Archive for the 'Personal Stories' Category

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The Iris Inn: A Select Registry B&B

Apr. 2nd 2013

“Unlike generic hotels, [Select Registry] inns undergo these quality assurance inspections regularly, assuring guests that they’ll have a comfortable, pleasant stay.” –Select Registry

We strive to uphold a high standard of innkeeping so that our guests may have the best experience possible when choosing the Iris Inn as their getaway destination. We have recently had the honor of joining the ranks of B&Bs in the Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America. Select Registry “carries out a quality assurance inspection of each of its nearly 400 inns. This program involves independent inspectors – not employees of Select Registry – with years of experience in the hospitality industry…. This process provides a guarantee to the traveling public that a Select Registry inn is in a class of its own.”

 

We were pleased to read our first Select-Registry based review on TripAdvisor, written by Judy Jacobs. Ms. Jacobs says, “As of late, the Inn just received the acceptance of the Select Registry, a group that vets inns and B&Bs for membership which are the ‘cream of the crop.’ We have not been disappointed with the choices we made and the Iris Inn exceeded our expectation…The Inn is spectacular with soaring vaulted ceilings, up stairs library, out door balcony and a third floor balcony – which all are facing beautiful views of Virginia countryside… As for the cabin – I would have to call it a Tree House – it was the nicest room we ever stayed in at a B&B/Inn.”

 

 

 

Thank you, Judy for the excellent review, and thank you, Select Registry for adding the Iris Inn to your esteemed organization!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Tara Stoll | in Personal Stories | No Comments »

Photography Feature: James Beeler

Jan. 14th 2013

Of all the decorations at the Iris Inn, we’ve found some of the most striking and eye-catching pieces to be our artwork, most of which is the product of local talent. We’ve continued this pattern with our new cabins, and we are so pleased to be displaying the signed photography of the enormously gifted James Beeler.

 

Mr. Beeler states, “I have only been serious about photography for a little over two years now…In September of 2010, I took the picture that is hanging at the Iris Inn, a picture that I would consider my signature piece. I met Dave and Heidi at the Waynesboro Fall Foliage Festival this past year.  They were interested in purchasing some canvases for their brand new cabins.  When they told me they wanted seven, my eyes lit up!  It was my first festival, [and] my goal was just not to lose any money.  I never expected anything like this to happen.  After a couple of meetings and discussions, we decided on the canvas that is hanging above the bed in the new cabins…It’s still very surreal to me to walk into the cabins and see my picture hanging on the wall, to think to myself, ‘I took that.’  I think it fits perfect[ly] in the room, and it being captured here locally makes it even better.”

 

Click here to visit and like James Beeler’s Facebook page. Click here to check out his website, and don’t forget to reserve your Iris Inn cabin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Tara Stoll | in Personal Stories | No Comments »

The Green Family

Oct. 29th 2012

If you’ve been keeping up with our blogs for a while, you may remember the fire that we had here a few months back, and as a result, the heroic actions of two young cadets from Fishburne Military School. One of these cadets, Collin, was recently joined by his twin brother Ryan for their senior year at Fishburne, and their family was featured in a news piece about the military school.

We are delighted to be able to claim the Green family, including Colin, Ryan, and their parents Liz and Bob, as guests of the Iris Inn for the past four years. The young men always anticipate a nice, hot shower after the grueling nature of their schooling, and we are always ready to prepare their favorite breakfast for them—corned beef hash.

The news piece quotes Liz as affirming the rigorous schedule that Fishburne cadets follow, as well as the resulting discipline. We, too, are thankful for such discipline, as it prompted quick and logical reactions among the cadets who saw the first signs of the fire at our inn. Thank you again, Collin, for your level-headed aid in stopping the fire, and thank you, Green family, for your loyalty to the Iris Inn!

