New Bed and Breakfast Opens in Falmouth

A new bed and breakfast has opened in Falmouth on Forbes Street.

Lavender Heights Bed and Breakfast at 419 Forbes St. will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Wednesday, with members of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. Innkeeper and owner Jenny Holbert will offer tours of the bed and breakfast. She has been open since July 24.

According to the B&B's website, the two-story home was constructed in the 1880s and then renovated in 2000. There are two guest rooms and one guest suite with a private bath. The home is decorated with a combination of 19th and 20th century antiques with modern furniture, art and other decor from around the world. Rooms right now range in price from $165 to $220 a night for this month.

Holbert was a public affairs director at Camp Fallujah for the Marine Corps and retired in 2008 after 30 years of service, 23 years of it in active duty. Before that, she was an events coordinator for a college and studied hotel and restaurant management at Oregon State University. She said her experience with the Marines taught her how to have attention to detail, motivation and to achieve excellence.

"This has always been in my mind to be in the hospitality industry," she said. "I really enjoy gardening and having a beautiful home and hosting people. This is really an opportunity to follow my passion and to really do something that I enjoy doing."

Ellie's Suite is two-room suite on the ground floor named after Holbert's mother. There's a king sleigh bed, memory foam mattress, hardwood floors, 40-inch HD television and a bay window with beautiful architecture. The sitting room has a queen sofa bed and a second, smaller TV. The bathroom has a soaking tub with jets with sky lights, ceramic tile and use the separate shower next to the double sink.

Shannaberry is a guest room located on the second floor with a four-poster, queen bed and a pillow-top mattress. The room has antique furniture, a 32-inch HD television, wall-to-wall carpeting and sage-colored walls and botanical fabrics to match the outdoor gardens. The bathroom has a large soaking tub and a separate shower. Shannaberry is named after Holbert's cousins, who she said have been her guiding light to create Lavender Heights. Her cousins, who are Realtors, helped her find this home and supported Holbert making it into a bed and breakfast.

Molly’s Retreat is the second guest room on the second floor. The room has a Victorian queen bed with a carved oak headboard. The room is caramel-colored and has a Southern floral decor that is complimented by the outdoor gardens. The room has wall-to-wall carpeting, 32-inch HD television and a smaller bathroom with a bath-shower combination. The room is named after Molly Marine, the statute in New Orleans.

Guests are all treated to a breakfast that Holbert cooks each morning.

"I enjoy cooking and I collect recipes," she said. "So far, my guests have said great things about my cooking. I enjoy putting a great breakfast together."