How an HGTV Director and Executive Chef Brought Two Luxury Inns to Life: The Story of The Lost Fox Inn and Foxfire Mountain House

Meet Eliza Clark, the Co-Founder of Foxfire Mountain House and The Lost Fox Inn, two remarkable boutique hotels in New York and Connecticut.  Eliza is an inspiring storyteller turned hospitality entrepreneur who grew up outside of Toronto. From her beginnings as a novelist and TV director for HGTV, to co-founding two breathtaking inn Eliza’s journey is all about crafting immersive experiences that bring people together. The story of Eliza’s journey into hospitality entrepreneurship is really a love story — after a hard divorce, she met now-husband Tim, an executive American chef.  It was their romance that ultimately inspired Eliza to take a leap from television to hospitality.  Together, they’ve created boutique properties that seamlessly blend history, design, and unforgettable food and beverage experiences. Their hotels aren’t just places to stay; they’re curated environments built with heart, imagination, and a whole lot of hard work. Tune in to hear: How Eliza’s storytelling background influences every aspect of her properties The challenges and joys of running a hospitality business as a family The creative process behind transforming a bioluminescent fungus into a brand story (you won’t want to miss this one!) Lessons from balancing beautifully designed spaces with Tim’s world-class food and beverage programs Why Eliza believes boutique hospitality is about offering personalized, “indie” travel experiences And so much more Alright, friends, without further ado, let’s jump in with Eliza Clark. Book a Stay at Lost Fox Inn Book a Stay at Foxfire Mountain House Follow Lost Fox on Instagram Follow Byrd Studio on Instagram  This episode is brought to you by our friends at Hostfully. Upselling sounds great in theory, but how do you actually do it? How do you know what to offer, and how do you make it seamless for your guests? Well, that’s where Hostfully’s latest eBook comes into play. This isn’t just another generic guide; it’s a goldmine of insights drawn from real transaction data collected from June 2023 to June 2024. We’re talking about the most popular upsells that guests actually buy — from early check-ins to premium amenity access — and how these can significantly enhance your bottom line. But here’s the best part: this eBook doesn’t just leave you with data; it gives you practical advice and checklists to help you start implementing these upsells right away. Whether you’re just getting started with a simple upsell or looking to expand your offerings, Hostfully has you covered. About the Show Behind the Stays is brought to you by StayWatch — the internet's best resource for deals on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. You can subscribe, for free, at www.staywatch.ai Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Co-founder of StayWatch, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee or on LinkedIn.