The Saskatchewan Bed and Breakfast Association recently named its top ten Bed and Breakfasts in the province, and Yorkton's own Patrick Place made the cut.
The list is determined by guest feedback, with comment cards being filled out at each location and sent in to the SBBA. Once the feedback is tabulated, the ten B&Bs which receive the best scores make the list. Currently there are 75 members in the SBBA.
Shirley Billay has owned Patrick Place with her husband Don for the past two years. She says that she has lived next door for the entire time the house has been a B&B, watching it go through different owners before buying it herself.
Getting the top ten is an honor, Billay says, and she is proud of the work she has done to get Patrick Place into that position. She says that she's always proud to see when guests say she's exceeded their expectations and provided everything they have wanted when they stay.
"I'm very proud of what I've done, I work hard with it," she comments.
The house can accommodate 13 guests, and guests do not have to share their bathroom with strangers. Billay says that this means that Patrick Place can be a four and a half star B&B. Each room also features all of the comforts of home, with television available, as well as drinks and fruit available to guests in the room. Billay says her philosophy is simple, she considers the small details that she would like to see if she were travelling, and puts that into each room.
"If you've just come off the road, coming into your hotel room or B&B, what do you usually want? Water. I'm not a hotel where they can go down the hall and get water from the machine, so I thought I would put two waters in... I have some motivational speakers who stay with me, and they say it's just awesome, because usually they have to stop at a garage to buy water because they speak and they need water."
She says that she also tries to make the home as accommodating as possible, and with the parlor and dining room there's ample opportunity to get out and socialize with other guests and enjoy the home.
One of her goals for Patrick Place is to have it reflect the history of the house and the time it was built. She notes that the furniture has been chosen to reflect the styles in 1911, and she is always on the lookout for antiques which reflect the era.
The history of the house itself is also well cataloged, with information on J.A.M. Patrick, the original owner, compiled by a previous owner, something Billay says will be kept with the house so long as it stands.
"I will not touch anything that I don't have to other than fixing plumbing and stuff like that. As for the look, I will always keep it.
"I think that when I don't own it, I hope the next person will keep it in this style. The basic house has a lot of history here in Yorkton... This is an awesome, awesome home, and I think it will be here long after me. I hope the next person does what we have all done with the home. Loved it, and love people coming through the door."
Billay says that the busy season is starting, and there have been bookings into August already.
