Copper City Inn

Owner/operator Fred Miller offers no meals but leaves a wine selection in the three guest rooms. And one bottle is on the house. 

Make that on the duplex.

Miller leases one-half of a duplex from Dawn Breen, one of the building's three owners, to run the inn at 99 Main St. The other two owners — Greg and Julie Finn — live in the opposite half.

"We wanted to build something versatile," explains Julie, noting that the design meets that purpose. The same 1,200-square-foot configuration of living space in both parts of the duplex easily accommodates a home or an inn. 

Greg, a retired contractor, tackled most of the construction. He worked on the $200,000 project part-time for about 21 months, finishing last year. 

The three-level duplex abuts rock face at the base of a steep hill and features an earlier-era look. Rooms occupy the second and third levels, while separate garages and storage space exist by the street. 

An insulated double wall between the residence and the inn acts as a noise block, but the barrier failed once, late at night. "There was a very boisterous couple next door," Julie explains. 

Front balconies and rear patios open to each other. This encourages conversation when both the Finns and inn guests sit outside, an appealing aspect for Julie. 

"We enjoy talking with people and telling them about Bisbee," she says.

The town, about 90 miles southeast of Tucson, has a rich copper-mining history and many artists. 

Guests rarely see Miller on the premises because he lives elsewhere and works as beverages manager and bartender at Café Roka. Digital electronic door locks eliminate the need for key exchange. 

After guests make reservations with a credit card by phone, they receive door lock combinations from Miller. Each lock costs $300 wholesale, possesses 50 possible combinations and is guaranteed to work 500,000 times. 

Though Miller, 64, never operated an inn before, he knew what to offer, including body-care products and top-notch reading lights. "I've tried to create a place that I like to go to when I'm traveling," he says.

Miller collaborated with commercial and residential designer Mark Jay to develop a distinct ambience for each room. The largest, on the second level, measures 288 square feet, excluding the kitchen and bath. 

Mission-style furnishings, typical of the early 20th-century Arts and Crafts movement, appear throughout this room. White drapes at the two window doors to the balcony and a white spread on the queen-size bed contrast nicely with warm terra-cotta-colored walls.

The fully equipped kitchen includes a gas stove, microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator. A tiled counter provides space for eating. 

Frosted film for privacy adheres through static to the bathroom window and can be removed easily. Jay paid about $3 a roll at IKEA for the film, which he also used in the bathrooms upstairs and on a hallway window. 

Both rooms on the top level offer an attached bathroom and 144 square feet of space. Each opens to the outside balcony and holds a queen bed, sink and small refrigerator. 

French antique furnishings and ice-tea-hued walls distinguish one room, while the other features art-deco touches and ocher walls. Jay purchased many items for these areas during a buying expedition in France. 

Since inaugurating the inn in September, Miller has hit a few minor snags, such as a missing corkscrew reported by one guest. But that man's free wine got opened quickly in the café next door.

● Contact freelance reporter Joan Barrett at jbarrett2@mindspring.com.

» Inn facts

What: Copper City Inn, three guest rooms, all with bath; complimentary wine or nonalcoholic beverage, bottled water, tea and coffee

Where: 99 Main St., half a duplex in historic Bisbee, 90 miles southeast of Tucson

Cost: $100-$125 nightly

Note: No smoking or pets; rooms accessible by stairs only

More Information: Fred Miller, 520-432-1418; www.coppercityinn.com