Albert’s Lodge at Mitchell was the creation of Albert Badschild, who came here from Bavaria in the late 70’s to purchase a van for ski trips to the Alps. Upon seeing the Black Mountains, he immediately fell in love with the area and set out to build a restaurant and inn.
Fast forward about 35 years when Van & Debbie Roldan from South Florida were looking for a B&B to retire to and came across Albert’s Motel, which was for sale. They, too, fell in love with the area and took over ownership of the inn.
Albert, who lives across the creek from the inn, settled into a leisurely retired mountain lifestyle and can often be seen walking his dogs around the neighborhood, as well as at the restaurant next door which was also sold and is open during the season.
Van and Debbie set out to create a destination for outdoor-loving people including hikers, cyclists, and anglers, as well as tourists traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway, located only 5 minutes away. Busily bringing the inn into the twenty-first century, they have been upgrading the infrastructure to include modern amenities like flat panel HD TV’s with all HD cable content; high speed fiber optic internet service running at a blazing 125Mb, with a robust WiFi system often only found in much larger hotels and businesses and Bluetooth enabled alarm clocks with USB connections to facilitate guest’s electronic charging needs.
Looking to the future, the Roldan’s have also replaced the old hot water tank system with a modern and much more efficient tankless hot water array that provides instant and endless hot water to guests after a day of adventure. They have also installed a solar powered system to help keep costs down and provide power in any all circumstances.
As time passed, Van & Debbie began to purchase homes nearby and set them up for vacation rentals, allowing for families and larger groups to stay in the comfort of a private house with all the amenities necessary for a comfortable visit to the mountains. Because of this, neighbors began asking Van & Debbie if they would manage their vacation homes. So, the Roldan’s initiated a property management company and started managing the vacation rental homes of their friends and neighbors. The number of homes they manage now stands at twelve with more on the horizon.
Located within the Pisgah National Forest, and in close proximity to the Mt. Mitchell State Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, Albert’s Lodge is the perfect setting for all the outdoor activities available in the North Carolina Mountains.