At this 1863 Samuel Sloan—designed home with 1997 wing, B&B might as well stand for “big and bold.” But it’s the scale, not the number of rooms, that’s grand: Many of the 40,000-square-foot hotel’s rooms are 400 square feet, ample space for the mostly king-size beds. First-floor rooms in the original building have 15½-foot ceilings, accommodating massive armoires (some 11 feet tall) and huge paintings of nudes, which hang on intensely hued walls.
Reclaiming the house from decades as a boarding house took 1½ years and 200 dumpsters. Antiques, most original to the house, are worth millions. The authentic restoration and the construction of the new wing, built in the style of the original and flanked by a pair of dramatic Honduran mahogany and purple heart circular stairs, was overseen by Rick Wilde and his wife, Barbara, who own the mansion. They married here,as they hope many couples will (the house has two ballrooms). For those not ready for a wedding, Rick suggests reserving the cupola for a romantic dinner and per-haps a proposal.
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