Show notes
In 1904, Colonel John Lant Youngs, a decorated hero from World War I, built the Birmingham Manor in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, as his residence. Almost 50 years later, the manor transitioned from Victorian heritage to a beautiful bed and breakfast to cope with the massive flow of visitors the Stratford Shakespearean Festival attracted to the city. Fast forward many years, in 2011, two Italian professors were looking for a cottage and decided to visit the house they saw in the classified section. It was love at first sight with the Birmingham Manor. In the beginning, they thought of taking the inn as a seasonal type of business, and as much as they love teaching, running such a magnificent place made them decide to switch careers. Elena Pastura and Dom Tassielli come from a long career in private education; Dom taught many years before opening his own private school in Canada, the only one recognized by the Italian government. Elena is an elementary trained teacher; she taught Italian as a second language working for the Italian government and has a Montessori diploma. In this episode, we chat with Elena about her experiences running the Birmingham Manor, her and Dom's decision to switch careers from education to innkeeping, and her perspective on the industry. We talk about the challenges they faced as newbies in the innkeeping world, their love for meeting new people and cooking, and the importance of establishing clear boundaries with guests. Elena also described her and Dom's approach to hosting, establishing personal relationships with most of them, her relationship with perfectionism, her rituals preparing guests' rooms, and more. Some Questions I Ask:What drew you to buy an operating bed and breakfast? (5:30)Would you say your own travels have helped you figure out what it is that makes people feel welcome? (11:27)What are the special touches and things you do to establish personal relationships with your guests? (13:24)What do you do to keep yourself sane and happy while being of service 24/7? (27:42)In This Episode, You Will Learn:From a stressful first summer to glowing reviews and incredible growth (7:48)Elena's fantastic definition of hospitality (12:43)There is always something going on in Stratford to entertain guests (25:11)The importance of establishing boundaries to avoid uncomfortable moments (31:40)How constructive criticism can help us offer better service to our guests (42:39)Resources: Birmingham Manor Bed & Breakfast websiteBirmingham Manor Bed & Breakfast FacebookBirmingham Manor Bed & Breakfast InstagramBirmingham Manor Bed & Breakfast Trip Advisor reviewsEmail: [email protected]: 519-273-6545Let's [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.