For innkeeper Denny Dellinger, breakfast can be the most exciting part of his day.
As the owner of Moon River Bed and Breakfast, Denny loves preparing and sharing a continental breakfast with his guests in the historic downtown Maysville townhouse. He bought the nearly 140-year-old property three years ago, and although in his 70s, Dellinger doesn’t plan to retire. “Part of it is I didn’t want to be lonely when I got older,” he said. “Having 10 rooms for other people to live here is a good alternative. I never felt popular in high school, and I feel like I’m popular.”
Dellinger said that while his permanent residence is Cincinnati, Ohio, he spends about “75 percent” of his time living in the downtown Maysville hotel. When the hotel doesn’t have guests, he rotates staying in different rooms in order to relate to his guests’ experiences. His favorite room to stay in is “The Cardinal’s Nest” because of its view of the iconic Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge.
This year hasn’t brought a consistent flow of travellers to the downtown Maysville hotel. With empty rooms around him, Dellinger uses his nearly 50 years of experience as an architect to keep his business afloat, conducting fire inspection and taking jobs in Cincinnati. “Until I generate sufficient income here, I need to do as much architect work as I can,” Dellinger said.
Dellinger said it can be difficult to focus on Moon River in between this work, but he wants to infuse more local appeal into the bed and breakfast. “People come to Maysville to see Maysville,” Dellinger said. He hopes to convert some of the space into a local artist gallery to make the Moon River to attract both travelers and residents.
With these ideas in mind, Dellinger recently expanded and renovated the bed and breakfast into the adjoining townhouse. For the first time since the expansion, the bed and breakfast is fully booked. Without available rooms, Dellinger sleeps in a spare basement room or on the couch in the living room. “I’d love to do that every day,” he said.
