Guests staying in Nottingham could be anywhere in the world behind the doors of Mama's Inn Boutique Guest House where themed bedrooms whisk them away to exotic, romantic destinations. London's calling in the room with an old-fashioned red telephone box and Union Jacks; in Paris the four poster bed sets the scene for romance and there's no mistaking you're in Venice where a mural of the famous Riatlo Bridge covers a wall.
Visitors opening the door to find New York, Tokyo, Casasblanca, St Petersburg, Vienna and Cairo are usually awestruck, with every cushion, wall clock, duvet cover, rug, chair, and wardrobe carefully chosen to recreate an authentic experience. Even the style of tea cups reflects each diverse culture.
It's not just the bedrooms. The dining room is Versace-inspired and the bar's backdrop is a mural of the Lords' library at the Houses of Parliament. There really is nowhere quite like it for a B&B stay. "You will probably not want to go out once you're in!" is how one of the guests described it on TripAdvisor.
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It's seven years since Russian interpreter Marina Peshchanitsky and her husband David Sly, a retired IT consultant, took over two villas - previously council offices - in Mansfield Road and converted them into a guest house with a difference. Marina revealed she had been asked to appear on Channel 4's Four in a Bed multiple times - a competition where bed and breakfast owners stay at each other's properties - but has always turned down the opportunity.
"They've begged me. I said 'you will probably have the most amazing TV programme because it will be controversial' but I don't want to have five minutes fame. I'm not looking for that but I want Nottingham to enjoy more interesting places. The most popular rooms are St Petersburg and Paris. They are romantic. They provide everything people want for romance. Big beds, frills, added details."
Behind the anonymous red door of the building, located between Victoria Centre and Church Cemetery, lies a land of imagination and make believe but the time has come for the couple to sell up. The grade II listed property has gone on the market seeking offers around £1.5m.
Marina said: "Somebody will jump of this. I believe they would want these rooms as they are. We have only just put it on the market," she said, adding that voyeurs who want a nosy around the unique rooms needn't bother. I don't want to be sent anybody window shopping. It's an interesting place, I appreciate that but I don't have time."
Last year when staycations were all the rage the hotel was full and this summer is shaping up to be a "fantastic" time. "Who knew when I opened in 2015 different countries' settings would be so relevant after the pandemic when people could not go to those countries. Bookings are flooding in. We have a very good turnover."
Comparing it to like "running a little country", Marina said it's a 24/7 vocation, welcoming guests, keeping on top of the rooms, and cooking breakfast and dinner. But as far as she's concerned, she'd done everything she set out to achieve and is now ready for a new challenge.
Marina, who designed all the interiors herself, said: "I am fidgety. I need something more to do. I need to create. This is already done and I thought I could generate some money from selling this and put it towards some kind of holiday home which is a completely different concept but very popular. They don't want the face of the owner there but they want everything to be provided.
"We had a couple of holidays during the pandemic. We had a holiday in Yorkshire and did exactly that. No people, nobody. I loved it. It was beautifully clean, everything comfortable, a big house, massive garden, everything for you including a BBQ. I thought that's a good idea.."
She will be embarking on a brand new project after buying a sprawling five-bedroomed Victorian property in Woodborough Road, Mapperley, which she plans to turn into a place which families and groups can rent for a night or a week. Even though she won't get her hands on the property until next January when the sitting tenant leaves, she's already planning the design.
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Her plan is to create a lush, green environment, with decorated rooms like nowhere else and call it Elviva. "I want to create paradise," she said. That said she'll be sorry to leave Mama's Inn behind and move onto a new chapter.
"This is me, this is my baby, we risked everything and put everything we had into it. We sold everything just to buy this and we struggled at the beginning when the developers left - they left so much undone. There were moments of regret and moments of desperation. But you don't have to be attached. To humans maybe, to possessions, no never. I am sure the people who buy it will make good of it and not ruin it."
Gavin Webb, associate director at property specialists Christie & Co, said: "Mama’s Inn Boutique Hotel is a unique and characterful boutique hotel which benefits from a central Nottingham trading location. The business would be ideal for lifestyle buyers and existing hospitality operators alike.”
