Patti Wiles
Location: Asheville, NC
Since: 1999 – – We wanted to return to a four season climate and Asheville delivers. While not having to dig out of 6 feet of snow, it has four seasons each more lovely than the last. They tell me I should work for the Chamber of Commerce and likely my long standing love affair with Asheville uniquely qualifies me. We could have moved anywhere when we choose Asheville. The entire country was up for grabs. Anyone concerned with outdoor life couldn’t help but love the area. Streams and waterfalls dot the landscape all against the magnificent backdrop of both the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. Aside from the natural beauty, the presence of urban elements were a big part of the selection processes. Though only 90,000 within the city limits, we are blessed with an active Community Theatre, Symphony, Opera Society, Art galore, street buskers and more. Asheville has been receiving accolades like Happiest City, Beer City and Best Retirement area gaining favorable notice far in excess than it’s modest size would suggest. On a personal note, Ashevillians are a diverse group ranging from well heeled to mountain folk, the well educated vs. the wise families that have lived here for generations and most are blissfully polite, dedicated to smiling and sharing their love of the place they call home.
Age Group: 60+
Favorite Restaurant: Nine Mile
Favorite Movie: Shawshank Redemption
Pets: My beloved Molly of 19+ years has still not sent her replacement.
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time? Read a fantastic book outside.
Favorite Season: Spring is hope and renewal in action so I’d have to pick her.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? See a financial planner.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Play the piano brilliantly.
If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be? A time when wisdom of the people in our world finally allows us to live in harmony, no person is hungry and war is something that is revisited only in history books.
Which celebrity do you get mistaken for? Now, this has to be a trick question. I am an original.
Where do you work? At Cumberland Falls Bed and Breakfast Inn
What is your title? Owner-Innkeeper
How long have you worked there? 14 years
What do you love most about your Job? When I left nursing to purchase our inn I feared that I would be no longer be in a position to be helpful to others and make a difference. This opportunity is presented in ways I would never have imagined and it is one of my biggest blessings.
What is your Experience and Background in the Travel Industry? Having been in accommodations for a prolonged period of time, viewing the sea change in marketing, booking options and guest expectations has really been interesting to observe. In the face of so much change, remarkably, I think the important hallmarks of a positive guest experience have altered very little. Despite the tech, at the end of the day, we’re still dealing with people, who having worked all year, really need recreation, relaxation and kindness.