Yellowknife (Aug 20/03) - There's a bit too much to see of the Embleton House Bed and Breakfast when you're simply driving by on 52nd Street.

Faith Embleton and her grandchildren, Shay and Levi Jones, stand in the Angel Room at Embleton Bed and Breakfast. Embleton won a customer-service award after being nominated by some of her clients. - Stephan Burnett/NNSL photo

To really appreciate the B&B you have to walk along the corner lot. To know it well, you must meet its owner, Faith Embleton.

Faith reminds you of that favourite aunt, the one who welcomes you into her home after too many years of absence and immediately forgives your half decade of noncommunication.

Faith celebrated her fourth year in business on July 14.

Those four years experience would teach a B&B operator a great many things about the industry.

But it's intuition and insight that provide Faith with a keen sense of customer service.

After talking with Faith for 15 minutes, it's like you've known her all your life.

Little wonder her customers have said so many nice things about her recently. Those positive comments were sent in to Arrington Publishers, producers of Inn Traveller magazine and Embleton has received a customer service award in response.

"My customers had to fill out a form and some went online," she says.

Still, Embleton admits there's more than a few skeptics out there.

"'They're just trying to sell you advertising,' was my husband's response" she says.

Skeptics aside, the plaque hangs above the front-hall closet with nominating comments being forwarded by Faith's clientele.

Within Embleton House there's a Northern Room, a Teddy Bear Room and an Angel Room, says Faith.

Porcelain and crystal pigs which line the upper shelf of her china cabinet.

"We may soon expand to incorporate all of my pigs," she says with a laugh.

The rooms are well-lit with large windows.

"It's a nice little apartment, just like home. There are dishes: you serve yourself breakfast and people do their own clean-up," she explains. Much of the apartment is decorated with Inuit art as well as crafts Embleton has cobbled together over the years.