There are motels in our town and there are B&Bs in our region. Most don’t equal our inn’s feel of a wonderful weekend home where you are visiting friends and enjoying your stay. If you are traveling for business, why not have your work-week needs met while you enjoy a truly lovely, comfortable home away?
All roads lead here
Celebrate your special moments and enjoy your vacation time with refreshing mountain air, large, luxurious yet affordable guest rooms and tasty breakfasts. Scenic country roads lead to your next mountain getaway— conveniently between Boone – Blowing Rock, NC, and Damascus – Abingdon VA. Northeast Tennessee is where you will find us, in aptly-named Mountain City.
Our five all-private rooms have fireplaces, king/queen beds, many with whirlpool tubs, Take in delightful mountain views. Wake up to birds, fresh air and tasty breakfast. Go to bed with fireflies, star-studded skies.
Amenities and Services
-
Large, architecturally interesting, quiet rooms with TVs, CD/clock radios, some with DVD/VCR players How about uninterrupted movies, TV shows; time to read a book or snuggle. Each room has something different: a private balcony (Room 5), private entrance (Room 1), historic stained glass, bath reached by an in-room staircase (Room 2). Our “Romance Rooms” have whirlpool tubs; others have modern showers. Antique claw-footed tub (Room 5 only)
- All rooms are upstairs with the exception of Romance Room (Room 1). We have a new dumb waiter which will carry your luggage upstairs and down for you. Be sure to give The Dummy a try while here!
- Rooms have individual climate control and soundproofing. All rooms have central heat/air, ceiling fans, reading lights, clock radios/CD players, door locks, free wireless internet, in-room cable TV, bathrobes for your use and votive candles.
-
All rooms have one-of-a-kind furniture and decorating and comfortable mattresses. Our decorating leans toward traditional styles with contemporary accents.
- It’s on us—Bubble bath, candles and snuggly robes for your use while visiting, in-room snacks and bedside chocolates. Coffee, teas and hot chocolate available at all times in the dining room. Guest refrigerator.
- While staying at Prospect Hill, enjoy a meal–or two or three–you didn’t have to cook or plan. We make “killer” breakfasts and we’ll suggest great places to dine out for lunch and dinner. Sleep in for a change or take early coffee on the porch. Hearty breakfast (no extra charge) for all inn guests; breakfast in the room (fee). Continental breakfast available in the room (reserve ahead).
-
Thoughtful concierge service provided by the innkeepers (from hiking trails to restaurant suggestions.) Nearby: neighboring businesses provide massages, horseback riding. and golf (regular and Frisbee).
-
Memorable mountain views and scenic drives nearby—from Grandfather Mountain to the Blue Ridge Parkway
-
Romantic vacation packages and all-inclusive elopements
Breathe in lots of fresh mountain air and views. Hike in the woods, bike, horseback ride nearby. Enjoy creeks and mountain tops where it is cool and restful. We are near the Appalachian Trail and the Virginia Creeper (biking) Trail.
Guest rooms with private baths: $109-$179. (More during special event weekends.)
History
Built in 1889 of hand-made brick, this house is a Victorian shingle-style home which looks very northern. Its builder, Major Joseph Wagner, served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He had mercantile and mining interests in the post-war era.
The Rambo family bought the house in 1910 and updated it with electricity, plumbing and central heat on the first floor. In August 1991, the third generation of Rambo’s sold it to the Cornetts, who in turn sold it to Robert and Judy Hotchkiss of Atlanta.
The couple bought the house because its commanding presence on a hill makes it look like it should be a B&B and it presented the kind of old-house adventure they were looking for.
The Innkeepers
Judy & Robert Hotchkiss
Innkeepers
Judy and Robert have been renovators since one day in 1972 when they repainted door trim in an old house they rented in the Seattle area. Since then they have revived a series of turn-of-the-century homes in the Atlanta area, but nothing as daunting as a 6,000 square-foot shingle style Victorian located in a small town in rural Northeast Tennessee.
Robert holds a physics degree from Georgia Tech and a law degree from Emory University. He also trained in nuclear submarines. Judy holds a journalism degree and is an avid student of renovation, gardening, and photography, including most of the photos on this website.
Renovations
After another massive updating and renovation to the house after Robert & Judy purchased it in 1997, the building was ready to become Prospect Hill B&B Inn, named for Major Wagner’s mining interests in the area.
Five bedrooms and a two-room family parlor were turned into five guest bedrooms, each with private modern baths. The somewhat finished attic was converted to private space for the owners.
All systems such as plumbing and electrical are new. Central heat and air conditioning were installed on the second and third floors for the first time. Eventually, all the hardwood floors will be lightly sanded and re-varnished. All the moldings in the public rooms were stripped of six coats of lead-based paint. The attic will house 2-3 bedrooms for innkeepers’ quarters, guest rooms or both. Five guest rooms are now available for your visit along with A Cottage in the Woods, a self-catered small-house rental 7 miles from the inn. The cottage is a 1980-era home on 30 acres of woods.
Inn Pets
The innkeepers were dog owners for decades. However, two cats found them at the inn about the time their last dog was aging out. So, today meet Tiger Lily, born in 2000. Her claim to fame is outliving feline leukemia in her bones–aren’t those steroids great? Michelin is the big bruiser born in 2010. He enjoys company so scratch his ears, stroke his tail out to the tip and pick him up if he gets close. Both cats live in only innkeeper’s personal space and the office/gallery/outdoors (Michelin). Guest room doors are kept closed even when there are no guests so there is no possibility of a cat sneaking into one. By the way, the cats don’t like each other very much! They define tolerance. [See the photo below we call it The Stand Off.]
