In January, Fort Wayne made Better's international list of five of the best places to visit in 2022 as an up-and-coming Midwestern town. So if you are booking a flight or a road trip to the Summit City this year, where are you going to stay?
While Fort Wayne has plenty of hotels, including a new boutique hotel Downtown, some opt to live more like locals at Airbnbs. Fort Wayne has more than 300 Airbnbs listed online, ranging from high-end carriage houses Downtown to rustic cabins in the woods.
We're getting to know a few of the owners behind these spaces and touring their Airbnbs for design inspiration. This week, we met a husband and wife duo, Ryan and Kelly Benton, who own the “Riverfront Retreat” near the corner of Wells and High Street, a few blocks away from Fort Wayne's developing Riverfront.
Kelly Benton sits down with Input Fort Wayne to fill us in.
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Kelley and Ryan Benton in the Fort Wayne property they rent out on Airbnb.
IFW: Tell us a little bit about yourselves. How long have you lived in Fort Wayne and where do you work around town?
KB: Ryan is originally from Philadelphia, and I’m from the Chicago suburbs. We moved here back in 2009, ending a year-long, long-distance relationship. Ryan promptly got a job at Ash Brokerage and has worked there ever since. I’m a freelance Kajabi specialist.
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Kelley and Ryan Benton in the Fort Wayne property they rent out on Airbnb.
IFW: In your opinion, what makes Fort Wayne a great place to live and visit?
KB: We’re the perfect people to answer that, since we moved here for a two-year work gig and ended up staying for 13 years! We absolutely love the big city/small town feel. You get the urban vibe, art centers, and entrepreneurial drive of a big city but you still run into people you know at every single event or festival you attend. We live in the
West Central neighborhood and feel so lucky to reside within walking distance of Downtown without having to deal with traffic, parking issues, or overpriced housing.
IFW: How long have you been renting properties on Airbnb, and what made you decide to try it?
KB: We’ve been Airbnb hosts since 2012. We heard about the platform and saw there were only a few properties available in Fort Wayne, so we decided to sign up. When we first started, we were just renting a spare room in our house (and sharing one bathroom with guests!). We wanted to use our passion for Fort Wayne to give our guests a really personalized hospitality experience.
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The cozy living room at Kelley and Ryan's Airbnb.
IFW: Tell us about your current Riverfront Retreat property. How would you describe the space?
KB: It’s a two-bedroom, one-bath, single-family home, just more than 100 years old, that’s shockingly spacious. It features a brand new kitchen, full laundry room, and lots of amenities. Our backyard, which is on our rehab to-do list, has a great view of the Downtown skyline!
IFW: How would you describe the design style at your property?
KB: Mid-Century Modern meets funky, colorful accents.
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A colorful mural behind the dresser in one of the guest bedrooms.
IFW: Where do you find your design inspiration?
KB: I love Mid-Century Modern furniture (real Mid-Century, not the modern-day knock-offs). I also knew I wanted the space to be colorful since a lot of the existing listings were mostly neutral. Those were my two guiding principles. I thrifted as much furniture and decor as I could, then filled it in with fun colorful accents and local art.
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Kelley and Ryan's dining room features a big wood table.
We’re slowly chugging along on creating a tiny local art gallery inside the home. We have two pieces by Phan Gear Prints, one James McBride print of the Wells Street Bridge, a print of Sweet Breeze by Alexandra Hall, an original painting by Adam Garland that I bought straight off his Instagram stories, and a sweet pencil drawing of our house by a past guest.
The front bedroom features two photos I took of Promenade Park right after it opened. I can’t wait to add more! My big dream is to hire a local mural artist to create a wall mural in our dining room.
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Local art is featured above the coffee bar. This is one of the many places you'll find local art in Kelly and Ryan's Airbnb.
IFW: What is your favorite room/space on your property?
KB: It’s hard to pick, but I’d have to say the living room. I managed to squeeze in five pieces of vintage furniture plus tons of fun colors. I snagged an unused vintage chalkboard at a yard sale with no idea what I was going to do with it, but it turned into the perfect place to leave welcome notes for our guests. Many of them leave notes back, and sometimes chalk art!
