The Inn at Five Points

A hotel can often make you feel like you’re taking part in some sort of shady transaction. I think we all know the feeling: like when you’re researching accommodations and you see the pictures provided and you’re half wondering if it even exists. Or, if you can afford to go for the big chain hotels, there is always the fear that the accommodations given to you are in fact, at best, subpar.

But for me, the most frustrating part of finding a hotel is really how much I miss home when I get there. After traveling, be it for business or a vacation, there is nothing better than coming back to a place that makes you feel like you’ve come home — rather than feeling that you’ve somehow taken your business meeting to your own bedroom.

And that was then I found a beautiful gem located in Upstate New York. Settled in the heart of Saratoga Springs, sits a beautiful Bed and Breakfast named the Inn at Five Points that would even put the Grand Budapest Hotel to shame. With the Inn’s quintessential Victorian allure, this “home away from home” delights its guests with more than just a good breakfast: it makes you feel loved and invited.

For 33-year-old Eilis, 36-year-old Jim Petrosino and their lovely dog, Beverly, they had always shared a love for Saratoga Springs. As a young couple from Duchess County, Eilis and Jim often visited for the concerts, the exhilaration of the horse races, or just to see good friends. This charming town had made them realize though that this place was as perfect a fit as Cinderella to her glass slipper. With Jim’s talent in the Culinary Fine Arts and Eilis’s background in Hosting Entertainment and love for interior design, the determined couple dedicated their time and effort to creating a bed and breakfast like no other. From finding the perfect location to the softest linens, Eilis and Jim’s 10-month effort in renovation has transformed an 1886 historical Victorian home into their pride and joy, opening in June 2016.

“It was screaming for us to freshen it up and bring it back to life,” said Eilis in our interview. She elaborated that the houses’ site was essential because of the position itself. Located two blocks from the track, a short walk to Broadway and downtown Saratoga, and also a walking distance to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the Inn provided multiple things for customers to do in the area. “It also has a very quaint small deli café across the street and a lot of foot traffic from local residents and neighbors.

The location itself and the charm of the home of this age made us very excited to take on the project,” Eilis further elaborates. The Inn at Five Points, or the “Dollhouse” as Eilis and Jim lovingly refer their inn, was designed to bring not only a wonderful experience to their customers but also to Saratoga Spring’s local community.

For Jim, his masterful culinary experience is plainly obvious. For the breakfast they provide to customers, Jim wanted to give them a “real Saratoga Springs experience” by cooking exclusively with locally grown food provided by Saratoga’s local farmer’s markets. Everything, from the fruits and vegetables to the cheeses, milk, and yogurts, and to the coffee and wine, is provided by local establishments in Saratoga.

“Our goal is for our guests to feel comfortable and welcomed them to enjoy Saratoga as we enjoy it. We want them to feel at home when they’re away from home and enjoy either a relaxing weekend away or a high octane weekend, however, you want to vacation, is fine with us! Come for the spa or to bet on the ponies we appreciate everyone who walks through our doors.” Eilis says with a smile.

It is quite clear that for the Petrosino’s, Saratoga is their life. From retaining their inn’s rich historical site, bringing in new customers, and promoting local business, I would say no other couple loves this town more than they do. The best part is they wish for you to experience that love with them as well, so be sure to look up the Inn at Five Points when you decide to stop by Saratoga Springs. I know I will!