Wildernest Safari Inn is found near Petersburg, West Virginia. The property's precise location is on Spring Mountain, several miles from nearby towns or cities. The two-story house sits on 80 acres of land filled with trees, mountains, and a nearby lake. Additionally, visitors may walk along the on-site trails and participate in Japanese forest bathing, or Shinrin Yoku, which involves walking in the woods for an extended period of time to take in the surroundings and encourage "nature therapy." Furthermore, visitors can access nearby kayaking, canoeing, river tubing, rock climbing, and horseback riding. The owners of Wildernest Safari Inn, Tom and Sonja, have also incorporated African art and décor into their property; they spent about 40 years working in many regions of Africa. Some of their decorations include wooden masks and animal figures, metal statues, tribal blankets, and wildlife photographs that Tom took.
Wildernest Safari Inn is on Spring Mountain, which is close to Petersburg, West Virginia. The bed and breakfast rests on an 80-acre property open for guests to explore. It is full of trees, mountains, and walking trails. The house is also nearby South Mill Creek Lake, and Tom, one of the business owners, says it is a place where visitors can fish for golden trout and other kinds of fish.
The two-story house offers six units, all located upstairs. Three rooms have king-sized beds, two rooms have queen-sized beds and one room has two twin beds. Each room has a private bathroom, linens, bathroom supplies, and clocks. They are also decorated with adornments and souvenirs that Tom and his wife Sonja brought back from Africa through their 40 years of working there. Some of these include wooden masks, metal statues, animal figurines, Hausa and Zarma blankets, woven baskets, and wildlife photography taken by Tom. He and Sonja suspect that any one of their king rooms may attract the most clientele.
An upstairs common room /lounge area is a place for visitors to convene or sit. Wildernest Safari Inn offers a downstairs bar that will serve a variety of wines, and it also has a dining room and outside decks for guests to have their meals. A complimentary glass of wine is offered to those staying at Wildernest Safari Inn during dinners as well.
Breakfast at Wildernest Safari Inn is served between 6:30 AM and 10:00 AM. Visitors can expect to be served foods such as French toast, waffles, pancakes, fresh fruit, bacon, and sausage. Various egg dishes may also be included, such as poached or scrambled eggs, quiches, and egg casseroles. Tom says breakfast can be served on the main deck of the house that overlooks the mountains and South Mill Creek Lake as long as the weather permits.
Dinner is served each evening in addition to breakfast—the cost for this dinner is included in the price for a visitor's stay. This is a four-course meal that includes homemade soup, a specialized salad, chicken, beef, or fish, and dessert. Dinner is served at 7:00 PM, and an African-style drum is set to beat five minutes before the meal is served. Accommodations regarding food allergies or dietary restrictions are taken into account by Tom and Sonja for both dinner and breakfast.
Wildernest Safari Inn offers access to nearby attractions to its visitors. They can participate in kayaking, canoeing, river tubing, rock climbing at Seneca Rocks, hiking to Spruce Knob or horseback riding. Guests can explore caves and caverns, visit local fish hatcheries, and explore the on-site walking trails on the mountain. Tom says that they may also take part in Japanese forest bathing, which he explains is the practice of walking through the woods "in no hurry" to absorb the surroundings and allow the body to relax and heal.
While Wildernest Safari Inn is in its infancy, Tom and Sonja, the property owners, anticipate that they will host events such as small weddings or family reunions at their house. They want their guests to feel welcome and "very happy and relaxed." To emulate this atmosphere, Tom and Sonja would like to greet their visitors at the front veranda with a cold or hot drink—depending on the weather—and offer them ten minutes to rest before showing them to their room. They would like to interact with their patrons often and give them pointers about local activities, even providing phone numbers and websites.
Wildernest Safari Inn has a few policies that visitors are asked to observe. No indoor smoking is permitted. Guests are also requested not to bring pets to the house, although Tom and Sonja have arranged with the local vet to shelter pets in overnight boarding. A quiet time is enforced at 9:00 PM each night, and Sonja says this is to allow guests to "get away and rest." She and Tom are not yet sure what their policy concerning children will be, but they plan to measure it on a "case-by-case basis." Additionally, they acknowledge that a group of visitors traveling together can rent out the entire property. They plan on operating Wildernest Safari Inn from April to January, weather permitting. Winter conditions each year may impact the opening and closing dates.
Regarding what makes Wildernest Safari Inn unique, Tom and Sonja feel that the mountain views and the sunsets are noteworthy aspects of the property. They also feel their African theme sets their business apart from others, seeing that their décor was collected over the 40 years they spent in Africa.
Wildernest Safari Inn was built approximately 30 years ago by a couple who surveyed and bought the property. They built the inn and owned it for several years, then passed it to the second pair of owners, who operated the inn for another seven or eight years. The establishment was vacant for a few years after these owners and was then picked up by Tom and Sonja, its current owners. Wildernest Safari Inn is in its infancy, as they opened it on September 1, 2022. Tom and Sonja came across the hospitality industry after Tom retired from a 30-year career working with hotels. They had also spent over 40 years working in various parts of Central, West, and Southern Africa. The couple decided they wanted to stay somewhere that had a nearby lake and trees, and they found Wildernest Safari Inn as they were searching for a property with such requirements.
Since acquiring Wildernest Safari Inn, Tom and Sonja have renovated the building from the ground up. They replaced everything in the bathrooms, repainted the house, installed new carpeting upstairs, and bought new beds and furniture. They have many future plans for their business, but they are still in the works. As their business starts, Tom and Sonja look forward to meeting their visitors. Tom says they are excited about "figuring out where they've been in life, and discussing where we've been in life."
1054 Wildernest Wy
Upper Tract, West Virginia 26866
United States
African
Tom and Sonja