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The Airbnb's kitchen is bright and features an island.
IFW: How much of your property did you renovate?
KB: We did an almost-gut job. We replaced everything but the walls, doors, and upstairs carpet. (It was brand new.) The old owner had painted over all of the outlets, and the bathroom floor was partially rotted out, so no space went untouched. We originally planned for it to be done in just 60 days, but that turned out to be a joke.
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The bathroom at the Riverfront Retreat Airbnb.
IFW: Have you faced any design challenges in your space, and if so, how did you overcome them?
KB: Our kitchen cabinets went out of stock while we were in the middle of ordering them. We managed to get almost everything we needed, but ended up short one large cover panel for the front side of the island. We brainstormed some different options, including tiling the island, but I ended up wallpapering it instead. It was a simple and cheap solution, and we absolutely love how it turned out! My biggest concern was how dirty it would get, but that hasn’t been an issue at all and it really ties in the gold hardware and stools.
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The addition of wallpaper on the island creates a pattern backdrop to the stools.
IFW: In addition to your space, do you offer any other perks to guests at your property?
KB: We have a huge welcome book that covers all our favorite restaurants, activities, and things to do. We have two small children, so it was important to us that our rental be kid-friendly, as well. When families visit, they have access to a pack n' play, high chair, kids plates and utensils, toys, puzzles, games, a baby monitor, and more! I even created a special list of our favorite kid-friendly restaurants.
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Nightstand decor and a pop of color in one of the guest bedrooms.
IFW: What do you think makes your property special, compared to others locally on Airbnb?
KB: I used to work for
Riverfront Fort Wayne. Because of my job, I was touring the still-under-construction Promenade Park on a weekly basis, and I knew how special it was going to be for our city and neighboring communities. I wanted a house that would let our guests be within walking distance of Promenade Park, along with all of the future riverfront development planned for that area, which is why the location was our top priority. While we still have a long way to go until Riverfront phases two and three become a reality, our location is still our number one draw. Guests can walk to Promenade Park in five minutes, and over to the Landing in just 10. We’ve had people bring their own kayaks, bikes, and paddleboards to explore our nearby rivers and trails.
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Riverfront Fort Wayne's Promenade Park opened to the public on August 9, 2019.
IFW: What types of guests typically book your space?
KB: We have a king and double bed, so we tend to attract smaller groups. We get a lot of visitors that come from driving distance. Lots of girls' nights, couples’ weekends away from the kids, people coming in for weddings or concerts, and families visiting for a mini vacation.
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Rugs, wood floors and textures are the highlight of the Airbnb.
IFW: What do guests have to say about their stay at your Airbnb? Any special aspects they repeatedly enjoy?
KB: The bed!!! Seriously, we get reviews that are just shouting about our king-size bed and how comfortable it is. A handful of guests have messaged me after their stay asking for the brand name. Other than that, everyone loves the fully-stocked kitchen and their proximity to Downtown.
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This cozy bedroom features a king size bed and light decor.
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One of the two bedrooms at Kelley and Ryan's Airbnb.
IFW: Tell us about your Airbnb’s location. Why might guests want to stay in this neighborhood?
KB: The Wells Street Corridor is
having a moment for sure, and we’re so excited to be a part of it! In just the past six months, Wells Street has seen three new boutique shops, a new cafe, a new mural, and more. We’re just around the corner from the old Big Apple Pizza and the new Purple Mountain Cheesecake, so we can’t wait to see what happens with those properties, as well!
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As Riverfront development continues, Wells Street is becoming a popular "place to be."
IFW: What advice do you have for others looking to be an Airbnb host in Fort Wayne?
KB: I love podcasts, so if you’re thinking about renting on Airbnb, I recommend checking out the
“Thanks for Visiting” podcast. That said, anyone can own a property and hire a cleaning crew, but to be Superhosts for years and keep a 4.9 rating is truly a part-time job. It takes lots of in-person visits, good communication with guests, and a particular attention to detail. I am always striving to make our guests’ stay the best it can be.
Do you know a cool Airbnb we should check out in Northeast Indiana?
Send us a tip at [email protected].