Riley's Railhouse is located in Chesterton, Indiana, near Lake Michigan. The bed and breakfast is available throughout the entire year for guests to visit and spend a few nights there. The building is unique, as it used to be an old train station. Guests who stay at this establishment can find that there is a train station theme prevalent inside and outside of the building. A couple of the rooms are in old train carts, making for unique units, with an additional three units that are more traditional in design. One of these units has an upstairs balcony that guests in the past have enjoyed as it gives them a better view of the nearby trains that drive by on the train tracks across the street.
Riley's Railhouse is a small establishment with five rooms available for guests to rent out. As its name suggests, the building was a New York Central freight train station in the past, which explains why its main theme in decorations mainly consists of antique miniature trains. Otherwise, it looks like an older lodge made with some wood on the inside. When guests walk in, they can quickly see the main area, which is the lounge. The lounge is open for guests to spend time in throughout the day unless it has been rented out for an event that people in the city would like to put on. This area is spacious, consisting of tables and chairs that guests can sit at and eat breakfast or converse with family, friends, or other guests. The ceiling is about 30 feet high, and the rest of the room is wide with decorations around it.
The rooms available to guests all have basic amenities provided to those who are staying on the property. Some of these amenities include a television, a mini-fridge, a coffee maker, full private bathrooms per room, air conditioning, and a hairdryer. One of the five rooms is in the caboose and can fit two people. There is a sitting area with an antique bar, and the bed inside this room has a couple of unique features; namely, guests can sit it up so that they are more comfortable when watching television or when relaxing, or they can have it give them a massage. Two of the rooms are actually in boxcars, offering the guests who stay in them a more train station experience than others might get. Out of the five rooms, the one that guests have generally enjoyed the most is the Heritage units. The boxcars in the back of the property are unique not just because of the different styles of rooms but because those boxcars are slightly rarer today. Because of this, many guests have chosen to stay in those rooms so that they can take some pictures of them and have the unique opportunity of spending some time inside one of the boxcars.
One aspect of Riley's Railhouse that should be mentioned is the breakfast that is served to those who stay at the property. A complimentary breakfast is served every day at 9 AM. It is cooked every morning rather than re-heated or simply pre-prepared. The breakfast consists of a variety of foods that the staff chooses to serve, and it can be changed in order to accommodate those who are vegan, gluten-free, and other such accommodations.
Ann and Richard, the owners of Riley's Railhouse, desire to have their various guests feel as if they are at home when they spend a few nights at their bed and breakfast. They hope that when a guest walks into their establishment, they will feel like they are walking into their very own living room and will therefore be comfortable spending time at the property. Because of this, they encourage guests to spend time in the lounge together to relax and/or get to know their friends, family, or other guests more. Ann and her husband also enjoy talking to their guests every now and then in order to better understand their wants and needs and to build good relationships with them. Many of the guests who come to the property are repeat guests who had previously enjoyed their stay at the bed and breakfast. These guests all vary from younger to older couples and families. The bed and breakfast is kid-friendly and invites all who stay to take time to learn about the area and the history of the trains.
Ann and her husband enjoy helping their guests understand the history of the surrounding area, including the history of the train station that they are built on. They also give recommendations to guests on where they think are good places to visit and eat in the city. One such place to visit is Lake Michigan, where guests can spend time on the lake in a boat doing a wide variety of water sports or on the shores taking walks or relaxing. The owners also recommend that their guests visit any of the many wineries and breweries that are close by. If the visitors to this bed and breakfast are looking to visit places that are farther away, such as Chicago, they can take a seven-minute drive to the functional train station nearby and get a quick ride over to their destination.
Guests in the past have remarked on their positive experiences with the property, often commenting on their enjoyment of the antiques around the building and the accommodations that are provided by the owners. One guest wrote that "the owners made us feel like we were at home. The building was a beautifully restored one, filled with incredible railroad artifacts. Breakfast was great every day." Another guest left a review saying they "loved the décor, and the bed was comfortable. The bed and breakfast is in a great location. The warm hospitality makes it an amazing place."
Riley's Railhouse is made from a very old building that has been a variety of different businesses, including a couple of restaurants, a few retail types of operations, and a junk store. The foremost of all of its previous businesses, however, was a freight station. The theme of the current bed and breakfast is that of the freight station from the late 1900s.
The building of the bed and breakfast was sold to the current owners in the year 2011. Those owners are Ann and her husband, Richard. Richard has enjoyed trains for a large part of his life, so finding this property was something that was special to them. They bought the building originally looking for a summer home that they could enjoy but were given the idea by a friend to instead operate and run a bed and breakfast. After three years of remodeling, the property became the bed and breakfast that it is today. The owners currently live on the property but plan to eventually move out, giving their guests another room option with a balcony.
123 N 4th Street
Chesterton, Indiana 46304
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Ann
None.
