Innkeeper's Story

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Meet Your Innkeepers

from Albermarle Inn

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Stamford, Connecticut attorneys Cathy and Larry
Sklar were seeking a change when they discovered
the world of Asheville, North Carolina and
embarked on a new journey as the owners of a bed
and breakfast inn. Larry, counsel to a Fortune 500
company, had visited the city on business and
returned with his wife to vacation there. He and
Cathy, who specialized in trust and estate law,
hoped to find more satisfaction from their careers
by relocating.

"Larry loved Asheville. He was ready to move,"
says Cathy about their first visit in 1997. They
thought of staying in a hotel, but "a friend
recommended a B&B instead of a hotel as a way to
meet people and get feedback about the area." They
booked a room at the Albemarle Inn and started
interviewing for legal jobs. But after meeting
their hosts, a couple who had taken early
retirement from IBM, they began to rethink their
goals. "Seeing people our age with similar
backgrounds, doing something that seemed a whole
lot more fun, was inspiring," says Cathy.

Husband and wife searched Asheville, NC bed and
breakfasts to find the perfect property.

Cathy and Larry returned a few months later with
the idea of buying an Asheville inn. They stayed
five nights at a different B&B each night, then
met with a realtor who specialized in Asheville
bed and breakfast properties. When they learned
that the Albemarle Inn was for sale, they quickly
made the decision to buy it.

Couple finds a perfect match between their
interests and responsibilities at Albemarle Inn.

"My job is to make people feel comfortable and
relaxed," says Cathy Sklar. Despite the long
hours, her variety-filled days among her guests or
in the kitchen fit her inclinations effortlessly.
Compared to the stressful environment of dealing
with clients, the IRS, and opposing attorneys, she
says, "Innkeeping doesn't feel like work."

For Larry, who loves outdoor work and spends most
of his time in the garden and grounds, "this is a
very satisfying way to live." He dug and planted
the English garden that Cathy designed and ensures
that the expansive, park-like property is
meticulously maintained. Larry assessed his values
carefully before exchanging the corporate
environment for the more natural one of an
Asheville bed and breakfast, and now he does what
he likes best every day. "It feels like an endless
weekend."

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