Four Reasons to Stay at

The Bradley Hotel

In addition to its homespun charm, The Bradley has a lot to offer guests. Barbara Bradley Baekgaard shares her favorite reasons to stop by this unique space:

1. IT’S A BOUTIQUE HOTEL. This means the hotel is smaller and therefore, more intimate. “I’ve stayed in boutique hotels all across Europe and wanted to recreate that feeling in the Midwest, which is known for its friendly people and charm,” Barbara explains. Here, you can get to know your fellow guests when you see them frequenting the same hotel spots.

PETS ARE MORE THAN WELCOME. In fact, upon arrival, “guests visiting with their dogs are given a dog bed and dog treats to make their ‘pupper’ feel welcome too,” Barbara says.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS ARE A SHORT WALK AWAY. “Fort Wayne has a great orchestra, baseball field, nationally ranked children’s zoo, a theater called the Embassy, beautiful gardens and parks. It’s an amazing city, with all kinds of things to do. Plus, The Landing—a collection of shops and restaurants found near the city’s main river and parks—is just a short walk from the hotel,” Barbara points out. Guests will want to check out the area’s larger-than-life murals.

4. THE BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF BIRDIE’S. “While the hotel’s main restaurant, Arbor, offers larger meals, Birdie’s has little, tasty bites and a relaxing atmosphere. I wanted people to imagine themselves high up in the canopy, overlooking the downtown area,” Barbara explains.

|LEFT| Yellow chairs, a purple ottoman and long, blue curtains work together when paired with a sofa featuring all three colors. “Right now is really the time for color and pattern. Everyone wants the joy and whimsy of blending these two,” Barbara says of the growing trend.

|ABOVE| Arbor, the hotel’s main restaurant, features vibrant wallpaper paired with a more neutral fabric in the chairs. “The wallpaper hails from the Sherman Williams paint store in Fort Wayne. I just gravitated to that pattern. Sometimes, when choosing wallpaper, you don’t want to overthink it. If you see something and you like it, go for it.”

|ABOVE| Sticking with her primary color choices of green and blue, Barbara sought understated, cozy elegance in the guestrooms to give guests a feeling they were staying in her guest home—as opposed to just another commercial hotel.