ABOUT US

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ABOUT ECHO MOUNTAIN INN

WELCOME TO OUR BED & BREAKFAST

Echo Mountain Inn was originally built as a home and then converted into a camp called ‘Happiness.' We cherish this legacy and aim to have our guests experience the best of both during their visit. Our location is a peaceful and quiet one. In the warm weather a swim in the pool or a walk around the Inn to appreciate the gardens and the view are in order. During the winter, there are indoor pleasures to be enjoyed, like a warm fire or a good book. Our rooms at the Inn are cozy and comfortable. Each has a name that expresses its unique character – from Rustic to Royal and Quilt Haven to Magnolia. They all have private baths and heat/air, TV, and wireless internet. Rooms in our 1930's wing even have real wood burning fireplaces.

OUR HISTORY

We often get asked about the history of this beautiful Inn, so we thought you might enjoy some of the highlights.

The Inn was built by John H. and Jessie B. Patterson of Jacksonville, Florida as a private summer home in 1896. It was purchased in the 1920s by Felix Lake and then Dr. Charles and Ida deGarmo also from Florida, who operated "The Tea Room" until Florida hurricanes and the stock market crash, causing them to close their doors. Florida friends convinced Isabel J. Foster to lease the property and, with considerable ingenuity and hard work, she and her daughter, Nell, operated "Camp Happiness" for teenage girls for 4 seasons. She bought cots for $0.25 each, turned the porches and all available space into dormitories. Isabel also created a swimming pool from an abandoned reservoir, set up tennis courts and hiking trails, and provided horseback riding lessons.

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In the mid 1930s, the Royall family bought the property from the deGarmos. Rev. William R. Royall, his wife, Ina and his son, William Jr. named it Echo Inn and ran it as a restaurant and country Inn until the 1970s. They made additions to the main Inn and built several other buildings on the property. William R. Royall Jr. also served as mayor of Laurel Park Village for 17 years.

For the next 20 years, the Inn, which became known as Echo Mountain Inn, had several owners including Cooper and Elizabeth Smith, Dick and Marion Mulford, and Peter and Shirley Demaras. Each made additions and improvements based on their talents and vision for the Inn.

In July 2004, Chester and Betsy Kylstra purchased the inn and have worked very hard to keep the historic character of the property while adding modern conveniences. Each newly restored and decorated room has been named to convey its unique motif. From the Royal Room to the Plum Pretty Room to the Rustic Room, every effort has been made to provide a place where their guests will feel at home. In 2015, all public areas of the Inn were completely renovated and updated as can be seen in the many current photos. Most recently, in July of 2019 the Bonnema family purchased the Inn and have been working hard to continue the renovations while keeping the old look and feel.

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The first floor of the Inn has an inviting living room with comfy couches, a large fireplace and a shelf full of games for some old fashioned fun. The Library houses a shelf full of brochures of area attractions, a pump organ that really works and a place for a cup of tea or coffee and a board game. The sun porch is bright and cheery with plants and flowers that share the sun. The dining room is where breakfast is served from 8:00 to 9:30 am. We enjoy serving a hearty and healthy breakfast each morning that caters to most dietary needs.

All this makes the Inn a perfect place for a private getaway or to hold a party, reunion or retreat. We have a staff ready to serve and help you however we can. "Welcome" is what we seek to offer and relaxation and a ‘happy time' is what we hope that you find.

Meet the Echo mountain inn team

We are here to make your stay great!

bonnemas

Bud and Jan are co-owners of Echo Mountain Inn along with their son Travis and his wife Becky. As they say, in their first lives Bud was a police officer and firefighter for 15 years before becoming a small business owner. Jan has been a nurse forever working in adult care and pediatrics. In 1999 they started an infant care center in northern Haiti which has expanded with prenatal care, foster care, special needs facility, adoptions, and also a school for over 300 children. They tried retirement for two years before deciding they needed more to do and joined forces with Travis and Becky on this adventure.

Travis worked in IT for 20 years and Becky worked as a Certified Natural Health Professional out of their home in Minnesota. When they decided to expand on Becky's business, they found Echo Mountain Inn for sale in North Carolina and long story short, they uprooted their family from the hobby farm in rural MN to move to the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Their desire for you when you stay at Echo Mountain Inn is for you to be able to find rest and peace for yourself both physically and emotionally. That may be while hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, relaxing with a book or just sightseeing in western North Carolina. Change your pace of life if only for a few days and find yourself again.

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ABOUT US

HOME // about us

ABOUT ECHO MOUNTAIN INN

OUR HISTORY

Meet the Echo mountain inn team

bonnemas

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