Cherry Tree Inn in Woodstock opens under new ownership

WOODSTOCK – The famed "Groundhog Day" house where Bill Murray stayed on repeat as weatherman Phil has been reopened under new ownership in Woodstock.

Lori and George Miarecki bought the house several weeks ago and had their first guests of the Cherry Tree Inn this weekend. The couple bought the place almost on a whim after staying at the home as guests when they were in town from Florida for former Woodstock High School choral director Paul Rausch’s retirement gala.

“We were just looking for a place to stay,” Lori Miarecki said. “We came. We saw. We bought.”

The 5,815-square-foot, eight-bedroom, 8½-bathroom home is located at 344 Fremont St. in Woodstock, close to Dick Tracy Way Park and about a half-mile from Woodstock’s historic Square.

The 1800s home was featured in the 1993 film “Groundhog Day,” and guests can stay in the famed “Bill Murray suite” on the second floor. The city of Woodstock embraces its connection to the movie by hosting an annual “Groundhog Days” festival and having a mural downtown that includes Murray.

But the home’s notoriety wasn’t what sparked the Miareckis’ interest.

“It had nothing to do with the movie. We still would have bought the house,” Lori Miarecki said. “It was just perfect. It’s a dream come true.”

Lori said that she grew up working in hospitality and always wanted to own a bed and breakfast, but she hadn’t found the ideal place until now.

The previous owners operated a bed and breakfast out of the home on a limited basis. They also put extensive work into restoring the historic building, Lori Miarecki said.

“The work that has been put into it is incredible,” she said. “They restored everything they possibly could. They retained all of the architectural details. It’s amazing.”

Rooms start at $152 a night, and the Miareckis are offering 50 percent off for guests' first night if they stay a second, as listed on the inn's Airbnb listing. For information, visit cherrytreeinnbnb.com or the Cherry Tree Inn's Facebook page at facebook.com/Groundhogdayhouse.