Today we’d like to introduce you to Corbet Unmack.
Hi Corbet, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
With my partner and husband, William Faiia, we retired from the tech side of San Francisco’s financial industry in 1995 and moved to Ashland and purchase a small, 5 room bed and breakfast inn. In a short time, we became “Ashland’s premier theater-oriented bed & breakfast”, well-respected in the community and developed a large and dedicated repeat business. Our primary focus was on the theater and, specifically, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). Our guests came to us primarily for the comfort and aesthetic of the rooms, the 2/3 acres park-like setting, one of only 2 swimming pools existing at any Ashland b&b, and the large and extensive library. Additionally, word spread that we served one of the best breakfasts you could get at any b&b. William’s near-gourmet breakfasts were served family-style at one large table, making for lively, entertaining, often lengthy conversations. We had created an atmosphere informing travellers that if you they were coming to Ashland and OSF, Arden Forest Inn was the place to stay.
Then COVID hit.
We were forced to regroup and change our focus while OSF and many local businesses remained closed and tourism reached an all time low. We now catered mostly to first responders and their families after being allowed to reopen in June 2020, adhering to stict guidelines, mask-wearing and appropriate distancing. Gone were the lively discussions shared around one large table. Gone was our focus on theater. But we somehow managed to stay open, as many if our competitors were not, and slowly regrew our clientele, now with a new focus on the transient traveler, who were stopping in Ashland between (mostly) San Francisco and Portland or visiting local relatives. OSF reopened slowly, cautiously and with minimal offerings, once more increasing tourism travel to Ashland. But things were different now. Our business model had completely changed and we knew it would take close to 5 years before things got back to the way they were, if they ever did.
In 2023, we decided it was time to pull back after close to 30 years of operating as a bed and breakfast inn, and as we were both now in our 70’s. We made some drastic changes by closing 2 of our 5 guest rooms, discontinuing breakfast, moving from our adjoining apartment into the Main House and, in effect, converting Arden Forest Inn into a travelers’ accommodation. We offered the apartment we’d called our primary residence for the past 28 years as a month-to-month rental and, to our good luck, OSF signed a lease as our tenant and has remained so ever since.
So, that’s our story. Two tech professionals from San Francisco reinvent themselves as bed and breakfast innkeepers, survive the pandemic and now operate a successful 3-room travelers’ accommodation within walking distance to the theaters.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Everything mostly fell into place for us when we initially moved to Ashland, as we had a clear idea if what we wanted to create. Things got rough (for us and everybody else) when COVID hit. It took our primary business model, discarded it, and forced us to come up with a new one.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Word of mouth has been our greatest asset in gaining new business and growing our business from what had previously been referred to as “the K-Mart of bed and breakfasts” to “Ashland’s premier theater-oriented bed and breakfast inn.” After relying heavily on an online marketing effort, we were able to slowly eliminate most of our marketing budget and redirect it toward OTA’s (Online Travel Agents – i.e., Booking.com and The Expedia Group). By doing this, we reduced our marketing expenditures by nearly 80%.
Pricing:
- $152-$225 / Night (plus tax)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://afinn.com
- Facebook: @ardenforestinn
