Stewart Inn, our Wausau bed and breakfast, is pleased to be a member of Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America. This association was founded in the late 1960's by Norman Simpson, the 'Father of Country Inn travel in America.' In his pioneering book Country Inns and Back Roads, Simpson noted that "Each (member) inn is original and unique, a reflection of the personalities and tastes of the individual innkeeper-owners...this was never intended to be a total guide to country inns in the United States and Canada, (but rather) a carefully selected group of inns. The purpose is to encourage travelers to visit...and to experience this unique type of personal hospitality..." When Norman Simpson first compiled a directory of inns there were 12 properties, primarily in the New England area. Today, they represent nearly 400 of the "finest country inns, B&Bs, and unique small hotels" from California to Nova Scotia - the very best the travel industry has to offer.

Select Registry carries out a quality assurance inspection for each of its inns. This program involves independent inspectors - not employees of Select Registry - with years of experience in the hospitality industry. The inspectors arrive unidentified, spend the night, and evaluate the inn on a detailed point system, which translates into a pass/fail grade for the inn. Inns applying for membership are inspected, as are existing members on a periodic schedule. Not all inns have what it takes to pass the inspections, and this process provides a guarantee to the travelling public that a Select Registry inn is in a class of its own. A recent Internet directory identified over 20,000 'country inns and B&Bs' in the United States and Canada. A select few of those are members of the Select Registry. You will receive a complimentary copy of the Select Registry Guidebook at your first Stewart Inn breakfast.