WISHING FOR A WEEKEND GETAWAY

The Gilbert Family has long known the importance of a vacation getaway.

“I grew up with a second family home in the Ozarks, right on the lake,” recalls longtime Barrington resident A.J. Gilbert. “It was just a complete escape for us to get away, but still be with each other. It was amazing. It truly just became a part of who I am.”

Now, with his wife Michelle, and their two children, Gilbert has continued to find places to go to get away with his extended family and essentially escape the chaos of the real world for a little while.

And in 2022, Michelle and A.J. went to Galena.

“One day while we were there, we just hopped in the truck and started driving around,” remembers Michelle. “We saw this crazy old ‘for sale by owner’ sign, and we rounded the corner and there right in front of us was the most majestic cabin in all of the territory.”

And soon after, they made it theirs.

And now, they share it with others.

“We want to make this feel like you’re on a royal getaway,” explains Michelle of one of the three Airbnb properties that she and her husband currently own. “I always had this idea of what would it be like if a royal person was going to their country estate; what would that feel like? And so, that was the guiding principle.”

Hence, their Galena property is now known as Frogmore Cabin, named after Queen Victoria of England’s favorite country estate, Frogmore Cottage.

“There’s a magic there, but you have to experience it,” says Michelle of the stunning luxury cabin offering five bedrooms, four and a half baths and an eight-person hot tub with a panoramic view of the rolling Galena Territory hills. “When our clients arrive, they get it. It’s all about creating an experience that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Indeed, it is this idea that serves as the backbone of what A.J. and Michelle like to refer to as their ‘trendy side hustle,’ which also now includes rental properties in not only Illinois, but also Texas and Georgia.

“We pick our rentals so that they are close to major metropolitan cities, often just under two hours away so that we’re getting all those people looking for a weekend getaway,” explains Michelle. “People always want to have a getaway.”

But often, what begins as a getaway turns into so much more for the families who spend their time there.

“These homes are the backdrop of memories that will be emblazoned in these people’s minds forever,” says Michelle, who graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and a master’s degree from Miami Ad School for creative copywriting. “So, when we’re creating the spaces and picking even just the rugs and the curtains, I want to make sure this backdrop is a part of something that they always remember.”

However, creating and maintaining this magical backdrop often involves much more work than many might realize. “It’s been a wild ride, there are so many things that go into it from making the deal, to delivering on the hospitality, to being totally digital-centric,” Michelle explains. “It’s this crazy merging of all the skills one could possibly ever have.”

Indeed, with Michelle’s skills as a full-time advertising exec and A.J.’s skills as a full-time real estate professional, the couple have truly discovered a way to adequately merge their talents together through their Airbnb business.

“Listing copy and doing all of the digital things are my strength,” says Michelle. “That’s how my creativity shines through. Whereas A.J. is very technical and handy, so he’s able to actually go to the properties, do all the repairs, build things, install things. He’s also a home inspector so he can deal with all the nuts and bolts.”

She laughs.

“So, he’s doing all the ‘hands on’ with the property, and then I’m often doing all the design and polish,” Michelle continues. “It’s been a really cool combination.”

It’s this combination that the couple wants to continue for many years to come. “We hosted 1,256 guests last year across three cabins,” Michelle remarks. “Our goal is five vacation rentals in five years, and that’s what we’re charging towards. We ended up getting three properties within 10 months, so we are way ahead of schedule.”

And there is always that possibility that the two may make one of these properties their own home one of these days.

“A hundred percent, we think about that,” Michelle concludes. “You do get emotionally tied to them. And our kids are emotionally tied to them. Just the other day, our 5-year-old told us that when he grows up, he wants to live in the beach house. That’s just what he knows.”

To book your weekend getaway, visit purelivingvacationhomes.com/frogmore.