Oregon daily emerald., September 30, 1982, Page 11, Image 11

Bed & Board; cozv alternative to hotels
Brass and lacc give
cottage personality
A ter months of separation, Walter and Freda are
flying all the way from Gnawbone, Wisconsin, to
visit the offspring that insisted on being sent to the
University
Mom, who reminds you that she has postponed her
triple-bypass surgery to save money for the trip, calls
weeks in advance to ask you to please make a
reservation at an establishment worthy of the occa
sion.
Of course, you don't get around to making the
arrangements until the last possible moment, when you
discover the National Orthopedic Foundation is having
its annual convention at the Hilton The only vacant
room in town rents by the hour and has strange devices
on the bedstand.
In the panic that ensues, an apparition appears that
strangely resembles Karl Malden "What will you do?" it
insists "WHAT WILL YOU DO?"
Fortunately you remember this article and make a
reservation at the Campus Cottage, a newly and
tastefully executed "bed and breakfast" hostel just a
few blocks from the University.
According to the Ursula Bates, proprietress, it is the
first such establishment in the Eugene area
It's a simple idea and one that has been popular in
Europe and on the East Coast for many years
Owner Ursula Bates relaxes on the front stoop of the
Campus Cottage Inn, which she says is the first bed
and-breakfast inn in Eugene
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Antiques give the moderately priced rooms a turn-of-the-century flair. The "suite" rents for $53 per night.
ou take a home, make some modifications, rent
out the rooms on a day-to-day basis and serve
your guests breakfast in the morning — all with a
personal touch that larger hotels rarely seem to
achieve
‘ A neighbor said I took a dump and turned it into a
wonderful cottage," says Bates, a professional
decorator whose dream of being a general contractor
has been daunted by the economy. "We try to make it a
special experience for our guests ”
Despite the location, Bates is not aiming for the
amorous college crowd
Instead, she hopes to lure customers away from the
Hilton Hotel and other stylish digs of the upper-middle
class, especially visiting parents and college speakers
Early indications are that she may succeed
The Campus Cottage offers comparable or lower
prices and presumably better service than its rivals.
"I think my rooms are nicer," says Bates. “But
we re priced below the Hilton for this type of room, and
we throw in breakfast There's a need for a really nice
place to stay close to the campus
"They (the hotels) know this bed-and-breakfast
thing is really starting to happen — more and more of
them are starting to offer package deals "
According to Bates, hotel and motel owners
pressured the state board of health to restrict bed-and
breakfast operations because they are severely si
phoning customers from them in the Ashland area,
where nine entrepreneurs have set up business.
Consequently, a bed-and-breakfast hotel cannot
have more than two rooms or six guests without making
costly renovations.
The "suite" rents for $53 per couple per night,
while the "guestroom” is $47.
While the Campus Cottage may be a small opera
tion, the single-story home is decorated with an in
triguing array of relics that blend well with the contem
porary furnishings, creating a welcome respite from the
repetition of chain hotels
A 120-year old prayer book sits on the mantle
piece, guarded by the pince-nez spectacles of the man
that owned it. In a corner of the living room an antique
banjo box” now serves as a china closet.
Wood-paneled showers, 19th-century hairbrush
sets, brass door handles, and lace curtains go a long
way towards validating a brochure that claims the
1912-vintage domicile achieves the “original cnaracter
of the home while enhancing a country atmosphere.”
Guests have the run of the house during their stay,
excluding the kitchen and an apartment occupied by
the hostess, Fran Adams.
To pass time between engagements, guests are
invited to read a paper before a crackling fire, lounge on
a screened deck or in the secluded and painstakingly
manicured backyard or tour Eugene on bicycles
provided free of charge
Visitors are greeted with wine, juice, coffee, or if
Bates can guess beforehand, their favorite beverage
Breakfast in the morning consists of various fruit
juices and fruits, English muffins, bran muffins and a
variety of breads, all served on antique china with
turn-of-the-century silverware.
"We don't do the bacon and eggs bit," says Bates.
The house, located at 1136 East 19th Avenue, is
surrounded by three Greek houses, but Bates insists
they have been pleasant and relatively quiet neighbors.
Despite her proximity to the campus, Bates says
she hasn’t considered the possibility of renting rooms to
students.
"Other than jokes from friends about whether I’m
going to rent the place to students by the hour, I really
haven’t thought about it,” says Bates. “But it would be a
nice place for a guy to take a girl."
Storv bv Scan [levers
Photos bv Bob Baher