Inn The Ground: A Modern Willamette Valley B&B Built Into A Hillside

31.12.2023 - 14:39 / forbes.com

“I feel like we’re at the house of rich friends with impeccable taste…and they’ve given us run of the place,” I said to my partner during our stay at Inn the Ground, which opened in Oregon’s Willamette Valley this year. We were seated around a sleek concrete fire bowl on the patio, wearing plush white robes on loan from the Inn. Sipping pinot from glasses we grabbed after being told we could help ourselves to anything in the ultra-modern kitchen, we relished the quiet, and watched the last of that day’s light disappear from the profile of Mt. Hood.

I’d seen renderings and photos of the newly-opened Inn before we arrived, but they didn’t do its striking beauty justice. We’d arrived that afternoon, turning off a country road, then driving alongside cows at pasture as we climbed the long drive and the Inn came into view. The clean, contemporary two-story structure—which is built both into, and on top of, a tall hillside with sweeping views of the Valley—is complemented by its lush natural surroundings.

We parked on top of the hill and were given a warm welcome by the innkeeper, who offered a tour of the top level—a sleek rectangle of glass framed with black metal and pale timber. The whole space felt carefully curated without being formal or stuffy, with high-end furnishings, beautiful art and textiles, and tons of bright light flooding in from all sides.

Stepping outside to the tidy meadow in front of the building, I was hit by the most incredible smell. The ground was covered with a blanket of white alyssum dotted with pink and blue wildflowers, perfuming the air smell with honey. We walked to the railing and took in panoramic views of the bucolic valley and Cascade mountain range. Just below, Devon and Dexter cattle grazed, and we could look straight down onto patios belonging to the guest rooms built directly into the hillside.

The modern B&B, which opened earlier this year, is part of The Ground group. Started when Brenda Smola-Foti bought 22 acres in the area for a regenerative farm project, Smola-Foti and her husband Frank Foti have expanded the group over the years since. Now encompassing 440 acres of farmland and forest in and around Carlton, Oregon, the hospitality group’s portfolio now includes farms, restaurant, catering and events company, farmstand, and two lodging options in addition to the new Inn.

Sustainability, community engagement, and responsible land stewardship are at the heart of The Ground’s mission, and they do a beautiful job connecting their guests with the land.

Location

Carlton, Oregon—in Willamette Valley wine country, about an hour outside of Portland

The Vibe

Sleek, serene, and design-driven—but never stuffy. The Inn is meant to feel luxurious…but you are still on a