|
Webster House Innkeepers Frank and Gail Partee Fulfill Dream to Help Guests Enjoy Their Stay |
|
To hear Frank Partee tell it, Gail walked into his kitchen in Seattle, bossed him around and stole his heart years ago.
They've been happily married since 2001. "We met in the kitchen, and we're still in the kitchen together," Frank says. The couple both love to cook, bake and entertain. That's worked out just perfect since they brought those talents to us here at The Webster House in July 2010. Their lives both took a winding road to becoming our innkeepers. Gail had a 15-year career in banking, and Frank worked in the mental health and medical fields for about 25 years. But it was Gail's first stay at a bed and breakfast in 1984 that planted the seed of someday running one herself. Taking care of people and entertaining have always come natural to the Detroit-area native and her husband. Gail did a lot of reading and job shadowing before joining us. When the bank she worked for closed, she knew the timing was right. "I thought I might as well take the leap and do it," she says. Frank leaped, too. "I think it's great she wants to follow her dream," he says. "I'm behind her 100 percent." Their teamwork is paying off for Webster House guests. They share breakfast, cleaning and laundry duties. Frank chooses the menus "and finds the mistakes in the recipes I've typed," Gail says with a laugh. Those delicious recipes, which leave Webster House guests raving, come from both of them. "I've been collecting recipes for years, and we have many cookbooks between us," Gail says. "Wherever you can find a good recipe, go for it," Frank adds. Gail's personal favorite from the Webster House kitchen is an asparagus and zucchini frittata. Frank's favorite breakfast? "One that someone else cooks for me." That's Frank. The resident comedian. "This house has a tendency to create a formal atmosphere," he says. "My sense of humor and goofiness tend to put people at ease." The home's beauty and amenities such as the Spa and Sauna room, complimentary wine, massage options and fresh flowers arranged by Gail are "the little touches" that the couple say make The Webster House so special. "You won't find those things at every B&B," Gail says. Frank and Gail both love The Webster House and the city it's in. "The house — just like Bay City — is like taking a step back in time," Frank says. The inn's proximity to shopping, dining and entertainment is excellent, Gail says. There's plenty to do, "yet you can still be away from it all here," she says. But mostly, the interaction with guests ranks on the top of Frank and Gail's list of why they love being the innkeepers at The Webster House. "We've had so many nice people here," Gail says. "You read their comments, and all say something about the house itself. But when they say such nice things about our hospitality, that's when we know we've done our jobs. "This is just an extension of what we've always done: make people comfortable." Come visit and let our innkeepers pamper you.
|
