About The Olde Mill Bed & Breakfast
A large, hand-hewn joist log cabin room on the 1st floor with a private entrance.
The Olde Mill Inn Bed & Breakfast is a “rustically sophisticated” historic inn where the wonders of the wilderness meet restorative rest. Located in the heart of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, this charming inn offers an abundance of beauty and history with cozy accommodations that are bound to make you feel right at home. Each of the eight guest rooms feature a private bathroom, a special theme, and even its own name. Some rooms even have private entrances and balconies for extra tranquility.
We invite you to make it your stay for a night or two…or an entire vacation while you explore all the wonders in town of Cumberland Gap and surrounding area. We offer whole-house rentals, conference and meeting spaces, and private luncheons/dinners, as well as event planning and meeting facilitation services.
The Olde Mill Inn Bed & Breakfast is the labor of love for owner Kimberly Kotlar and her family. When they relocated to the area several years ago, Kimberly’s previous dream of running a bed and breakfast quickly resurfaced. She contacted a realtor to ask about any land for sale near Lincoln Memorial University and was surprisingly informed there was an already built inn for sale in Cumberland Gap. She visited the property, instantly fell in love, and put in an offer five days later. Kimberly remembers what captivated her about the property right off the bat.
“The coolness of it, the vibe, and the energy,” she said. “I love the idea of hospitality. It’s part of my career as a project manager. I lead teams. I take care of people. I think I’m just a giver. My love languages are acts of service and quality time. I like to take care of people. And I’m especially happy when people are eating.”
Kimberly and her family have poured lots of love into the inn over the years, making numerous improvements and incorporating more modern comforts and delicious dishes while carefully maintaining the indelible historical character throughout the building. Those efforts are ongoing to this day.
“I do think the property still needs some TLC. We’re slowly but surely chipping away at it,” Kimberly said. “We’ve completely remodeled one bedroom, refurnished the studio apartment, overhauled the electric and put in a generator, put a new roof on, and built a whole new additional bedroom. It only had seven bedrooms when we bought it. Now it has eight.”
For the more thrill-seeking guests, Kimberly says the inn even has a ghost log that guests may write about any paranormal experiences. But she’s quick to point out that if there is anything extra worldly at the inn, it’s undoubtedly good energies, and there haven’t been any frightening encounters. Furthermore, she points out that if you’re open to it, ask for it. If not, ask to be left alone.
Regardless if it’s a normal stay or a slightly “para” normal stay, Kimberly and her family delight in making guests feel welcome and comfortable from the moment they arrive. As a complement to their efforts, the inn itself seems to provide the perfect atmosphere for feeling totally at ease for any weary travelers.
“So many people have said there is a very good vibe here, and many say they even sleep better here than they do at home,” she said. “There’s a very calming energy about this inn for me. Even when I hang out here, I feel like I’m on vacation. There’s just an incredible sense of calm, kindness, and care here.”
Kimberly is even more excited about ongoing improvements now that the inn is part of the state’s Downtown Improvement Grant (DIG), which will help with further upgrades. But you won’t find any complaints on the inn’s current cozy state from the multitude of happy guests…or the owner and her family.
“I love it. I love being here. My kids have even said that if I ever decide to sell any real estate, this inn could not be it,” Kimberly said. “We’re going to continue to pour ourselves into maintaining this building for generations to come.”
