7 Amish Country Inns and B&Bs We Love

Berlin Woods Treehouses, Berlin
Jared Coblentz first opened three treehouses at Pine Cove Lodging in 2010, before adding a half dozen more at Berlin Woods six years later. At roughly 30 feet off the ground, Coblentz’s newer treehouses are about 10 feet higher than his first ones. “We worked with the topography,” he says. “We wanted to provide people with a unique experience.” Each treehouse does just that with a two-person stone Jacuzzi tub, fireplace, flat-screen TV, living room, full kitchen, a third-floor crow’s nest and comfortable beds. Berlin Woods is part of Amish Country Lodging, a total of four locations all within about a mile of one another and close to the heart of Berlin. (There are also cabins and cottages for those who like to stay closer to the ground.) Coblentz’s treehouses are geared toward couples, but three of his Berlin Woods structures sleep up to six guests. “We wanted to be family friendly,” he says. 5331 County Rd. 626, Berlin 44654, 330/893-2100, amishcountrylodging.com 

The Carlisle Inn, Sugarcreek
Dutchman Hospitality operates three inns across Tuscarawas and Holmes counties and one in Sarasota, Florida, with the company’s Carlisle Inn in Sugarcreek offering a range of activities and diversions on its grounds. Guest amenitities include a playground, pool and summer carriage rides, as well as an on-site food market, gift shop and theater that features concerts and musicals. “A person can spend up to a week here and wouldn’t have to go anywhere else,” says innkeeper Kristina Schlabach. Dutchman Hospitality began featuring faith-based musicals and other family entertainment at the inn during 2012, but 2017 brought the opening of the stand-alone, 500-seat Ohio Star Theater. While visiting, don’t forget to try a slice of Dutchman Hospitality’s famous peanut butter cream pie. “I won’t tell you I took the job because of it,” says Schlabach, who started working for the company as a waitress at Dutch Valley restaurant while a teen. “But it’s definitely a perk.” 1357 Old Route 39, Sugarcreek 44681, 855/411-2275, dhgroup.com/inns

The Barn Inn Bed & Breakfast, Millersburg
The Gehrig family barn that houses the 11-room Barn Inn Bed & Breakfast has stood for nearly a century, while current owner Gene Rowland and his wife, Michelle, took over the property in August 2017. Still, he clearly knows his role when it comes to the place. “I feel like I’m a guardian, not an owner,” says Rowland, a veteran of the hospitality industry. “It has its own life.” The barn was turned into a seven-room inn in 1996, with four more suites added six years later. Rowland is renovating the place in anticipation of a centennial celebration in 2019, with updates that include additions to the dining room and new carpeting. The property offers comfort, while keeping its roots intact. The barn’s 28-foot-high cathedral ceiling rises over the dining room, and a 1,000-square-foot lobby features a fireplace and games. “[It’s] unwinding the Amish way,” Rowland says. 6838 County Rd. 203, Millersburg 44654, 330/674-7600, thebarninn.com

Landoll’s Mohican Castle, Loudonville
Jimmy Landoll watched his family’s Landoll’s Mohican Castle spring up from the ground during a six-year construction process completed in 2002. “My parents built it while I was in high school,” says Landoll, the resort’s general manager. “I’ve spent a lot of time around it.” The castle’s design, which was influenced by founder Jim Landoll’s time in Europe with the Army, features 17 suites. (Another building with 14 additional suites is scheduled to open this summer.) The castle’s secluded location in Loudonville, a short drive from Holmes County’s Amish Country attractions, is also part of the appeal, according to Landoll. “You have to want to be here to get here,” he says. “People like our location.” The castle is also home to the Copper Mug Bar and Grille. Landoll recommends the slow-roasted braised beef short rib, and not just because the castle went through an episode of “Hotel Hell” to get it. “Gordon Ramsay came up with [that dish] for us,” he says. 561 Twp. Rd. 3352, Loudonville 44842, 800/291-5001, landollsmohicancastle.com

The Inn at Honey Run, Millersburg
The Inn at Honey Run took its name from a nearby creek when it opened in 1982, but since then, it’s come to embrace the place’s identity. A 1988 expansion led to the construction of the “honeycombs” — lodging cut into the hillside. Then, in 2014, the inn started keeping bees and making its own honey. Tarragon, the on-site restaurant, offers fine cuisine (general manager Jason Nies recommends the pork osso bucco) and great views of the surrounding countryside. The Inn at Honey Run is also home to the Holmes County Open Air Museum, which features outdoor sculptures made by local artists. The museum has nine works on display, with another expected this summer. Since the museum was created three years ago, Nies says the inn has tried to add one or two new pieces of art annually. “We grow slowly because we’re self funded,” he explains. “We don’t have any large benefactors.” 6920 County Rd. 203, Millersburg 44654, 800/468-6639, innathoneyrun.com

Donna’s Premier Lodging, Berlin
Since 1991, Donna Marie Golden’s eponymous cabins have provided couples’ getaways complete with chocolate-covered strawberries, in-room massages and hot breakfasts delivered to the door. “We’re here for romance,” Golden says. Donna’s Premier Lodging has 17 units, ranging from cabins and chalets to cottages and villas. It also has facilities to accommodate small weddings (up to 15 people) as well as elopements, which have proven popular, with an average of about one a week year-round. Golden says customer service and careful organization are essential to creating the positive word-of-mouth that attracts new customers while bringing previous ones back. “People like to feel appreciated, and we’re here to serve,” she says. “Some guests want to build a rapport, and we try to build a rapport with them as far as they want us to go.” 5523 East St., Berlin 44610, 330/893-3068, donnasofberlin.com

Berlin Resort, Berlin
One of the adventures of Ohio’s Amish Country is finding things to do after about 6 p.m., which is doubly challenging if you’re looking for something to entertain the kids. Berlin Resort addressed that need by creating its Children’s Village: a mini Main Street with an art studio, pet shop, dance studio, sheriff’s office, matinee and grocery store. “We have something in each building to inspire children’s imaginations,” explains general manager Jessica Cooper. The Children’s Village was built in 2015, a year after the resort rebranded from its previous identity as Berlin Hotel and Suites. It is just one of the offerings at the inn, which has activities to keep all ages busy, including a pitch-and-putt golf course and a movie theater with two showings a night. “We want to be more than just a hotel,” Cooper says. 5330 County Rd. 201, Berlin 44654, 330/893-3000, berlinresort.net