Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Verm.
Hi Karen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My husband Craig and I have owned the Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill for two years now. Prior to this, both of us were working as professional musicians. I worked as an opera coach and pianist at schools such as Carnegie Mellon University, Rice University, and West Virginia University. Craig is an operatic baritone who has sung at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC, and opera houses through the US, Europe, South America, and Asia. Through our travels, we had been introduced to and loved bed and breakfasts, and it was a dream to own one.
After many years of working separately in different locations, we visited the Asheville area in fall of 2023, with hopes of finding the perfect location to pursue our dream. We were immediately taken by the Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill, which was purpose-built to be a B&B in 2009. Located in Mills River, NC, it has seven beautiful suites on five wooded acres, and its convenient location provides a peaceful environment with easy access to Hendersonville, Brevard, and Asheville, and all of the natural beauty, shopping, breweries and restaurants in the area.
Originally, we thought we might perform music at the B&B for special events, or if guests knew about our history. However, it quickly became a daily occurrence! Each day, we prepare and serve our gourmet three course breakfast, followed by a short performance, which a guest deemed “The Fourth Course.” It is a tremendous joy for us to perform together and to be able to share our music with others in such an intimate and special place.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Hurricane Helene was a definite setback, yet also a blessing. While our property was not directly affected by the storm, our reservations were decimated. However, we developed a fund to provide free or heavily discounted stays for volunteers coming to serve the greater Asheville area. It was hard for our business to weather that season, but it was really heartening to see the best of humanity emerge as everyone worked together to rebuild. We hosted people directly affected by the hurricane, as well as families, church groups, and individuals from all over the country coming to help those in need in the aftermath.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Craig and I (Karen) own and operate the Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill, and our unique set of skills make it a perfect match for us. Craig owned a handyman business which began during Covid (when the arts were all but stopped entirely), and I love home decor and baking. We enjoy cooking together and entertaining. Though we had not worked professionally in hospitality, it felt like our collective life experiences were leading to the bed and breakfast!
While we were fortunate to have great careers as professional musicians, we rarely worked together. Now we work together daily in the kitchen, and we have the great opportunity to share our music with others. We are incredibly blessed to have found this dream job we can do together!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Craig and I both have a genuine enjoyment of people. When we imagined working at the B&B, we knew we would be serving others. What we didn’t realize was that we would also be connecting with them in profound ways. It has been amazing to see strangers gather at our table enjoying one another, and to see relationships form, even into life long friendships. We never could have imagined what a blessing it would be to us.
Pricing:
- Our rooms range from $265-405
- This includes gourmet breakfast and performance
- There are whole house discounts, for 5 or 7 rooms
- We host events such as teas, baby or bridal showers, weddings and elopements, family reunions, gatherings of friends, etc!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiffany-hill.com
- Instagram: bnb_on_tiffanyhill. https://www.instagram.com/bnb_on_tiffanyhill/
- Facebook: Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063519164760
