Historic Arts & Crafts Home

House Rules

Please read our house rules, below, before booking. Ask about in-home dining options. Additional fees apply. One delightful golden retriever on the premises—no charge.

The Vibe:
You will be sharing this space with your hosts and, rarely, with other guests. We are friendly folks, usually up for a little bit of conversation. You can be as social or as private as you wish here. Some people like to get to know their hosts, others do not. Be yourself! We get it.

In addition to a place to rest your bones, we provide meal service for an extra fee. That’s a unique feature of our accommodations. The food here is delish, cooked by the former creative director of the kitchenware company Calphalon, who has worked with some pretty famous chefs. Please let us know in advance if you’d like to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner prepared. Likewise for wine and hors d'oeuvres if you’d like to relax a bit in the evening before dinner.

Toledo is a fun town. We’re within walking distance of a world-class art museum and a sweet Arboretum. There are plenty of interesting restaurants—from budget-priced to posh—in our downtown and uptown areas and in the nearby suburb, Sylvania. You can hear live music in town pretty much every night. We have a terrific Metro Park system, recently ranked #1 in the nation. If you’re looking for a restaurant recommendation or something to do, ask for our Guest Guide to Toledo.

We sincerely want all guests to have a grand time while staying here. It’s a pretty easy-going place. We are happy to share common areas of the home, including the living room, dining room, and outdoor spaces. We have just a few rules we’ll ask you to follow. We encourage you to ask questions if you have any concerns about your stay!

The Rules:
• Rule number one and it’s an important one: please alert us immediately if you have any issues with our home or your stay. If a light bulb burns out or anything gets broken, we can usually fix it promptly. Things go wrong in old houses; that’s just a way of life for historic homeowners. So don’t be shy about reporting any problems.

• Extra towels, blankets, and pillows are no problem, please just ask. The same goes if you've forgotten a toiletry item or your phone charger.

• Please observe our 12:00 pm check-out time. Prompt check-out allows us to prepare our home for guests who may be arriving after you depart.

• Your reservation is for a specific number of people. If you would like to invite visitors for short periods of time—a cocktail in the living room or an outdoor fire on the patio, for example—permission is required. Please give us notice of your plans to invite others when you book your room. Chances are, we’ll be able to welcome your friends. No overnight guests in excess of the number on your booking, however.

• Our living room and outdoor fireplaces are wonderful and we want you to enjoy them. However, only hosts are permitted to start or tend fires. We normally have a fire going all evening in the winter, but if you’d like a daytime fire, feel free to request one.

• You are welcome to smoke outdoors. During the very cold months, you may also be able to light up in front of the fire, but please request permission. Indoor smoking is allowed on a case-by-case basis.

• Guests are not permitted to cook in the kitchen. Feel free, however, to make coffee in the Keurig or keep your own beverages in one of our refrigerators. Again, yummy meals are available at reasonable prices. Please note that we do keep and cook with nuts in the house. (And we’re not just talking about your hosts.)

• No food is permitted in guest bedrooms at any time. You can enjoy coffee and other beverages in your room, but please be careful and use a coaster. This is a hard and fast rule and if you violate it, we will assess an additional cleaning fee.

• Our dog, Sophie, is very friendly and appreciates every ounce of attention she gets. But she will also leave you alone if you’re not a "dog person." Check in with your hosts if you’d rather not be bothered by a big fluffy golden retriever. Or you can just tell her, “Go lay down,” and she will listen to you. Please do not give Sophie any treats. She is trying to lose three pounds. You know how tough that can be! Also, please do not invite Sophie into your bedroom. We like to keep our guest rooms fur-free.

• There is ample street parking on our street. But if you wish to park in the driveway, please ask. We can usually fit you in unless there are other guests staying in the house.

• Feel free to bring your own music or ask that we provide some. Our iPods and record collections are full of great stuff, including jazz, blues, rock and roll, folk, and classical music. We do ask that you not play music in the common areas after 10:00 pm. Wherever you are, keep volume at polite levels, please!

• If you’ve never played a Steinway baby grand, you have the opportunity to do so at Kirkbride House. Our baby was born in 1911, right around the time our home was built. Adults and young students only—no toddlers banging on the keys, please!

Safety:
Ours is a shared home situation. Rest assured, your hosts are vaccinated against COVID19. We're committed to keeping our guests and our community safe. We hope our guests will be vaccinated, too. We recognize that we are asking people to adhere to an honor system. If you are not vaccinated, please consider other lodging arrangements. We do practice enhanced sanitation per Airbnb.

That's about it. We will do everything we can to make your visit to Kirkbride House comfortable and memorable!

Smoking Rules

Your host smokes.

Smoking is allowed outdoors only.