We Opened a Bed and Breakfast Before Turning 40; Quit Full-Time Jobs

For most of our lives, we assumed bed and breakfasts were run by sweet little old ladies on sprawling estates that had been in their families for generations.

Then, we broke the stereotypes we’d seen in movies and books when we — sisters Kristen and Kathryn — bought a century-old manor in 2022 and became innkeepers at 32 and 24, respectively.

We never expected to have “grandma jobs” before turning 40, but it’s been the best decision we ever made.

Within just a few months, we bought a property and became innkeepers

Before becoming innkeepers, we were living together in a two-unit bungalow in our hometown to save money while working in careers unrelated to hospitality — Kristen was an HR director for a regional healthcare nonprofit, and Kathryn was a social media manager working toward her master’s degree in public safety.

However, we could never shake the dream of working together and being self-employed. We had many ideas over the years of what that might look like, from opening a restaurant or café to a clothing boutique, but we always felt a pull toward opening an inn. It felt like the perfect way to combine our passions for hosting, traveling, and meeting new people.

One day, our mom, who knew about some of our ambitions, sent us a real estate listing for an eight-bedroom, six-bathroom property in Ontario, just one town over from where we were living.

We booked a tour of it — just for fun, we told ourselves. But we fell in love with the home the minute we walked into it. It had the vintage character we were looking for, and it felt like exactly the space we’d imagined whenever we dreamed of opening an inn.

Between our two full-time job salaries, previous real-estate transactions, and the money we’d saved by living together, we could swing the down payment on the property.

So, despite having no prior hospitality experience, we quickly put an offer on the home and received the keys in May 2022.

At a traditional bed and breakfast, the innkeeper lives on-site. So, we packed up our belongings, sold our house, and moved into the manor, which we quickly began preparing for guests while continuing to work our full-time jobs.

Although the house was in great shape, we began doing small projects to freshen it up and turn it into the space of our dreams.

We sourced vintage furniture from Facebook Marketplace, estate sales, and thrift stores to evoke a 1906 feel and preserve the home’s charm. Though we kept the original wallpaper, we also added some new pieces to make the inn feel more modern and inviting.

Less than two months after getting the keys, we opened The Rose Manor for our first set of guests.

Opening the manor was the best decision we could’ve made, and we’ve found lots of advantages to being young innkeepers

Due to the inn’s success, we were able to quit our jobs two years after opening and now work as full-time innkeepers.

Although we were initially a little nervous about becoming innkeepers in our 20s and 30s, we quickly realized our age could be an advantage. Having now been in the industry for several years, we can’t imagine managing the manual labor, long hours, and responsibilities of owning an inn later in life.

Using Kathryn’s background in social media management, we use TikTok to share our experiences as innkeepers, sisters, and business partners. Our account @rosemanorwelland has already amassed over 100,000 followers.

We’ve been able to stand out on socials and brand ourselves as a Gen Z and millennial hot spot because we’re two young women running a bed and breakfast — it’s not common, and some people even romanticize our jobs.

In the comment sections of our videos, we’re frequently compared to characters from “Gilmore Girls” or told we’re basically living the plot of a Hallmark movie.

Plus, TikTok is the primary source of leads for the micro-weddings we host at the manor, and our videos have helped us draw in travelers from all over the world.

However, it hasn’t always been easy to navigate being first-time business owners in an industry neither of us had any prior experience in. There have been days when imposter syndrome sets in, but being able to rely on each other’s unique skill sets has instilled in us a unique sense of confidence.

Overall, becoming innkeepers has been one of the most rewarding things either of us has ever done.

We’re already starting to feel like our business and brand are outgrowing our current property, and we have big dreams of expanding — and hopefully finding another property that can grow with us as our dreams continue to evolve.