Great winter retreat in Holmes County
By: John Mast
It's the dead of winter. The snow is quietly falling as the north winds blow. It's cold outside, but inside you are cozy and warm, sitting before a blazing fire, sipping a hot drink and surrounded by friends and family.
That's the setting available to guests of the Charm Countryview Inn who choose to visit the aptly-named inn during the winter months. It is near Charm, Ohio, but the descriptive version of the inn is even more suitable, and it overlooks the beautiful countryside of Holmes County's Amish country.
For the last few years my wife and I have had the privilege of spending an entire weekend in this homey place, along with most of our church group, and the benefits were numerous.
Leaving our cares (and our kids) behind, we ventured out for the weekend to relax, reflect, goof off and basically stay up too late. 
It was both a fun and meaningful time.
Charm Countryview Inn first opened its doors in June of 1990, after members of the Abe Mast family of Charm began to toss around ideas of hosting a bed & breakfast.
Initially, they thought perhaps they could open some rooms in their homes, but it didn't seem practical so the idea of building an inn was born. After extensive planning and research, the inn began construction on the Mast home farm.
Abe's daughter Naomi Miller and her husband Paul were asked by the family to consider hosting the inn, and since they had no children eight years into their marriage they prayerfully answered yes, thinking they were the natural choice.
"We figured we would be available to take care of it," said Paul. "We would've said no if we had children."
Wouldn't you know, before the inn was finished, Paul and Naomi became expecting parents of their first-born, Matthew.
Surprised, the couple began to reconsider taking on the responsibility of running such a large inn. But, figuring it was God's timing, and considering they had committed to it, the Millers agreed to stay on and give it a try.
The rest is history.
The inn has continued to grow, along with their family, and Paul and Naomi have been blessed by the experience so much that four years ago they became sole owners of the inn by buying the shares from the rest of the family.
The inn itself has gone through some changes over the years. Initially, there were no living quarters for the family, but after two renovations, they now have their own living quarters that are separate from the rest of the building.
The fifteen rooms are all designed, decorated by, and named after, family members. Featuring beautiful quilts and hardwood beds and dressers, each room has a different personality that reflects the person from whom it bears the name. The furnishings all come from the family furniture store in Charm, Ole Mill Furniture, owned and operated by Abe's son, Leon Mast.
The personal setting is one aspect that makes the inn so attractive to all guests, be it a couple or an entire group.
Northern Kentucky resident Art Woeste and his wife had been repeat guests at the inn, so he brought his sister and her husband, John and Shirley Wetzel, along for a visit.
"The atmosphere here is great," said Art, whose wife passed away two years ago. "Paul and Naomi are super. The food, the people . . . it's like going into another world."
Shirley was impacted by the incredible peacefulness of the area, where you can hear the clickety-clack of the horses as they travel down nearby roads.
As for her husband, John? "What's not to like?" he asked. "It's fantastic. There's only one thing wrong with the place, it's that we've never been here before."
It's that warmth of being at home and the friendliness of the people there that make the Charm Countryview Inn so special.
It's what makes guests become friends, and what brings those friends back time and time again.
The fact that the inn has fifteen rooms and is just the right size makes it ideal for groups.
But how did the Millers get started with retreats?
"It just kind of came," says Paul. "We started with one group that kept coming back and by word of mouth we got more."
You might think large groups could be a hassle.
"This is actually a treat to us," Paul continued. "The inn is full, and it makes for easy innkeeping for a couple of days."
When we stayed there on a weekend, Saturday morning greeted us with a full, hot country breakfast, and full should describe you as you have ample opportunity to partake of a family-style meal.
For evening meals (you don't really need to worry about lunch, the breakfast holds you over) we usually frequent one of the area's famous restaurants.
The great thing is that there are always snacks awaiting you in the evenings at the inn, with open access to drinks in a stocked refrigerator.
One of my favorite times of the weekend is when Paul shares a devotional right before breakfast on Sunday morning. We were then treated to a continental breakfast, Holmes County style, with cereals, toast, homemade muffins and fresh fruit slush.
The great thing is, these are benefits to all guests at the inn, not just for those on retreats.
After you eat there are numerous places to relax, read a book by the fire, meditate, or go for a nice walk around the beautiful outdoors.
Downstairs there are two large rooms, one also featuring a fireplace, where you can sit alone or enjoy time together with a group as we did. It got pretty late as we played games and laughed into the wee hours of the night. But that was fine, too, because it's a time you don't experience together often, and when we finally did go to bed, those were some of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in.
So consider this a first-hand recommendation. With the weekends in high demand throughout the winter, Paul would love to have any groups visit throughout the week as well. Whether it is a church group, family or business, the Charm Countryview Inn is a beautiful setting for a retreat to remember.
