James Dickinson stands in front of the new location of his Dickinson Guest House in Chapalita.

Despite their interest, Dickinson says many people have a misconception about the well-known writer:  “People are aware of her work, they like her, and they’re interested, but over the years her dark side is what people have come to know.  They don’t know her humor.  There are eight books on all the humorous things she wrote about.”

While many guests do have questions about Emily Dickinson, most of their inquiries naturally revolve around Guadalajara, and what to see and do.  After living here for three years, James Dickinson can now be considered an expert in that field as well.  He enjoys showing visitors around his neighborhood, pointing out stores and restaurants along the way, and telling them what they need to know about taking taxis and getting around the city to see the major tourist attractions. 

Before opening his own business, Dickinson visited several private accommodations to see what he could learn from them. He realized the main objective of his place would be to make people feel at home as soon as they walked in the door.  In fact, the original name for his guest home was “At Home in Guadalajara.”  It was only after asking a friend for his advice did he decide to change it to its current name.  “I was just trying to think of a name.  But [Dickinson] is my last name.  It sounded so American.  But that’s what you’re catering to,” he explains.

In keeping with his aim to make people feel at home, he chose to open a guest house instead of a simple bed-and-breakfast.  “At a B&B, breakfast is at a certain time, but we all have different schedules.  You sit around a table with people that you don’t know.  That might appeal to a lot of people ... but I like people to feel comfortable,” he explains.

Another decision he made after investigating the industry was to provide guests with amenities they’re really going to use and, more importantly, not charge extra for them.  So, while the Dickinson Guest House may not have a pool or fancy garden, all visitors get a Continental-style breakfast, access to a fully-equipped kitchen and washer and dryer, phone calls to Canada and the United States, and wireless Internet (for people with computers). 

Just three years after opening, Dickinson says his place is usually full.  Even last May, traditionally the slowest time of year, he was completely booked.  To meet the growing demand, he’ll be moving into a larger home, just around the block, next week. With the move, he’ll go from three guest rooms to four, and from two bathrooms to four.  Apart from having more space, Dickinson says the new place has a much better layout and space for an outdoor barbeque grill.

The Dickinson Guest House caters to all kinds of visitors: tourists, business people, students and even patients recovering from plastic surgery.  Some guests have stayed for up to two months.  While most come from the States or Canada, one traveled from as far away as India.  Most usually learn about the accommodations through the Internet or word of mouth.

Over the years, Dickinson has undoubtedly met some wonderful individuals working in the hospitality industry, but he’s also dealt with his fair share of difficult people.  In the restaurant business, whenever he encountered hard-to-please guests, he would make it his plan to win them over.  With his guest house, he still welcomes the challenge of winning over difficult guests and says he will do anything to get them to smile. “Once you loosen them up, they’re fine,” he says with a smile.

For more information, go to www.dickinsonguesthouse.com