The Charm Countryview Inn Bed and Breakfast was established by the original owners in 1990, in Baltic, Ohio, with the location being a little over two miles away from the city of Charm, Ohio. In September of 2021, Tom and Diane Hartzler purchased the inn at a public auction and have owned it since. The building has seen minor renovations, with small changes to the interior as the most noticeable. The structure has a total of fifteen rooms, with common areas in the basement and the front porch. The inn does not provide TVs or internet access due to the overall theme of coming to relax and escaping the hustle and bustle of the world. The area is known for being Amish country, where one can find the Amish people working the land, driving their horse-drawn buggies, or running local Amish stores.
Holmes County, Ohio, also known as the Amish country, is home to the Charm Countryview Inn Bed and Breakfast. The inn sits on about five acres of land located 2.5 miles away from Charm, Ohio, in Baltic, Ohio. Tom and Diane Hartzler currently own the business, but the inn is completely run by the innkeepers, Dave and Jen Miller, who are notably a Christian couple. The inn was established thirty-one years ago in 1990 and has been a place of lodging ever since. Tom and Diane purchased the business in 2020 at a local auction and are the current owners. They aim to provide a quiet place for guests to come to relax, unwind from the stresses of life, and help them leave feeling refreshed.
The inn sits on a hillside overlooking the surrounding meadows on the property as well as the neighboring Amish farms. The property is about five acres large and has grounds available for visitors to walk around and explore. The land includes meadows, gardens, and woods that have walking paths to follow. There are even options to walk down the backcountry roads or the properties lane to see the llamas or sit and watch the Amish farmers work in their fields. Watching Amish farmers is different from watching everyday farmers because the Amish only use their horses and hands instead of tractors. A gazebo is located on the side of the building, adding an extra place to sit and be surrounded by nature.
The house itself is a traditional country-style home, with light blue paneling, dark blue shutters, and a porch spanning the whole front of the house. Bushes are planted in front of the porch, with trees surrounding the building. The structure has a total of fifteen rooms with no apparent theme throughout them; instead, the units are identified by specific names and not numbers. The main floor holds nine rooms, while the upstairs has the remaining six units. Of those fifteen units, six of them have one king bed in them, three have two queen beds, and the remaining six have one queen bed. Accommodations for kids are not made to because the property is geared more towards helping adults have a relaxing stay. Each room has basic amenities but does not have any TVs, electronics, or WiFi on the premises. A shared fridge is available for guests to use in the dining room.
Common areas found in the Charm Countryview Inn Bed and Breakfast include a basement, a dining room, a small sitting area on the main level, and an outside porch. Half of the basement is designated as a lounging area, while the other side is used as a conference area. Guests have access to the room upon reservation, and it is suggested to call ahead and ask for more details and to schedule a desired time. The inn also offers the property to be rented for pastor’s retreat, old friends get-togethers, women’s retreats, Sunday school getaways, family reunions, marriage seminars, scrapbooking, and quilting workshops.
The bed and breakfast is a smoke-free environment inside and out; alcoholic beverages are also prohibited on the property. Animals are not allowed on the property. If needed, the option of calling ahead for ADA accommodations is available. The owners and staff recommend extra caution from each guest when weather climates change throughout the seasons. Conditions can become hazardous when it becomes wet from rain, snow, and ice. If these conditions arise while staying at the property, the staff requests that visitors ask for any needed help and assistance, especially when it comes to vehicle driving and parking.
Breakfast is served every day of the week but Sunday because it is their day of rest and worship. Monday through Saturday, something different is made and served by Mennonite cooks. The food is often savory and dessert-like, typically fruit pizza, orange muffins, bran muffins, homemade applesauce, barbecued ham slices, scrambled eggs, and hash browns are options of things that can be served. The bed and breakfast is willing to make accommodations for those with food sensitivities and allergies upon request. Sunday breakfast is a continental breakfast, usually including homemade granola and yogurt. The rest of the week is a homemade breakfast made fresh every day and served in a family setting at a table where food is passed around. Breakfast will start with a devotional from Dave and Jen at 8:30 in the morning. After the devotional, the staff has the guests go around and share who they are and where they are visiting from.
The owners, Tom and Diane, have made the focus of their main goal pointed towards those staying with them. Their goal is to provide a place of relaxation and a place to unwind from the hustle and bustle of life. Their end goal is to have patrons leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. One guest said that the inn had a “Peaceful setting, delicious breakfast & snacks, and friendly innkeepers.” The owners and innkeepers try to create a welcoming atmosphere by allowing guests to roam the inn and use the property as desired. The purposeful lack of technology is another measure to cut off connections from busy parts of life. Tom and Diane hope that guests will be able to enjoy the country and find peace without these distractions in each room.
The town is known as part of the Amish country. The owners have said that guests enjoy this country town because they often get to know the Amish culture better, primarily through the Amish working the land, riding the horse-drawn buggies, and the local Amish stores. The inn itself is run by a Christian couple, Dave and Jen, who incorporate their love of God into the experience of staying at their property. Their devotion to God is seen in their use of scriptures on their website, such as “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” It is also seen each day before breakfast is served, where the innkeepers will give an inspirational thought followed by a prayer.
The bed and breakfast has a wide variety of guests that visit, but the most common demographic of guests is middle-aged to older people. The owners say it’s more uncommon for younger families to come and stay at the inn. The lack of the younger generation is attributed to the slower pace of the inn and the town; the surrounding area does not have a lot of tourist attractions or landmarks that are often visited. Tom and Diane say that people come for the atmosphere of relaxation, and a getaway from the world is what draws people to their property. With the inn being located in a small town, there are a few options of places to eat. Some of the only places to eat in Baltic are East Main Kitchen and Coffee, Fox’s Pizza Den, and Starfire deli. Charm city, which is only a couple of miles away from the bed and breakfast, holds more dining places.
Abe Mast and his family founded the Charm Countryview Inn Bed and Breakfast thirty-one years in 1990. It was their family's dream to establish a place of lodging, and they did so as a family by designing, naming, and building the inn. Paul and Naomi Miller were the first innkeepers of the bed and breakfast, greeting their first guests in the year 1990.
The inn has recently fallen into new ownership and management. On September 1, 2020, the inn was sold in a local public auction to Tom and Diane Hartzler. The Hartzlers brought in the new innkeepers, Dave and Jenn Miller, who knew and were friends with the original owners. Dave and Jen had desires to buy the business but were unable. After winning the bid at the auction, Tom and Diane reached out to the Millers to discuss the need for new innkeepers and eventually gave the job to the Millers. The new management has chosen to continue with the vision of the original owners of providing a bed and breakfast where people can come to relax and get away from the world and technology.
Tom and Diane have made minimal changes to the establishment; the few changes made mainly include adjustments to the inside's appearance. An additional change that they made was adding Hartzler's homemade applesauce to the menu. The option to buy the inn’s cookbook with some of the most popular recipes is available online or by calling the bed and breakfast.
3334 State Route 557
Baltic, Ohio 43804
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Tom and Diane Hartzler
Abe Mast