Liz and Bob packing up the car at the end of the year (2011)

Bob (left) and son Ryan

Colin and a fellow Fishburne cadet

 

Posted by Tara Stoll | in Personal Stories | No Comments »

Family Reunions at the Iris Inn

Jul. 30th 2012

The Iris Inn serves as a meeting place for business groups, scrapbookers, wedding parties, and various other get-togethers. This also includes family reunions, and we are happy to have a reunion experience story directly from one of our former guests:

 

“My mother Helen, and her sister Pat make it a point to take a sister trip once a year and always spend a few days and nights at the Iris Inn. So when they decided there needed to be a mini-family reunion, what better place than the Iris Inn? Those of us who could make it spent three days and nights at the Iris Inn this past May. My cousin and his wife booked Hawk’s Nest with the hot tub, and the rest of us booked the four rooms on the second floor. This meant we had the second floor deck all to ourselves.

We all arrived at different times on a Friday afternoon from Nebraska, Missouri, Georgia, and Northern Virginia. Dave and Heidi gave us a big welcome and guided each of us to our rooms. We caught up on the latest news with them especially the excitement of the cabins soon to be built. My mother and aunt have already planned to spend a few nights in one of the cabins after they are finished.

Each morning we gathered for one of Heidi’s superior breakfasts consisting of juice, fruit, muffins, eggs prepared differently each morning along with breakfast meats, coffee and tea. While Dave served us, he answered any questions we might have regarding our outings each morning. He is a wealth of knowledge for the best restaurants in the area, how to get to the various vineyards and breweries, plus local sights of interest.

The best parts, however, were the evenings! We rocked away on the upper deck’s rockers watching the sunset behind the mountains of Virginia. We shared family stories and laughed while enjoying a local glass of wine and snacks. Before we knew it, it was midnight. My aunt said she had never seen her son laugh so much as he did those evenings with his wife, sister, me and my new husband, his parents, and my mom.

Dave and Heidi are very friendly and go out of their way to make their guests feel at home. They feel like a part of our family and we’re always excited to see them. The cookie jar is always full for those late night snacks before heading to bed.

We were all very sad to leave that following Monday morning. Not only were we leaving each other, but we were also leaving the comfort of the Iris Inn. My cousin wanted to know who would cook her breakfast every morning. Before leaving, Heidi had us gather on the upper deck for one last family photo before departing.

My mother and her sister are planning their sister trip for August, and of course, for three nights in one of their favorite rooms at the Iris Inn.”

 

 

Posted by Tara Stoll | in Family Reunions, Group Travel, Personal Stories | No Comments »

Wendy’s Blanket

Jun. 12th 2012

 

The kindness of strangers is oftentimes overlooked, especially in an age where it is easy to become cynical. But ever once in a while, someone will surprise you with a thoughtful act.

We meet a lot of wonderful people here at our inn. One such wonderful person is Wendy. Wendy and her husband Jeff hail from Pennsylvania, and after finding the Iris Inn last fall by means of an online search, they bookmarked our website and planned to visit. Wendy, however, ended up breaking her ankle, so she and her husband postponed their trip to give the injury time to heal. In the mean time, Wendy became the Crochet Queen, crafting a series of beautiful baby blankets. After gifting the blankets to various people, Wendy found that she had one still remaining. Jeff questioned her as to whom she would give this final blanket. Wendy’s answer was simple—“Heidi Lanford.”

Eventually, Jeff and Wendy made it to the Iris Inn, and Wendy humbly presented her last baby blanket to Heidi. Having never before met Wendy, Heidi was speechless and incredibly touched by the gift. Not only had Heidi recently become a first-time grandmother, but the blanket also included two of her favorite colors, and Wendy had known neither of these things when choosing Heidi as the recipient of her gift.

Needless to say, Wendy’s blanket made a lasting impression on the innkeepers of the Iris Inn. Thank you, Wendy.

Wendy and the Blanket

Wendy and Heidi

 

Posted by Tara Stoll | in Personal Stories | No Comments »

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