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10 Fitch Bed & Breakfast Changes Hands
Meet Cheryl Barber the new owner of 10 Fitch a luxurious Bed & Breakfast on Fitch Avenue. Cheryl had been looking all over for a B&B to purchase, and she finally struck upon 10 Fitch, just off South Street’s Historic District. Past owner Katie Hess had spared no expense in remodeling and redecorating this property and it was turn-key transaction. Everything was in order and open for business.
Cheryl, do you have a background in the accommodations industry?
I’d never worked in the hospitality field and really my only experience in it has been the many fine hotels and places that my husband and I have been blessed to stay in because of the company that he works for. I worked in retail for several years and then left the workforce to stay at home with my two sons and home school. I became interested in digital scrap booking when we were doing a unit study on genealogy and began designing digital scrap booking products. Other people became interested in what I was doing and started asking me if my digital products were for sale so I opened my own e-commerce store, CB Digital Designs, and sold my products there for a couple years. Ironically, as my customer base grew I found that I had less and less time to design. Maintaining the website and taking care of customers took up most of my time so I closed shop and began working for scrapgirls.com. I’m still with them but haven’t created any new products for several months.
How did you come across 10 Fitch?
My husband is a very successful state manager with Woodmen of the World insurance, and they have promoted him and moved us a few times over the last several years. We were in Arizona three years, then Kentucky for two, but we are native upstate New Yorkers and when Woodmen decided to move us back to NY we began our search for a bed & breakfast to buy instead of just a house. My mom agreed to sell her home and move with us to help me run it. My husband’s office is in Albany so our search began there and in the Saratoga Springs region.
I saw 10 Fitch listed on one of the sites online that I regularly combed looking for inns for sale and fell in love with the photos immediately. But I didn’t even put it on our list of possibilities because we weren’t looking to buy in Central NY. Almost a year later we were still looking and had expanded our search to the Finger Lakes area. When I saw the listing for 10 Fitch again I was so excited! I told my husband and he said to call the realtor and set up an appointment. We took Mother’s Day weekend ‘07 and set up appointments to look at several properties, staying overnight at two of the B&B’s we looked at and one of them was 10 Fitch. We put an offer in the next day.
What was the deciding factor in your purchase?
When we walked in the front door it felt like home. For me, it wasn’t that we would be buying a B&B as much as it was that we were home, we were in NY and we were buying a gorgeous, comfortable place to live and build happy memories and that is what I want to share with our guests.
Since so much work has already been done, do you have any plans for new improvements or changes?
Katie & Jay did an amazing job here and shared many of their ideas with us. We are excited to continue with many of the things they were doing, and were going to do, and incorporate some new ideas and plans of our own.
What do you see as the challenges in this business?
So far, the biggest challenge has just been having time for ourselves because we are open for business 24/7. We moved into 10 Fitch on July 31 and August was the busiest month that the business has had to date. We’re still learning a lot, and I imagine as we get into a routine and become more comfortable with everything that we will be able to carve out time and go out and enjoy Auburn and the surrounding area. There is so much to see and do here! I am always amazed when guests come back from their explorations and share with us where they have been and what they have done.
So far, where are your guests coming from and how did they hear about you?
Since we’ve been here, we’ve had guests from as far away as England, but a lot of our guests have come from Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, various places in New York and Canada. Some heard about us from friends who’ve stayed here before, some are referred by the Cayuga County & Skaneateles Chambers. Many of our guests find us via our website, www.tourcayuga.com, www.fingerlakes.org, www.bedandbreakfast.com and from Trip Advisor.
Do you have any specials or packages you’d like to share information about?
Our Spoiled Girls package is very popular and a great way for female friends and family members to get away, relax and just enjoy one another for a couple of days in the Finger Lakes area. The package includes, among other things, accommodations for 4-7 girls, hot breakfast for all each morning, private in-suite massages and a 7-hour limo chauffeured winery/sightseeing tour.
Because we get a lot of honeymoon and anniversary couples staying with us, we put together a couple packages geared just toward them. They each include 2 nights’ accommodations and lots of extras to make the stay very romantic and special. With the Honeymoon Package there is also the option to add additional nights to your stay. Full details, including package pricing and online booking are available on our website at www.10Fitch.com.
10 Fitch History
The property was built in 1904 with entertaining in mind, and restoration was completed in the fall of ‘05. The comfortable and private atmosphere offers the hospitality and warm charm of a bed and breakfast in luxurious style, and is sure to please even the most discerning of guests. The property offers three suites, each with their own theme. They are the Gardenview, Equestrian and English Suite. The linens at 10 Fitch are all decadent Anichini 600 thread count sheets.
English Suite
Our most spacious suite at 10 Fitch, the elegant English Suite is truly a treat for all your senses. Enter via a private staircase and open the door to a world of many delights. The oversized bathroom features 14 foot vaulted ceilings, incredible lighting and pristine décor. A large claw foot tub with room enough for 2 and a European rain shower make this a truly elegant and relaxing spot. A quaint window seat overlooking the gardens and dressing table complete the fantastic presentation of the English Suite bathroom.
