with a country porch complete with rocking chairs just steps away. This was a spot we LOVED...as we rocked in our chairs chatting and sipping wine.
Later we had dinner there (delicious!) and relaxed with a glass of wine. It was quite simply put - Perfect.
All in all the trip was a very worthwhile experience. I found many things I would absolutely love to have in my own Inn and some things I may not want in mine. It's all just personal choice.
My favorite part of all? The relaxed atmosphere at the Inn...and the great conversation with my dear friend. Exactly what an Inn is meant to be.
Sweet Dreams,
Me
"Find what brings you joy and go there." - Jan Phillips
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