Contact Information
Telephone Numbers:
Local Phone Number: (828) 255-0027
Guest Phone Number: (828) 253-1583
Toll Free Phone Number: (828) 621-7435
Fax Number: (828) 236-3397
General Information
Innkeepers: Cathy & Larry Sklar
Chef: Tracie Wise
Assistant to the Chef: Faith Maultsby
Managers: Sheriden Cupp, Diedre Griffith, Sabrina LeBeauf
Mailing Address: 86 Edgemont Rd, Asheville, North Carolina 28801
E-Mail Address: info@albemarleinn.com
Directions to Albemarle Inn
Traveling East on I-40 or north on I-26, take I-240 east to Charlotte Street in Asheville (Exit 5B), turn left and go 0.9 miles to Edgemont Road. Turn right and go 0.2 miles to the Inn.
Traveling West on I-40, take I-240 west to Charlotte Street in Asheville (Exit 5B), turn right and go 0.9 miles to Edgement Road. Turn right and go 0.2 miles to the Inn.
Meet Your Innkeepers
Connecticut attorneys left the fast track for Asheville, NC and entered the elegant world of bed and breakfast inns.
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."