The bedroom features a queen size antique bed dressed in fine silks and decadent sheets, wood burning fireplace, window seat, private porch overlooking our gardens, and comfortable reclining chairs to curl up with a good book. We have also just added an iPod docking station clock/radio so you can bring along your own music to enjoy during your stay with us. The separate sitting area offers a plasma television, DVD player and pull out love seat for additional sleeping area.
Equestrian Suite
The Equestrian Suite offers a plethora of amenities, fitting for an elegant stay in the Finger Lakes. This 3-room suite is so comfortable and complete you may never want to leave it! Enter Equestrian through a spacious sitting room complete with wood burning fireplace, game table, flat screen television and DVD player, and cozy chairs for reading. The elegant bath separates the sitting room from the very private bedroom and has a marble rain shower and Jacuzzi tub that allows for a truly romantic and soothing experience. You’ll find the most decadent of bedding in the bedroom: down featherbed and luxurious Ralph Lauren custom velvet comforter all accented with beautiful fine silks as well as an iPod docking station/clock radio so you can bring along and enjoy your favorite music during your stay with us. All three rooms of this suite are elegantly decorated with a regal equestrian theme.
The Equestrian Suite and Gardenview Suite share a guest refrigerator and snack station as well as an ever expanding DVD movie library all conveniently located just outside the suite door in the hallway.
Equestrian Suite Sitting Room
The cozy sitting room with fireplace and comfortable seating calls for a good book and a glass of wine. The sitting room is part of the 3-room Equestrian Suite.
Gardenview Suite
Vibrant and energetic colors invite you into this charming 3-room suite with private bath. A queen sized late 1800’s iron bed is suited with decadent sheets, featherbed topper, fluffy down comforter and silk duvet. A charming chandelier glistens at night while daylight will allow a lovely view of our gardens and private backyard. A bedside nightstand proudly offers a new iPod docking station so you can bring along your own music and enjoy it during your stay! The sitting room adjacent to the bedroom has comfortable seating and plasma television.
Gardenview Bathroom
The Gardenview Bathroom presents unique character at 10 Fitch. This full marble bath features a rain shower and some unusual antiques… Be sure to ask us about them. With flawless attention to detail, the bathroom is serious luxury.
Special Occasion Packages
Birthday Package
- 2 nights accommodation in one of our luxurious 3 room suites
- Full breakfast each morning
- Balloon bouquet
- Custom birthday cake for 2
- Your choice of either a bottle of sparkling juice or wine
- Breakfast in suite one morning
Anniversary Package
- 2 nights accommodation in one of our luxurious 3 room suites
- Wine & cheese plate
- Fresh seasonal flower arrangement
- Full breakfast each morning
- Breakfast in suite one morning
- Private in suite couples massage
- 4 course gourmet dinner at Giverny Restaurant
- 6 hour wine and sightseeing tour of Finger Lakes Region
Honeymoon Package
- 2 nights accommodation in one of our luxurious 3 room suites
- Strawberries & Champagne
- A dozen red roses in a keepsake vase
- Full breakfast each morning
- Breakfast in suite one morning
- Private in suite couples massage
- 4 course gourmet dinner at Giverny Restaurant
- 6 hour wine and sightseeing tour of Finger Lakes Region
Couples Packages
Romantic Escape for Two
- 2 Nights accommodation in one of our luxurious 3 room suites
- Full breakfast each morning
- Beautiful picnic for two
- Maps and direction for self-guided wine tour of Finger Lakes
The Pampered Two
- 2 nights accommodation in one of our luxurious 3 room suites
- Full breakfast each morning
- 6 hour private wine and sightseeing tour in a luxury sedan of Finger Lakes
- Picnic lunch for two
- Couples massage in privacy of your own suite
The Ultimate Pampered Two
- All included in the Pampered Two plus
- 3 nights accommodations Gourmet
- 4 course dinner at Giverny Restaurant
Same as Ultimate Pampered 2 but dinner at Giverny is with wine pairing
Group Packages with Friends
Spoiled Girls Package
- 2 nights accommodation in one of our luxurious 3 room suites
- Wine and hors d’oeuvres upon arrival
- Full breakfast each morning
- Limousine for 7 hour wine/shopping/sightseeing tour of the Finger Lakes Region
- Tour of MacKenzie-Childs Farmhouse and shop
- Picnic lunch to take along
- Cookout under the stars at 10 Fitch
- Massage in privacy of your own suite
The Perfect vacation with Friends
- 2 nights accommodation in one of our luxurious 3 room suites
- Wine and hors d’oeuvres upon arrival
- Full breakfast each morning
- Limousine for 7 hour wine/shopping/sightseeing tour of the Finger Lakes Region
- Picnic lunch to take along
- Gourmet four-course dinner for 6 at Giverny Restaurant
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