Our guests often describe their stay with us as a deeply emotional experience — a place where the ordinary world fades and a dreamscape begins. There is a specific magic in stepping through our gates — a swelling of the heart that feels like the first few notes of a tender ballad. Lately, as the winter rain patters against our garden sculptures, we have pondered the soulful, cinematic discography of Adele as a metaphor for the Hazelnut Inn.

Like her music, our suites are handcrafted stories designed to be felt as much as heard or seen. We invite you to imagine pressing play on a stay that mirrors the hopeful, acoustic intimacy of Adele’s Daydreamer. That breathless feeling of arrival isn't just about a beautiful room; it’s the realization that for the next few days, you don't have to imagine a magical getaway. You are living inside one.

A Grand Voyage

Your journey might begin with the North Star and the orchestral swell of Adele’s Hometown Glory. This suite isn’t just a room; it’s a tribute to the spirit of discovery. As you explore its tower sitting room, the driving, rhythmic piano of the track mirrors the steady pulse of a tall ship at sea. Surrounded by massive statues and hand-made relics of Captain Longbottom’s travels, you aren’t just a guest — you are an explorer finding a home in the heart of the unknown.

A Gentle Shelter

Where the North Star looks outward to the sea and stars, the Under Hill Suite pulls you inward, shifting the tempo from a grand voyage to a soulful, acoustic embrace. If Hometown Glory is the excitement of the journey home, Adele’s Remedy is the peace of finally dropping anchor. Here, the “remedy” is found in the earth — the warmth of the radiant-heated floors and the silence of a living roof — turning the vast world outside into a distant memory while you retreat into the safety of the burrow.

A Copper Stronghold

Finally, our magical little hotel rises from the quiet earth to a dramatic peak in the Copper Crown. If the previous suites embody discovery and healing, this fairytale castle — with its moat and dragon-topped spires — echoes the symphonic weight of Adele’s Skyfall. It is a place to celebrate the milestones that define your life.

A Promise Of Return

And, as your stay draws to a close, we hope your departure feels less like a goodbye and more like the soulful, upbeat optimism of Adele’s I’ll Be Waiting. Unlike the her heartbreaking ballads, this track is a firm, joyful vow that we will be waiting — our lanterns lit and our gardens blooming — for the moment you’re ready to press play all over again.

Today marks my 50th birthday.

As I reflect on these first fifty years, my heart overflows with gratitude. I am surrounded by family I adore and am privileged to have work I find satisfying. The last decade has been particularly rich — defined by my marriage, my extraordinary children, and, of course, this crazy hotel of ours.

Coincidentally, today also marks the 100-day countdown to the grand opening of our third and final suite. The Hazelnut Inn has been a wonderful project — simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting! It is one thing to sketch a fantasy on paper; it is quite another to see it rise from the ground in steel and concrete.

A Worthwhile Project

It has also been incredibly moving to hear from our guests. When they explain how their stay transported them back to their childhood, or share how they were moved to tears the moment they stepped into their suite, it is deeply humbling for me as an artist and profoundly joy-bringing as a human being.

A Heartfelt Thank You

I receive a good deal of credit for our magical little hotel, but I only play one part.

I am forever indebted to my incredible crew at the Imagination Corporation. So many talented hands have touched these walls over the years, and I particularly want to thank Matt, whose skill and dedication have been a cornerstone of this build.

None of this would have been possible without my parents, Dan and Janis — on whose shoulders I stand. Also my sister, Becke, whose contribution cannot be overstated, and my brother-in-law, Grant; I am grateful for his hard work and twice grateful for the care he shows my sister.

My two clever children, Juniper and Henry — who have been part of this from the very beginning, carving, painting, and planting since they were old enough to hold a tool — the future is theirs!

And of course, the heart of my heart and my partner in mischief, Hailey — the one who first spoke this crazy dream into existence — thank you.

Looking Forward

As I celebrate my birthday, my wish is that a little magic finds each of you in the year ahead. Whether through a grand project or a quiet moment of connection, I hope you are surrounded by the same kind of love and inspiration that lifts me up every day.

Here’s to fifty more years of wonder, magic, and joy for us all.

When Hailey and I first dreamt of the Hazelnut Inn, we knew we could handle the welding, the sculpting, and the painting. My family and I have been building fantasy worlds for decades, but we also knew that that building a dream is one thing — keeping it alive is another thing entirely.

An inn only needs an innkeeper, but a dream needs a soul. For the Hazelnut Inn, that soul is my sister, Becke, and I truly don’t know what we would do without her.

Our Very Own Kaylee Frye

Growing up, Becke and I weren’t just siblings, but friends. We like to joke that the only thing we fought over was the TV remote. One show we have always agreed on, however, is a “sci-fi western” called Firefly.

If you’ve ever watched the show, you know the Serenity’s mechanic — Kaylee Frye. Kaylee was the heart of the ship — a cheerful, self-taught genius who could talk to a spaceship’s engine and make it fly with nothing but elbow grease and love. Well, if the Hazelnut Inn is our Serenity, Becke is undoubtedly our Kaylee.

There is no instruction manual for a hotel that features hidden passages, mermaids, and tree-root ceilings. Like Kaylee, Becke is self-taught in the art of “Fantasy Innkeeping” — she has mastered every one of our magical little hotel’s quirks and technical details. She doesn’t just manage the property; she keeps everything “shiny.”

The Heart Of The Hotel

But she does more than just keep the engines humming. The reason our guest reviews often highlight our service is because of the warmth Becke brings to this place.

We built these walls to be an escape from the ordinary, but it’s Becke who makes the escape feel like home. She’s the one who ensures that from the moment you check in to the moment you reluctantly head back to reality, you are looked after with the kind of care that only family can provide.

Thank You

Becke, thank you for being the genius behind the curtain and the warmth that makes this place more than just a hotel. I couldn’t ask for a better “chief engineer” or a better sister.