The Rehoboth Guest House is an LGBT owned bed and breakfast in the city of Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. Aside from the beach that the town derives its name from—which is one of the most popular things to do near the property—the Rehoboth Guest House also has other attractions nearby that guests can explore during their visit. Due to the small nature of the town, guests can experience a more rural setting. The small town has a wide variety of family owned restaurants and businesses, with a large number of them being close enough to walk to from The Rehoboth Guest House.
The Rehoboth Guest House is a 140-year-old Victorian house. The property is located in one of the first places to accept the LGBT community in the United States. The building contains 18 bedrooms with 16 bathrooms to accommodate their guests. Of these rooms, ten of them have a personal bathroom, and four have shared bathrooms. The property also comes with an outdoor shower to clean off before going into the house after any outdoor activities. During their stay, guests can have the opportunity to purchase unique candles made by the owner, Tom Keltch. The candles vary in the kinds of scents they give off.
The building is two stories tall and has various trees and greenery around it with stairs that lead up to the rooms on the second level . There is also a deck in the back yard that offers views of the exterior of the property. Some of the basic features of each room include large beds, nightstands, and lamps. Guests have access to exterior amenities such as a deck with a table and an umbrella over the table and a reasonably-sized front porch. There is also a variety of rooms available, each having different color of walls; Tom reports that "the most popular room at Rehoboth Guest House is room 130 and 13."
As part of the daily breakfast made by the property's experienced chef, typical dishes include fresh pastries, scrambled eggs with pancakes, or various other food such as waffles, sweet potatoes, and french toast. If guests want a relaxing day at the beach without having to drive anywhere, they can relax at Rehoboth Beach, which is within walking distance from where they are staying. However, for those seeking fine dining, there are a plethora of different restaurants within 3-blocks of the bed and breakfast, and many restaurants have a five-star rating. Most of the restaurants are privately-owned and family-run. Some restaurants that the owner has suggested are the five-star rated restaurant Purple Pair, which is a casual tiki bar, and Blue Moon for more formal dining. Another nearby attraction is the outlet stores, where gifts such as clothing or souvenirs can be purchased.
As previously stated, the most popular rooms at the bed and breakfast are numbers 130 and 13. Room 130 is the most spacious of the property's units, and Room 13 has a private entrance, and those features add to their level of popularity. Other property-wide amenities include alarm clocks, televisions, fans, and refrigerators. Rehoboth Guest House is a block away from the beach, and a block away from the principle street in Rehoboth Beach. This allows for easy visitation of restaurants and activities, though the neighborhood is far enough away that sound levels are relatively low.
The general culture of the Rehoboth Guest House is to be welcoming and considerate of people of all sexual orientations and preferences. The city of Rehoboth Beach is rich in culture pertaining to diversity, considering that it is one of the first areas to accept the LGBT community in the United States. The city has the highest proportion of residents of the LGBT community in one area. The current owner has consistent ideals relative to what the area is known for, with the majority of the guests being members of the LGBT community. The first time Rehoboth Guest House had the majority of guests being part of the LGBT community was when it became a bathhouse for the LGBT community. Over the course of the various owners and names that the property has had, it has maintained the diverse culture Rehoboth had since the property opened.
The current owner, Tom Keltch, purchased the property and kept the name and tradition of what the previous person used it for: a bed and breakfast that has the majority of its guests being part of the LGBT community going all the way back to the 50s. Rehoboth Guest House is also known for being in an area that only has small restaurants and no large corporations.
Some of the guests' favorite things about staying at this property are the food and the owner's dog, along with being able to experience a small town when everything outside of the area is large cities. A guest mentioned that the "property was nice and staff accommodating. I would recommend this property highly." Tom explains that the culture of Rehoboth Beach is "very liberal." To accent that fact, he also mentioned that the property is only three streets away from where Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden lives.
The Rehoboth Guest House has a story going all the way back to the 1900s, where it was two beach homes put together. At this time, they were beachfront properties put together and used as a boarding house for religious retreats. Then in the 50s, the area became one of the first places to accept the LGBT community and became a bathhouse for the LGBT community. At the time, it was known as the Paradise Manor. This area was a safe location for the LGBT community because it is near Rehoboth Beach, which is one of the very first beaches that was safe for people who are part of the LGBT community.
Years after being a bathhouse, Bill purchased this property and renamed it to Rehoboth Guesthouse. The current owner Tom Keltch purchased this property in 2013, kept the name, and kept the tradition of having the majority of their guests be part of the LGBT community. The reason is the goal the owner has for this place is to create a space where people can relax, get away from city life, and become friends with the others guests who are also staying there. Taking time for themselves to relax at the beach, eat good local food, and get some shopping done. People who aren't part of the LGBT community are welcome to come as well, but the typical guest is part of the LGBT community.
40 Maryland Avenue
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Tom Keltch
Bill
