You could own a floating bed and breakfast on the Mississippi River

It sounds like a scene from a movie set — a floating bed and breakfast on the Mississippi River. It’s real — and the Covington Inn Bed and Breakfast is for sale.

Liz Miller is the current owner and innkeeper of the Covington Inn, which is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She is looking to move, so she would like to find a new owner.

The Covington Inn sits on a boat that was built in 1946 and once was a working towboat on the lower Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Previous owners found it in a scrapyard in Tennessee and bought it for $7,500.

They fixed it up to have four guest rooms, each with its own fireplace, private bathroom and access to a deck.

I stayed at the Covington Inn, and it is a romantic getaway with a beautiful view of Downtown Saint Paul. All guests must be at least 14 years old. Every morning, guests are treated to breakfast, which can include a baked French toast with whipped cream, fresh fruit, sausage, orange juice, coffee and tea.

The Inn is on Harriet Island, which can be prone to flooding from the Mississippi River. Liz tells me that the Mississippi is the best and worst part of owning a floating bed and breakfast on a river. “Year round, the river is so pretty, always changing and so beautiful. Some springs, we get flooding here and have to close so that is the absolute worst. But, what can we do? Nothing. The river will do what it will.”

I asked Liz who would be a good owner of a floating bed and breakfast. She says they need to be outgoing and relaxed. “The Inn is ready to go. It’s been a profitable business since 1995 and that is a great feat in this day and age, if you ask me. Even better would be a restauranteur who wants to convert it to a restaurant again,” Miller says.

To book your stay at the Covington Inn, click here. Parking is available at Harriet Island. Note that the Inn is on the opposite side of the Mississippi River from Downtown Saint Paul and is not necessarily in walking distance to Downtown attractions, especially in the winter.

If you’re interested in becoming the next owner of the Covington Inn, you can connect with realtor Jonathan Jordan by emailing jpjordan@cbburnet.com.

Give Me The Mike received promotional consideration from Visit Saint Paul and Covington Inn.