Heartstone Inn in the News

The Lovely County Citizen, our local newspaper, shared our new award in this week’s newspaper. Samantha came and interviewed us last weekend.

Rojeks happy to win TripAdvisor award

Wednesday, March 9, 2016
By Samantha Jones

Rick and Cheri Rojek’s dedication to Heartstone Inn has clearly paid off.

Recently, the inn won a 2016 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice award. The only property in Arkansas to win the award, the inn ranked 23 out of 25 in the bed and breakfast category.

Rick and Cheri Rojek, who have owned the inn since 1999, credited the achievement to the customers. The customers, Cheri Rojek said, are what makes working in tourism so rewarding.

“You build a relationship with the customer. We know they have other choices to stay, but they choose to stay with us over and over again,” Cheri Rojek said. “That’s a great thing.”

Rick Rojek recalled working in the hotel industry for years before purchasing the inn, saying his experience in corporate tourism helped prepare him to own a bed and breakfast. Having worked on a larger scale, Rick Rojek said, he has much more appreciation for the personal relationships he creates through Heartstone Inn.

“It’s much more personalized for sure. We can truly take care of each and every guest and really figure out what their likes are,” Rick Rojek said.

An example of that, Cheri Rojek explained, is getting to know what type of beverages customers prefer.

“You try to remember what they drink. Somebody drank iced tea today. I’ll make sure I have iced tea for her tomorrow,” Cheri Rojek said.

Getting to know the customers, Rick Rojek continued, makes them want to return to to the inn. Cheri Rojek recalled one couple that married at the inn 16 years ago, saying the couple returns every year to celebrate.

“It’s become a tradition for them to come back here, which is cool. It’s really special to be part of their lives,” Rick Rojek said.

Cheri Rojek pointed out that the customer reviews are the reason the inn won the award. This, Rick Rojek said, makes the award even more worthwhile.

“It’s such an honor. It inspires me to be better, honestly,” Rick Rojek said.

Moving forward, the couple said they hope the inn continues to bring more people to Eureka Springs.

“We are cheerleaders for this town,” Cheri Rojek said. “It’s an awesome town, and we want to be sure people are enjoying the restaurants and shopping local. That’s good for everybody.”

Heartstone Inn Recognized as one of Top 25 B&B’s in US

Traveler’s Choice 2016 B&B’s and Inns
We have been recognized as one of the top 25 Bed & Breakfasts in the United States! This is an elite group, the top 1% of hotels on TripAdvisor.

For the 14th year, TripAdvisor has highlighted the world’s top properties based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from travelers around the globe. The hallmarks of Travelers’ Choice winners are remarkable service, quality and value.

We can’t thank our guests enough! Because of all the wonderful reviews you’ve posted, we’ve received this award! We love what we do and strive to make every guests’ stay the absolute best it can be. We are celebrating our 17th season at the Heartstone Inn, and are honored to be included in this group.

To read more about these properties please visit this link: Top 25 B&B’s in the US

Romper Room

This deer family has been in the back yard all year. We’ve watched them grow up, loose their spots, and they continue to entertain us.

Our most requested recipe!

Something to look forward to when you stay with us! Our most requested breakfast and recipe is Creme Brulee French Toast. Below is a photo of the French Toast along with Corn Bread Casserole, Sausage and Fresh Fruit. We hope you’ll come soon and enjoy this breakfast. Here’s the recipe in case you’d like to try it for yourself.

Creme Brulee French Toast – you assemble this dish the night before and bake in the morning.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoon corn syrup
2 baguettes or 1 loaf French Bread
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring until smooth and pour into a greased 9 X 13 inch baking dish.

Cut 10 to 12 slices (1 inch thick) slices, reserving ends for another use. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish over the melted syrup. Squeeze them slightly to fit. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half, vanilla Grand Marnier and salt until well combined and ladle evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bring bread to room temperature. Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes. The custard should be set. Serves 6.

Our cookbook is available for purchase at: Heartstone Inn Gift Shop.

Bigger, Better Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook

Adventure in the Ozarks

For Cheri’s birthday in June we went ziplining! The Ozark Mountain Zipline opened here a couple of years ago. We’ve had great feedback from our guests, just no time to try it. We walked around the corner to their office, got fitted with our gear, boarded the bus and had a short ride to our destination. Our group was ages 7 to 70 with two very entertaining guides. The first two ziplines are short so you can get your nerve up. Then you’re off to the races. There are 10 lines woven through the Ozark forest as high as 250 feet and up to 1800 feet long. This is Rick coming in for a landing! We had a really great time and if you’re up for a little adventure we bet you will too.