Taking over ownership of any small business, especially in the travel and hotel industry, is no small feat, yet somehow the new co-owners of The Dove Inn, Regan and Libby Foster, make it look easy and fun. The Grand Re-Opening Party they put together to showcase renovations of the 10 room historic Victorian home built in 1866 was no exception.

From the renaissance style feast of meats, jams, cheeses, fruit and pastries strewn across a reclaimed beam of wood over marble to the wine pairings, custom-made kombucha mocktails, and live music by the incredibly talented Paul Dehaven, this Grand Re-Opening Party is in my list of top 3 favorite events.

Attendees also had the pleasure of enjoying a vintage photo booth, relaxing chair massages and even the chance to get a stick and poke tattoo!

While The Dove Inn has been a Bed and Breakfast in Golden, Colorado for a couple of decades, the Fosters only recently acquired ownership in November 2017. In December they temporarily closed its doors to do a full renovation before reopening on February 13, 2018 just in time to spoil Valentine couples with a fun and romantic getaway in one of the luxurious, soaking-tub complete suites.

Libby and Regan put their hearts and souls into designing a new vision for the inn, fusing together aspects of modernism and minimalism with the charm and class of a previous era. After many walls were knocked down to open up spaces, original brick walls and floors uncovered, and more 1800s pieces brought in, the results were undeniably breathtaking. Around every corner is a visual ode to the bones that have always held this historic home together and yet, one also feels the warmth and coziness of a modern, classy and luxurious inn.

Today, the entryway now brings the visitor into an open space concept that merges the lounge, dining and kitchen areas as if they were always meant to be a beloved space that draws people together over food, drinks and good conversation. This open layout wasn’t an accident. If you’ve ever met the Fosters, you know exactly what I mean because when you’re around these two and their darling baby girl, Evie, they immediately make you feel more than welcome – they make you feel like family.

After hand-delivering invitations to as many Golden businesses as they could find, the Fosters also invited hundreds of Colordans to come out and tour their newly-renovated Inn. Over a dozen local (Golden and Denver) small businesses were featured at the party including Gold Mine Cupcakes, Happy Leaf Kombucha, Lady Bird Poppy Flowers, Colorado Plus Brew Pub, Indulge Bistro + Wine Bar, Earth Sweet Botanicals, Upstart Kombucha, and E5 Day Spa, which are in great company with fan favorite local goods stocked at The Dove Inn for guests (including but not limited to) A Different Kind of Jam, Alpen Dough, Huckleberry Roasters, Two Rivers Coffee, Coda Coffee, and Pangea Coffee Roasters. Guests love that The Dove Inn also regularly keeps Kombucha and Nitro Cold Brew on tap in the lounge. Yes, that’s right, cold coffee and kombucha on tap!

The entire event was kicked off on the porch when members and staff from the Golden Chamber of Commerce gathered to speak their support to Regan and Libby preceding the official ribbon cutting. While the ribbon cutting with enormous scissors were a thrill to see, the truth is that this project and the entire spirit of The Dove Inn hospitality thrives in the hearts of Regan and Libby every day–a beautiful legacy of warmth and belonging that Baby Evie already exudes, too! If you didn’t get a chance to tour The Dove Inn, be assured it’s never too late!

Contact Libby to schedule a tour, or just come on over to say hi! The address is 711 14th Street, Golden, Colorado.