The Mercury Inn features four living room/bedroom suites, with access to a shared kitchenette on each floor. As an alternative to AirBNB, these newly renovated facilities allow guests the space and autonomy to fully enjoy a trip to Maine, while still enjoying the expectations of hospitality professionals. Between exploring the city, and dining at Portland’s fantastic restaurants, you have the space to relax, put your feet up, and take in the city at a leisurely pace. Visit one of Portland’s unique farmer’s markets and pick up a variety of goods to bring back. and enjoy during your stay.

This 1890s Victorian mansion was converted into a bed and breakfast thirty years ago. In 2013, hosts Tim & Jake took over the Wild Iris Inn, with an eye towards a vibrant re-design of the typical Portland bed and breakfast. In 2019, recognizing the changing landscape of hospitality in Portland, Tim & Jake planned a massive reinvention and reconfiguration of the space of the B&B. The result is The Mercury Inn, which offers something completely different—an alternative to short term rentals and traditional hotels. Experience Portland as its meant to be. 

Your Hosts

TIM KARU

Because I was born in Washington, DC, no true Mainer would allow me to say that I'm 'from Maine.' Still, Maine has been my home for as long as I can remember. My uncle was a chef at one of the most well-known restaurants in New England, which meant that, from a very young age, I learned to appreciate fine food, especially the best local food. But the real inspiration for my culinary passion was my mother, who is known for her exceptional cooking and warm hospitality.

I left for college in New York City and graduate school in Boston, but I've always known I would come home to live in Maine. Since graduating, I've had no shortage of jobs, from working in the editing room on a major motion picture to teaching at the college level. However, my passion has always been food. The precarious economy made it difficult to find steady, full-time employment, given my esoteric skill set, and after years of managing the chaos of multiple freelance jobs, I asked myself what I could do to stabilize my career path. The one thing I knew was that, ideally, I would find a way to work with my husband. My passion for food and for the city of Portland, mixed with Jake's passion for working with people and his knowledge of the hospitality industry inspired us to seek out opportunities as innkeepers.

Jake and I have a shared enthusiasm for Greek and Roman mythology, which led us to the name of our bed and breakfast. Mercury—who was, among other things, the god of travelers, luck, commerce, and poetry - felt and sounded exactly right to both of us.

When I'm not in the kitchen of Mercury Inn, you might find me reading science fiction and fantasy novels, building custom computers, or checking off boxes on the never-ending list of improvement tasks around the inn. I've recently discovered woodworking after crafting a modest desk for the inn's office and am excited to try more woodcrafting projects in the future.

JACOB KRUEGER

Growing up just outside of New York City, in Roseland, New Jersey, I could often be found with my nose in books on Greco-Roman mythology. The stories that most inspired me were about the customs of hospitality offered to strangers in the world of antiquity. My reading took me from myths and led me to a profound interest in religious customs around the world. This fueled my drive toward an undergraduate degree in religious studies from The New School in New York City and a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School.

In graduate school, I had the opportunity to work as an intern in homeless shelter communities, learning what people require fundamentally to feel safe and comfortable as guests in a space that is not their own. My husband, Tim, and I moved back to Portland, where I worked at the Preble Street Resource Center in their soup kitchens. I also took a job at Local Sprouts Cooperative. It was there I discovered a passion for serving healthy, beautifully prepared, locally sourced food. When Tim and I first discussed finding a way to work together, running a bed and breakfast just made sense. 

Since opening Mercury Inn, my passion for food and hospitality has grown and expanded, merging the skills and interests I have cultivated over the years into a professional pursuit. I feel truly grateful that I will have the opportunity to serve our guests for many years to come.