26 Glorious Years!!
A history of the Inn, by Jeanne Karlhuber, innkeeper
We all have defining moments in our lives, and our purchase of the Snowed Inn in February 1984 certainly marked a turning point for the Karlhuber family. We had been contemplating a move to the Killington area for quite a while, and when it actually happened we just knew we were on the right track. Although we did not have a perfectly clear vision of what this property would ultimately become, we knew that there was significant potential if we were willing to work hard and make sacrifices when necessary. Well, we were willing to do that, and the small, nondescript four room guest house of 1960s vintage grew, evolved, and blossomed into one of the most popular bed and breakfast inns in Killington.
Not only did the building itself change over the ensuing twenty five years. Our children, Tom and Kerstin, grew up in these marvelous Vermont surroundings. When you are raised in a busy bed and breakfast environment, you learn some important lessons about kindness, respect and responsibility, and certainly how to take a reservation! Along the way they of course learned to ski and acquired excellent local and then undergraduate and graduate educations. Tom, an architect, married his high school sweetheart Cate. Kerstin, a filmmaker, married a Scottish lad named Stephane, and now the next generation is represented by our two year old grandson, Calvin. The kids have also each given back in very special ways: Tom designed the transformation of the front facade of the building, and Kerstin is the creator of both our facebook page and our website video.
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Over the course of our 26 years we have amassed quite a roster of staff members ranging from native Vermonters to individuals from literally all corners of the world, including Peru, Brazil, Costa Rica, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Korea, New Zealand and Australia. They have enriched our lives in so many ways, and we remain in touch with quite a few of them. Our assistant innkeeper for the past five years, Jim Gasco, consistently goes out of his way to make our guests feel welcome and comfortable.
We have hosted quite an array of special events, including small weddings and civil unions, wedding rehearsal picnics, corporate retreats, spiritual workshops and group Reiki instruction weekends. The Weather Channel filmed several special segments here at the inn, and our inn served as the backdrop and Manfred as a model for the winter clothing catalog of the European company "Peak Performance". We have also accommodated film crews and prominent international ski racers. We have toasted freshly engaged couples, welcomed children and grandchildren into the families of long standing customers, and congratulated some of those children on their high school graduations. Truly never a dull moment! Indeed, one of our greatest joys is welcoming returning guests, many of whom have become cherished friends, and knowing that in some small way we have helped to create warm memories for so many folks brings a genuine smile to our faces. This winter Manfred was prominently featured in an article in the publication "Ski Vermont".
Over the years we have garnered a number of awards including first prize in the Killington White Lights contest as well as the Summer Flower competition and third prize with our entry "Tinseltown" in the 2007 Festival of the Trees event. And there have been quite complimentary press accolades, some of which are in part reproduced on this page . We are very proud of these accomplishments and humbly grateful to the countless loyal guests and welcome newcomers who help to make the Snowed Inn a special gathering place for very special people.
For nearly sixteen of our twenty six years as innkeepers, our family and our guests have been blessed with the joy of our official greeter and canine social director, our beloved golden retriever Bailey. Even as a puppy she understood how to be warm and mellow and loving, and although these days she does not always get up to welcome every newcomer, she still savors every belly rub and biscuit that comes her way. We dedicate this 26 year tribute to her.
Manfred and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary in August. So now we move forward with 26 innkeeping years and counting, and we are just as overjoyed today to see smiling, satisfied guests at the Snowed Inn as we were on our very first day!
Snowed Inn in the News
New York Times > (Acrobat pdf)
Improper Bostonian >
Canadian Newspaper >
Killington White Lights Festival Winner >
Killington Winter Wacky Games Article >
Featured on The Weather Channel >
Remember when
View our oldest brochure >
Visit our reviews and kudos page to see how past guests have felt about the Inn >
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