The Colonel's Cottage Inn and Suites is located in the small, historical city of Bardstown. Bardstown was established in the 1700s and is the second oldest city in Kentucky. Bardstown is also the bourbon capital of the United States with seven world-renowned bourbon distilleries. There are four cottages and two suites available for reservation at the Colonel's Cottage Inn and Suites. The cottages are spread throughout a city block, while the suites reside inside the Kentucky Bourbon House. Every guest accommodation has a private entrance, luxury linens, modern amenities, and off-street parking. Additionally, each of the cottages have a full-sized kitchen stocked with dishes and cooking supplies.
Located in the heart of Kentucky, the Colonel’s Cottage Inns and Suites is situated in downtown Bardstown: the second oldest city in Kentucky. There are five separate properties within the business, consisting of four cottages and one small boutique hotel. Each of the cottages line a block and were previously used as family homes or bed and breakfasts before Margaret and Michael Masters purchased them around 2004. The boutique hotel also functions as the Kentucky Bourbon House, where the Masters sell their brews and offer bourbon tours. On the second floor of the Kentucky Bourbon House, there are two single-bedroom suites.
Each guest accommodation offered by the Colonel’s Cottage Inns and Suites is equipped with specific amenities and conveniences. Upon arrival, every room is filled with luxury linens and towels, a snack basket, and a coffee bar featuring the area’s famous Bourbon Coffee. Other basic amenities include flat-screen televisions, pillow-top mattresses, robes, toiletries, and off-street parking. Every cottage and suite has a unique history and date back as far as 1830. The downtown location brings each private cottage within walking distance of many shops, restaurants, outdoor attractions, and bars.
John Fitch Cottage is the oldest of the cottages at Colonel’s Cottages. Built-in 1830, this one-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage is relatively small and private. Painted light green with an orange door, this saltbox-style cottage is surrounded by manicured lawns and shrubbery. A large great room with baton ceilings and original hardwood floors fills most of the home with leather furnishings and a small dining area. A small kitchen with a microwave and coffee station also takes up space in the home. The kitchen is fully stocked. In the bedroom, there is a queen-sized four-poster bed that adjoins a large bathroom. The bathroom has a double whirlpool tub and shower. Additional amenities inside the John Fitch Cottage include a washer and dryer, a furnished private courtyard, and a charcoal grill.
The Pioneer Park Cottage was built in 1880 and has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. This blue cottage has a small front porch and white trim. The largest of the bedrooms has a queen-sized, four-poster bed with an ensuite bathroom, while the smaller bedroom has two twin-sized beds with a bathroom across the hall. Each bathroom has a double whirlpool tub. There is also a large kitchen, dining room, and sitting area. The kitchen and bathrooms are newly renovated with up-to-date appliances and fresh tiling.
The Millstone Cottage sits next to the Pioneer Park Cottage and was also built in 1880. This pink cottage is single story with a small front porch and large windows. A private courtyard sits at the back of the home with a charcoal grill. Similar to the Pioneer Park Cottage, this accommodation has two bedrooms, one with a queen-sized bed and the other with two twin-sized beds. There is also a single bathroom in the cottage and a large kitchen. The kitchen has marble countertops and white cabinets, blue curtains, and decorations. A large coffee maker and a full-sized refrigerator are both recent additions in the space.
The most recently built of the cottages is the Bourbon Cottage. This cottage is also the most popular accommodation of the six. Built in 1903, this is a two-bedroom and a single-bath cottage. Painted light blue, this spacious cottage has two sitting areas, a large dining room, and a newly renovated kitchen. The bathroom has a shower and trouble vanity with an ironing station. A private side patio and courtyard are located at the back of the cottage.
Each of the suites at Colonel’s Cottage Inn and Suites have private entrances. The Chapeze Suite is located on the ground floor of the Kentucky Bourbon House and features a four-poster queen-sized bed, a flat-screen television, and a spa bathroom. The room does not have a kitchen but does have a coffee bar, microwave, and mini-fridge. The guest accommodation shares a private courtyard with the Bourbon Loft. The loft is located on the second floor of the Kentucky Bourbon House and has two bedrooms and a private bathroom.
There are many nearby attractions and restaurants that are highly recommended by the Masters. Seven large distilleries are located in Bardstown and offer in-depth bourbon tours and tasting rooms. The cities of Louisville and Lexington are also nearby and offer many different attractions. The Stephen Foster Musical is held in the area during the summer, and there are many nearby outdoor parks with walking trails and grassy fields for playing outdoor games and having picnics. These include the Bardstown Community Park and the Dean Watts Park.
