Jul. 18--Thomas Rich now can check up on both of his hotels on his way to work each morning.

Yesterday, he opened the nine-room Chesterfield Inn at 1404 Shippan Ave. in Stamford. He bought the 1-acre historic property last month from John Ruddy for $2.335 million, according to city land records.

"Mr. Ruddy did an outstanding job in converting a dilapidated building into an award-winning historic restoration," said Rich, president and chief executive of longtime Stamford developer F.D. Rich Co. "We hope to build upon his vision to return the Chesterfield to a vibrant, first-rate facility."

Ruddy, who grew up at the inn during the 1970s when it was a rooming house that run by his family, invested $2 million into restoring the Chesterfield Inn to its 19th-century grandeur. He chose to sell it after eight months of operation, saying he wanted to return to his job of restoring older homes and custom home building.

Rich, whose company developed and owns the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at Summer and Broad streets in downtown Stamford, made further improvements to the inn. F.D. Rich headquarters are is on Summer Street near the hotel.

He added king-size beds, 42-inch flat screen televisions, a fitness center and 50 pieces of original art. Rich also renovated the kitchen and added porch furniture.

"Tom is very imaginative and creative and will bring in clients looking for a different experience from the Courtyard by Marriott," said Thomas Hamm, president of Sperry Van Ness Hamm & Co. of Stamford, which arranges sales and financing of hotels.

Urgo Hotels of Bethesda, Md., runs the day-to-day operations of Rich's Courtyard by Marriott and the Chesterfield Inn.

"We intend to market the (Chesterfield) initially to the Courtyard overflow," Rich said. "Hopefully, some repeat customers will prefer to be in a more bucolic waterfront setting, where they can go for a jog or walk or frequent one of the nearby restaurants."

The Chesterfield plans to serve breakfast daily and employs 10 people, Rich said. Chesterfield room rates will be $259 to $299 per night.

Guests will have plenty of choices besides breakfast. Chesterfield staff will pick up food orders for guests at nearby restaurants, Rich said.

The three shuttle buses that serve the Courtyard by Marriott will bring guests from the Chesterfield Inn to downtown Stamford, the train station and other locations, he added.

The Chesterfield welcomes guests requiring longer-term accommodations, but does not have kitchens in the guest rooms, Rich said.

Plans for the inn include a small, full-service restaurant, he said. The hotel also will have catered events, such as wedding rehearsal dinners and funeral receptions.

One neighbor is delighted to see the inn's latest incarnation.

"I was really happy to see John Ruddy transform the inn to its old state and restore the glory of what it once was," said Michael Ryan, a Shippan native who lives on Chesterfield Road down the street from the inn. "And I am equally happy to see Tom take over where John left off."

"I am sure Tom will do what he can to make it successful and preserve the historic character of the building and respect his neighbors," Ryan said. "If anyone can make it work, I think it is Tom."

F.D. Rich has a long history in the hotel business. The company developed the 500-room Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa, which it owned from 1977 until 1992. The Rich company also had owned two hotels in Punta Gorda, Fla.

Debbie Brennan of Prudential Connecticut Realty in Stamford was the sole broker in Rich's purchase of the Chesterfield Inn.

The Chesterfield Inn, formerly known as the Shippan Point Inn, is Stamford's only operating historic inn. Benjamin Scofield built the mansion in the early 1860s. Also known as Chesterfield House, it was one of several beach resorts in Shippan in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Similar properties in lower Fairfield County include the Harbor House, Cos Cob; Homestead and Stanton House inns in Greenwich; the Maples, Main Street and Roger Sherman inns in New Canaan; the Silvermine Tavern in Norwalk; and the Inn at Longshore and Inn at National Hall in Westport.

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