The Red Rose Inn is located in the historical town of Bardstown, Kentucky. The building itself is 201 years old and is late Victorian styled. The house is registered on the National Register of Historic Places. The property has four rental rooms, the Magnolia, Hunt, Garden, and the Violet rooms. All except the Hunt Room is located on the second floor, while the Hunt Room is on the first floor. The dining room is also on the first floor, where David and Susan, the owners, serve a country breakfast every day at nine. A front porch has padded rocking chairs for patrons to use if desired. There is another common area in the back: a large deck overlooks the backyard that includes a koi pond. The business is open from mid-February to late November, with the busiest season of operation being from July to October.
The property of Red Rose Inn is located in Bardstown, Kentucky, which is about an hour from Louisville, Kentucky. The establishment is owned by David and Susan, natives of the town. The house on the property has four rental rooms, which either have queen or king beds. The four units include the Magnolia, Hunt, Garden, and the Violet rooms. Hunt room is the only one to be located on the first floor, and also has a king bed and fireplace. Each room is themed and has a distinctive color pattern, such as the Hunt Room being painted green. The Magnolia Room is themed after the color pink and has a king-size bed with a fireplace. The Garden Room is accented yellow, while the Violet Room is themed after its name, with violet-colored walls. The building is over 200 years old, and those who have owned it have emphasized preserving the history and period it was built through the decorations.
The outside of the building is an off-white cream color and also has a front porch with sitting. The house is accented with pillars around the porch and bushes. The front of the house has a paved sidewalk leading straight up to the building, where you have a full view of the old-looking light post, shrubbery, and surrounding trees. When inside, the houseguests have access to common areas such as the dining room where breakfast is served and a large back deck. This space has a couple of tables with umbrellas and has a view of the backyard. The owners say that occasionally guests can see the wildlife roaming the property. The Red Rose Inn also has the outside feature of a koi pond that patrons can visit.
David and Susan, the owners, make the breakfast themselves, which they then serve to their guests daily. They make a large country breakfast for all guests to eat because they are in the south. This meal entails fruit, pastries, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and biscuits. Everyday breakfast is served at nine but is subject to change based on circumstances. Other amenities included in staying at the Red Rose Inn are a ceiling fan, garment storage, seating, toiletries, TV, WiFi, alarm clocks, a blow dryer, and an ice bucket. Patrons are also given snacks throughout the day and water or soft drinks.
The Red Rose Inn has been in business for many years and is currently run by David and Susan. The two are natives of Bardstown, Kentucky, being born there. David and Susan are proud of the community they have been a part of their entire lives. Being in the lodging industry is something new for both of them, but they have said they see this as a new adventure in their lives. They started running the property with the goal of helping guests feel relaxed and comfortable when they stayed there. With each new set of patrons that come, David and Susan have set the standard of only interacting with them as much as the patron wants. Although, David says that most guests enjoy a hands-on experience. The owners being born and raised in the south have given them the ultimate goal of showing their guests what southern hospitality looks like.
Guests are known to revisit the Red Rose Inn frequently. The inn is open from mid-February to late November, with the busiest season falling from July to October. Some of those who have stayed at the property in the past have mentioned the usefulness of the walkability to nearby locations, hospitality, food, and cleanliness. One guest wrote in a review, “Our hosts ensured we were comfortable and knowledgeable with their home. Our room was cozy, clean, and well kept. Breakfast was exceptional.” One way that David and Susan try to create this atmosphere is through the policies implemented on their property. Such policies include no pets, no smoking inside, and having no candles lit.
The surrounding area is known for the Bourbon Trail that runs through the town and goes to Louisville, Kentucky. The trail is sponsored by the Kentucky Distillers Association, with distilleries all along the route. Other notable activities in the surrounding area include horse racing, bluegrass, and a highly rated Civil War museum. The region is known for being extremely religious and has old churches all around town. The owners say that the city is thriving, mentioning that it’s an “Older historical poppin town.” David and Susan will also recommend guests to try Talport Tavern, a local restaurant when staying there.
The building for the Red Rose Inn is 201 years old, originally being built as a family home. The house continued for that purpose up until 20 years ago, when it was converted into a bed and breakfast. David and Susan, the owners, have owned the inn for the past four years. They see this as the next adventure in their lives now that their children are all grown up. David and Susan had no experience with the hospitality industry until they bought the property. However, David has worked in customer service his whole life, which has helped him in his endeavor.
The owners in the past have strived to keep the building accurate to the period it was built in but with the needed upgrades such as air conditioning. Not too much has been added during David and Susan’s time, but they have plans of painting the rooms and replacing the carpet. Previous owners were the ones to add the koi pond and the deck. The age of the building has enabled it to be a part of the National Register of Historic Places. The building is considered a late Victorian-style home. Craftsman Alexander Moore originally designed the fireplaces that the rooms have. He also was the one to design the structure of Federal Hill, “My Old Kentucky Home.”
The town has multiple older historical buildings that add to Bardstown, Kentucky. Such facilities include the Old Courthouse and the visitor center. The city also has many old church buildings, such as Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral, Nazareth Campus, and the Abbey of Gethsemani. The street the inn is located on is 209 East Stephen Foster Avenue, which name came from the songwriter Stephen Collins Foster’s song “Ah, May The Red Rose Live Always.”
209 E. Stephen Foster Avenue
Bardstown, Kentucky
United States
Victorian
David and Susan
