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REBECCA RICHARDSThe Bayshore Ryan House Bed and Breakfast opened last weekend after months of renovations.
A 1902 house on Verne Street brims with old world charm and new world potential.
The Bayshore Ryan House Bed and Breakfast opened last weekend after months of renovations by owners John and Cindy Ryan. The couple spent $650,000 to buy the yellow two-story house and convert it into a bed and breakfast.
Tucked between The Bayshore Apartments, at the corner of Verne and Bayshore Boulevard, and the Hyde Park Counseling Center, the Ryan house is among the first local B&Bs.
There's Gram's Place on N Ola Avenue in Tampa Heights and Casita de la Verdad on Sixth Avenue in Ybor City. In February, guest suites opened above the Masquerade nightclub on Seventh Avenue.
The Ryan house is in a mixed-use zone, which allows for multifamily housing and offices, including a B&B, said Thom Snelling, the city's manager of land development.
Mixed-use areas provide the best hope for future ones, said City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena. She cited Seminole Heights, Henderson Boulevard, Platt Street and Florida Avenue as possible areas for other inns.
"There are some great, cool large houses," she said. "Once the first ... is a success, there will be more."
Last year, the City Council considered an ordinance that would have allowed B&Bs in single-family residential areas, but it failed because of neighborhood concerns about traffic and parking.
Statewide, 125 establishments belong to the Florida Bed & Breakfast Inns, including several in St. Petersburg, Anna Maria Island, Mount Dora, Lakeland and the Orlando area. Most average 10 rooms, said Lois Cleveland, director of the B&B association based in Palm Harbor.
The Ryan House has four rooms upstairs, each with a different theme: Safari, Bavarian, Victorian and Aztec. The rooms have mahogany furniture, Internet access ports, bedding and decor to match the motif, and whirlpool baths large enough for two people. On-site manager Carmella Wilbanks prepares hearty breakfasts.
Downstairs, Queen Anne chairs surround lace-covered tables in an elegant dining room. In the sitting room, burnt sienna paint dresses the walls, and floorlength linen and chiffon gold-and-burgundy drapes frame the windows. Rounded, gold "hippo" chairs, and a sofa, all with mahogany trim, form a conversation spot.
The Ryans, both 41, began dreaming of a bed and breakfast in Tampa after honeymooning at one in Maine. They loved the idea of a small homey inn.
They bill their hotel as being within walking distance to downtown, the convention center, the streetcar between Channelside and Ybor City, Tampa General Hospital, movies and other locales. They hope to attract business travelers and couples looking for a romantic getaway.
Cindy Ryan, a Realtor in South Tampa, bought the former apartment building from her ex-husband, B.J. Jabbari.
The Ryans had hoped to open in time for Valentine's Day but had to repair the porch and replace the front door to conform with historic district regulations. They also leased land behind the house for parking. Bed and breakfasts must have 1.25 spaces of off-street parking per unit.
The Ryans spent $180,000 on furniture and decor to give the hotel an early turn-of-the-19th-century atmosphere. They did a lot of shopping at Chateau Ancient Arte and Caverne Direct Import, both in South Tampa. Items from family and friends also adorn the house.
Ceramic flower pitchers from Cindy Ryan's grandmother, Lucille Zimmer, decorate a wall in the Victorian bedroom. An embroidered, pastoral scene in greens and pinks hangs over the bed. A velvet and satin comforter drapes the king-size bed.
Cindy Ryan's sister, Joyce, painted a bright sun mural in the Aztec room. Her mother, Lois Shindorf, gave a crystal clock for the small downstairs den. A statue of Jesus that belonged to her father, Ronnie Shindorf, holds a sacred spot on a sitting-room shelf.
Ronnie Shindorf, who helped finance the project, died July 7 at age 65.
The Ryans live in Thonotosassa with their four children: Tyler, 13; Tatum, 11; Trevor, 10; and Trinity, 9, who planted the flowers and shrubs in the front yard of the bed and breakfast.
"It's really been a labor of love," Cindy Ryan said.
- For reservations or a virtual tour of the Bayshore Ryan House Bed and Breakfast, go to www.bayshoreryanhouse.com Summer rates are $135 to $170 per night; winter rates are $170 to $225. Call 253-3142.