Meet Amber Eilers | Boutique Hotelier & Developer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amber Eilers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amber, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
Our girls have been consistently involved in our projects with us since day 1. We have pictures of me wearing a baby carrier as we worked on designs at a job. They tag along with us to projects, come on Home Depot runs, and can probably tell you where specific flooring is in the tile shop. I hope this has shown them that they can do lots of different things while raising a family when they get older. They have learned to be hard workers, and have learned the ins and outs of multiple industries.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
This hotel has truly been a labor of love. We have been very hands on since the beginning, and continue to be that way even as we’ve grown both at the property, and as a team. I would say I’m proud of the way we’ve been able to maintain a personal connection with each guest. Whether it’s by leaving them a note in their room congratulating them on an anniversary, or by personally answering DMs and emails, I think it’s definitely a way that we’ve set ourselves apart.

Getting to where we are now has been a long time coming! We’ve always been entrepreneurs, flipping houses and being vacation rental hosts. So it wasn’t necessarily a huge leap to purchase a hotel, but it was still a new endeavor. Some of the lessons we’ve learned along the way: 1) Think about the big picture. Even though we started with just 8 rooms, I knew we wanted to do more down the road and set us up to succeed once we were able to expand. 2) The details matter. So often, our guests comment on the little things in the hotel, like the bottle opener attached to the wall, the sound machines, and the high-end bedding. Taking the time to add the extras makes a big difference. And 3) Treat people well. Whether it’s the hotel staff, guests, or whomever else crosses our path, I think it’s so important to treat people with love, respect, and kindness.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There is SO much to do and see here in town. If we had friends coming from out of the area, here are my top spots I would take them: Pizza and drinks at Old County Inn/The Taproom while we listen to live music
Rent kayaks and explore Blue Ridge Reservoir
Antique shopping in Pine
Visit the Historic Strawberry Schoolhouse
Hike the Pine Trail
Go play in the East Verde River
Take a cooking class at Pine Lavender Farm
Have empanadas and drinks at PIEBar
Get a flight of local craft beers at THAT Brewery
Rent ATVs and go off-roading

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh wow, where to start? Our families were instrumental in helping us bring this to life. We had parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and more pitching in to make this dream a reality. From childcare to being hands on at the job site, it was truly a family affair. Our signage was even created by Carson’s brother! The Pine-Strawberry community also deserves some recognition. They have been so welcoming from the very beginning. It’s been such a blessing to develop those friendships over the years. We also have some amazing lifelong friends who have jumped in when we needed extra hands. To say we’re grateful would be a huge understatement!

Website: www.thestrawberryinn.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrawberryinn/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thestrawberryinn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestrawberryinn

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-strawberry-inn-strawberry

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChd68N5Gyf_GDXW5Bmd4D8w/videos

Image Credits
Herman Lee, Janelle Van Ness, Kate Reed, Paul Markow