Denton bed and breakfast revitalized by UNT alums

by Lisa Gossett of North Texas Daily

Fresh from graduating with accounting degrees from UNT, Keith and Sarah Walters went to work for a big accounting firm.

But crunching numbers all day was not their dream. In 2006, the couple bought The Wildwood Inn off Lillian Miller Parkway with hopes of offering Denton area guests a European boutique hotel.

The couple rarely saw each other while working at the accounting firm.

"We wanted to work closely together," Sarah Walters said. "We always wanted to own a business."

Transformation and expansion

In just two and a half years, they have turned the bed and breakfast into an exclusive but welcoming Tuscan-style retreat that features 14 uniquely designed rooms boasting the highest guest rating in Denton, employees said.

They started with seven employees and now have 24 working to ensure guests feel like they are staying in a hotel, not a bed and breakfast, Walters said. Occupancy averages a healthy 65 to 70 percent a week.

The Inn also has established a reputation as a site for weddings and other special events.

Carolyn and Rick Moore built Wildwood in 2001, with 13 rooms decorated to reflect their travels in Europe, front desk manager Becky Bradford said.

The Moores sold it in 2006 so they could switch their attention to a new venture, the Pour House, a bar next to the Cinemark theater in Denton.

Sarah Walters got to decorate room 14, which she and her husband added.

"She gave the room a Tuscan theme from her recent travels," Bradford said.

The other rooms also have a distinct atmosphere: room 10 has a traditional country-western style, for example, while room 5 has a French style. Every room is put together as if waiting to be photographed for Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

"We will have a lot of people come back to the Inn just to see where we got the paint that is on the walls or where we got a bed cover from," Bradford said.

Special events

The Wildwood Inn also shares the spotlight for weddings, including a monthly wine tasting where potential bridal customers taste and learn about wine from a wine expert.

The Inn also invites the public to a free food sampling for those considering the site for a wedding.

"We once had a Lord of the Rings type wedding," said wedding coordinator Kendra Jackway. "The bride wore a dress like one from the movie."

The inn is also a popular spot for four-star restaurant dinners on Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, and has catered the annual Emerald Eagle Ball, Jackway said.

Prices for an overnight stay range from $129 to $289 and patrons often choose their favorites and return. Many clients are businesspeople, but many couples are drawn for romantic evenings or anniversaries. But everyone has their own special reason, employees said.

"We have this one woman who has stayed the night before the birth of her three children she now has," Bradford said.