Today we’d like to introduce you to David Elliott.
Thanks for sharing your story with us David. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We purchased Taylor House in 1995 after an afternoon of cycling in the neighborhood. It was named after George Taylor, an International Merchant who lived on Beacon Hill, who built it as a summer home in 1853. When we purchased the house, each of us was seeking a career change—Daryl Bichel was an assistant director at the Harvard School of Public Health and Dave Elliott worked in computer training for banks.
When we spotted a “for sale” sign on the decrepit three-story property, which had been split up into five rental apartments, we thought it would make a great setting for a bed and breakfast, an urban inn that could serve as an alternative to hotels in Back Bay and Cambridge. After extensive renovations, it was opened for business in 1996. We were so new to the industry that we used a book called “How to Open and Operate a Bed & Breakfast” by Jan Stankus. Our guests include people visiting relatives in Jamaica Plain, tourists, and out-of-towners affiliated with the many hospitals and universities nearby.
Over the years, the walls have been decorated with local abstract art and we began using our function room for wedding rehearsal dinners, luncheons, and receptions when it was completed in 2002. We’ve faced many challenges over the last 20 years like the 9/11 attacks where the planes took off from Boston, the Marathon bombing and the economic downturn around 2008. People during those periods stopped coming to Boston for a while and some B&Bs and hotels shut down or had to drastically lower prices. Fortunately, many couples were still having babies around us, so our business started catering to grandparents who were coming to the neighborhood regardless of the economics going on.
With online booking websites and Airbnb, we continue to face challenges in marketing and keeping our income even to our expenses. Hopefully what sets us apart is being on-site and greeting people as the owners of this great property and also many kudos for Daryl’s great breakfasts.
What were you like growing up?
From 5 years old, I had the entrepreneur bug with my candy and lemonade stand I set up at a bus stop near our house. As I got frustrated out of college being an elementary school teacher, I slowly moved into my own photography business in my mid-twenties shooting many weddings and portraits for people. When I then started in the world of computers, I was ready after 15 years to jump back into a business and discovered the idea of a bed breakfast both to restore an old property and be my own boss again feeling more in control as I got older and frustrated with corporate life.
I’ve also added a Real Estate business in 2009 when the economy took a downturn and that grew into a new company as I became a broker. Both run out of the Taylor House now.
Pricing:
- general price range between $139 and $349 depending on size of room/season/suite.
Contact Info:
- Address: 50 Burroughs Street
Boston, MA 02130 - Website: www.TaylorHouse.com
- Phone: 617-983-9334
- Email: TaylorHouseBB@gmail.com
- Instagram: TaylorHouseBB
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