The Colonels Cottage Inns and Suites was developed by Margaret and Michael Masters to create a space where guests can stay while spending time in some of the best bourbon country of the nation. The Masters want their cottages to be a safe, comfortable space where their guests can relax. “We strive to provide true southern hospitality,” says Margaret. The cottages are older buildings built from the late 1800s to the late 1900s. Despite their age, each rental is outfitted with modern conveniences and luxury amenities. No pets are allowed; however, service animals are welcome with extra notice.
Because each of the cottages are separate and spread along a city block, check-in and check-out is contactless and relatively simple. Due to this, the Masters have limited interactions with those who spend time in their rentals. Most of their communication with guests is over the phone or through email. Brochures and spiral-bound books are left in each cottage and suite with distillery, restaurant, and attraction recommendations. Guests who stay in the Bourbon Loft or Chapeze Suite are more likely to interact with the Masters couple as they run the Kentucky Bourbon House below.
The Masters' endeavors in the bourbon and hospitality industry has lead to many different business opportunities. Since their ownership in 1998, the couple has been featured on the Food Network with Paula Dean, the Travel Channel with Taste of America and The Thirsty Traveler, The Colonel Making a Mint Julep, and Our Bartender Rosemary. Along with being featured on national television, the couple guest speak on many local news channels and casting programs.
Most of the guests who pass through Bardstown are visiting to spend time touring the Bourbon industry. Margaret and Michael are very familiar with the industry and encourage all of their guests to book specific vendors, tours, and restaurants in advance so they can fully enjoy their experiences in Downtown Bardstown. The demographic of guests at the Colonel’s Cottage Inns and Suites range from ages thirty-five to fifty-five. The cottages and suites are open for reservations year-round. Bourbon tours are limited during January and February, so those are the slower months of the year when it coms to occupancy.
The business motto at the Colonel’s Cottage Inns and Suites is “Hospitality, Kentucky Style.” Every cottage and suite is decorated with locally made pottery, antique furnishings, unique silverware and china dishes, and original art. Michael wrote a cookbook with original Kentucky-style recipes named Hospitality, Kentucky Style, which is part of the culture the Masters hope to emulate throughout their guest accommodations. A recent guest at the Colonel’s Cottages left this review, “At the Colonel’s Cottages, we were well taken care of and certainly felt the Old Southern Hospitality of the owners and historic charm of the home itself.”
A variety of other positive comments are consistently made in reviews on Google and TripAdvisor. Visitors often remark about the staff, the cleanliness of the living quarters, well-stocked kitchens, and the privacy of their accommodations. “My husband and I stopped in for one night. What a great place to stay. Such a quaint town, and the cottage we stayed in was great. The innkeeper was such a sweet lady, she went out of her way to make sure our stay was perfect. Walking distance to most Bardstown things. It's an old house and you can tell it has a very rich history,” said a guest.
Colonel Michael and Margaret Sue Masters are the owners of the Colonel’s Cottage Inns and Suites. The couple purchased their first cottage in 1998. Margaret spent some time in Charleston, South Carolina, during the late 1990s and noticed some small rental cottages in the area. She stayed in these cottages, enjoyed her experience, and wanted to purchase some of her own cottages to rent out. Colonel Michael spent his career as a Kentucky Bourbon Master, and together the Masters ran the Kentucky Bourbon House and Boutique Hotel for many years. Upon returning from Charleston, Margaret purchased her first cottage.
From 1998 to 2004, the couple purchased four different cottages, all within a city block from each other. Each cottage is different as some were previously bed and breakfasts or family homes built in the 1800s and 1900s. In that time, the couple also came into ownership of the boutique hotel where they not only held the Kentucky Bourbon House headquarters but also incorporated two more guest living spaces; the Bourbon Loft and Chapeze Suite.
In January of 2020, Michael retired from being a bourbon master, and the cottages became the couple’s main source of income and business. Margaret, along with her staff of house cleaners, yard workers, and handymen, strive to keep all of the cottages clean and up to date. The Masters enjoy the business aspect of their properties, along with decorating each of the cottages differently and meeting all of those who come through the area, especially those with a deep appreciation for bourbon like them.
The city of Bardstown is home to over seven world-renowned bourbon distilleries. The city sustains a population of just over 11,000 residents and was established in 1780. The small city is the second oldest in Kentucky. As the bourbon capital of the nation, the city receives over 80% of its revenue from tourism sales. Famous historical attractions in the city include the Old Kentucky Home State Park, where the Stephen Foster Story is played in the theater, and the Old Kentucky Dinner Train.
114 South Fourth Street
Bardstown, Kentucky 40004
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Michael & Margaret Masters
