Mallory Powell

OWNER + MANAGING DIRECTOR

john powell

OWNER + DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

roo bear powell

SEC-ROO-TARY

a note from the owners

MALLORY + JOHN POWELL

Dear Future Guest—

Thank you for your interest in The Mitt-Inn! We would be thrilled to host you at our charming escape in Petoskey.

This project has been the ultimate labor of love. It is the culmination of a decade's long dream and, most recently, three years of constant change.

[Some context] We met in 2008 at Northwestern University. Years later, we got married and put down roots on the north side of Chicago. We bought a house. We built our careers. John became *the best* high school English teacher. Mallory founded a luxury wedding planning company called CHI Chic Weddings & Events. We did all of the things.

John was born and raised in Chicago; Mallory grew up in metro-Detroit. John had never been Up North before, but—upon his first trip—was instantly enamored. It quickly became our shared happy place and on every trip up, we dreamed about one day escaping city-life, for the serenity of Petoskey.

[Enter, a Global Pandemic.] In true high-achieving-burnt-out-Millennial fashion, we paused long enough to realize that we were ready for a new adventure and healthier pace of life. Mallory stopped taking new clients. John left Chicago Public Schools and secured a new teaching job in Pellston. We moved to Petoskey.

In August 2021, we closed on a house downtown. We had no immediate business plans, but hoped to eventually open the type of vacation accommodations that we had wished for as tourists; luxury, dog-friendly, and centrally located. This had proved impossible in Petoskey.

A short nine months later, our dream property hit the market - with the rare and coveted zoning we'd need to open our business. We went under contract and, shortly after, sold our new home (less than eleven months after we closed on its purchase).

[Fast forward to today.] We had the rare opportunity to live in this project for almost six months. We knew it wouldn't be our "forever home", but it still quickly felt like it.

We enjoyed downtown. We walked Roo in Bayfront Park. We cycled the Little Traverse Wheelway. We made our best friends in Petoskey. We shared endless laughs, cocktails, and charcuteries on the deck. We hosted countless celebrations, gathered around the kitchen island.

Our move to Petoskey has been an absolute breath of fresh, northern air. This place. This chapter of our lives—though, unrelentingly challenging, uncomfortable, and stressful—has been equally transformative and healing.

[Now, it's your turn.] We can't wait to share that with you. We hope you'll be as "smitten with the Mitt-Inn" as we are.

xoxo,

Mallory + John

are you traveling to celebrate a special event?

A first-of-it’s kind in Petoskey, our property is ideal for wedding “room blocks” and other group stays, as well as intimate celebrations*. BONUS POINTS: your direct contact is an awarded luxury wedding and event planner (who has designed the Mitt-Inn experience with YOU in mind)!

With over decade of experience in luxury hospitality, Mallory is uniquely qualified to assist. Her event planning and design work has been featured in Modern Luxury Weddings Chicago, BRIDES, Style Me Pretty, The Knot, Modwedding, Town and Country, Domino, and on Borrowed & Blue.  In addition to receiving Wedding Wire’s “Couple’s Choice Award” for each year she was in business, representing the top 10% of all wedding professionals, Mallory was named to the IL Meetings & Events Magazine Hall of Fame as 2018’s Up-and-Coming Special Event Professional.

*Events may only be hosted part of our full property buyout - contact us for details!