Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park, NewYork, on January 30,1882. He was buried there, at his family estate, on April 15, 1945. So it’s fitting that—in 1951—Hyde Park also became home to the Roosevelt Inn. The charming motel generally catered to tourists—sightseers who traveled to and from the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site to pay their respects to the late president.
In 1971, Raili Rudowski and her husband, Horst, began managing the motel. As they raised their family, they added a second story to the original building. A widowed Raili now shares management duties with her daughter, Karen, who grew up cleaning and cooking on premises. This dynamic mother-daughter duo has maintained the tradition of greeting travelers to the Hudson Valley with a style unique to their family’s European roots.
“We’re famous for our flower boxes on our railings, and we still keep that up like they do in Germany,” says Karen. Each winter, when the inn is closed during January and February, Karen and her mother often travel to other parts of the US and Europe to harvest ideas for keeping the motel cozy, comfortable, and attractive.
