Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Bradbury.
Hi Michael, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My journey has taken me to many exciting places and exposed me to many interesting things and people. I grew up near Santa Barbara in Southern California. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, I moved to Washington, DC, where I lived for two years working on Capitol Hill for the House Ways & Means Committee. During my time in DC, I met my wife, Annie, who was originally from Conroe, Texas. When I decided to return to graduate school, we settled on Houston and Rice University. After completing my MBA at Rice, I spent nearly 10 years in the investment banking/finance world, including some time in New York.
In 2010, I got the bug for entrepreneurship. Having grown disenchanted with the corporate world, I longed for the opportunity to build my own company and future. At that time, I founded Bradbury Brothers with my family, which we grew into one of the largest and most recognized home services companies in the greater Houston area. In 2021, we successfully sold the company to a private equity firm.
In 2017, I made the unexpected shift in my professional life into the hospitality sector after stumbling on a 70-acre tract of land an hour north of Houston and 40 minutes from my home in the Woodlands. The property was in rough shape, and the only thing on the property was an old farmhouse originally built in 1885. I was not looking to start a hotel; I was looking for a family retreat enjoy with my three children and wife. However, after walking the grounds and through the old farmhouse, I felt inspired to create what has become The Historic Hill House and Farm, a small luxury hotel modeled on the many small luxury inns that can be found in the northeast and Europe.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
NO!!! The life of an entrepreneur is rarely smooth, and my path has been especially circuitous. I love start-ups and creating new business concepts. They are extremely exciting and give you the opportunity to constantly learn new things. But they also bring with them many challenges and a lot of stresses. Daily, I am faced with challenging decisions that impact our many stakeholders, including our employees, guests/customers, and various partners. Some of the challenges are expected, but most are unexpected, such as COVID and being shut down for months. My philosophy is to take each challenge and make the best possible decision given the information at hand. I attempt to be thoughtful, thorough, and consistent. It doesn’t always work out, but I can live with the results.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Historic Hill House and Farm is a unique and one-of-a-kind hotel, restaurant, and event space located near the Sam Houston Forest between New Waverly and Coldspring. The property features multiple historic buildings that have been expertly restored, including the original 1800s farmhouse and three antique 19th-century reclaimed barns that were relocated from Canada, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. The historic buildings and bucolic 70 acres provide the perfect backdrop for a last-minute romantic getaway, a memorable family retreat, a delicious meal to celebrate a special occasion or a bespoke wedding. The boutique hotel houses 16 deluxe accommodations with custom furnishings, designer finishes and amenities (such as L’Occitane bath products and Matouk linens), and refined amenities (welcome drink, turndown service). The full-service restaurant serves a complimentary country breakfast daily, an ala carte lunch, and a hyper-seasonal, multi-course, “elevated country cuisine” dinner menu that changes nightly. The property houses a number of unique meeting spaces that can host a range of specialty events, including weddings, conferences, retreats, private parties, specialty dinners, and many more. The Historic Hill House is a diamond in the rough and consistently recognized by our guests for exceeding their expectations with our unrelenting commitment to hospitality, our small and engaged professional team members, and our ability to craft lasting memories.
How do you define success?
Success is the accomplishment of one’s goals or objectives. We have big and ambitious goals and objectives at The Historic Hill House and Farm, but at our core, we have two simple measurements for our success: 1. Did we exceed our guests’ expectations for hospitality and how they should be treated? 2. Are we creating a special place for our team members to grow and thrive? If we can answer yes to those two questions, we are and will continue to be successful.
Pricing:
- Room rates range from $200 – $450, including breakfast daily
- 3-course seasonal dinners are $75 per person
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HistoricHillHouse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historichillhouse/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/historichillhouseandfarm/
