Buying a B&B is a perfectly wonderful way to Retire – you’ll still work, but you’ll work at home – to have a gracious home to showcase a lifetime of acquired antiques, to indulge your love of being a host or hostess, and to contribute to your retirement income. Today, Retiring In
Williamsburg is showcasing a premium retirement opportunity, purchasing and running a successful, profitable B&B found in a historical area and steeped in history and romance:
Marl Inn is a private-home Bed and Breakfast with a significant owner’s suite, entirely separate from the four (4) suites that the guests rent – each with their own entrance, bath, and privacy. Besides the lovely home (with over 100 major improvements made in the past 5 years), this place has Location, Location, Location! The entire area is rich with history. In fact, it is called the “Historic Triangle” to include Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown - not to forget the modern-day fun of Busch Gardens.
Marl Inn is so named for the hard clay called “Marl.” Marl is found in the York River riverbed and was often used by early colonists, in Yorktown, as a building material. A Marl stone sits in the amazing English Gardens, due to the green thumb of current owner, Poppet. This British-born gardener has a passion for making beautiful outside living spaces. Poppet has done extensive landscaping providing seasonal color and it is a sight to behold, even in the month of November!
As part of a business decision, in 2013, the Marl Inn Bed and Breakfast started offering No Breakfast, Continental Breakfast, or Full Breakfast options to their guests – over 90% choose No Breakfast or Continental Breakfast – which has made the daily maintenance considerably easier. The breakfast choice has increased occupancy as well as reduced the amount of work and expenses – a good thing for Inn owners. The Marl Inn only requires less than an hour to thoroughly clean a suite after guests’ checkout.
In closing, we interviewed Thomas Nelson, Jr. and his wife, Poppet, the current owners the
Marl Inn, and they said that many guests asked about the amount of work they do, on a daily basis. In Tom’s experience, “Shopping, cooking, and serving a full breakfast, every day, scares many potentially interested B&B prospects… we, too, felt the burn out from that lifestyle. The plan that we have implemented here really works. Bookings are up (because of the decreased cost to the customer), the amount of work we do is down (because only 10% of the bookings want a cooked breakfast), and we have discovered the guests appreciate the peace and quiet. Bottom line: We have been very successful, here at Marl Inn, for 3 reasons: 1) our Christian values drive the way that we run the business 2) we treat our customers like family, and 2) we love sharing our home with people. Owning a B&B is a lifestyle. It has to be that for the next owner, too. This lifestyle has given us a gracious home, the ability to entertain interesting guests, allowed us to live in a beautiful and historical area, and gave us a monthly income for our retirement years.” Is being an Inn Keeper your retirement dream? Do you enjoy cooking and entertaining? Do love history and historical settings? Can you picture yourself relaxing, with guests, in an English garden? Then THIS is your opportunity.
For all photos, pricing and full listing, visit the Real Estate Listing here.
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