When an innkeeper lends her name to a lodging facility, chances are, she will live up to it! The telltale sign of accomplishment at Donna’s Premier Lodging - consisting of cedar cabins, chalets, villas, cottages and bridal suites - are the guests who are enamored of the lap of luxury, the best in Holmes County, Ohio. The first unit that Donna Marie Schlabach put her name on back in 1991 grew into a mini-resort of 23, a six-acre romantic hideaway in Berlin, the heart of Amish Country.
Describing the accommodations, varying in style and décor, Donna Marie, who owns the property with her husband Johannes, says, “They have their seclusion; their own little home-away-from-home feeling, but yet they still have the experience of a bed and breakfast, that more homey feeling, but yet they have their space.”
A look at the craftsmanship in what Donna Marie depicts as an “upscale lodging facility with trendy colors” reveals her sense of style and class. Imported granite countertops from faraway places like Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Italy; cypress cabinetry from Australia; cathedral ceilings; layers of cherry wood and marble, everything encountered at Donna’s Premier lodging is a distinct statement in quality. Talk about refinement of detail: Where can you behold fireplaces constructed with custom-made bricks?
“We’ve actually had a celebrity that has stayed with us. We were in the magazine, Best of the Mid-West. We’ve been featured on several TV shows,” Donna Marie says, humbly adding, “We’re just a nice little intimate setting for couples to get away.”
Getting away here means a host of amenities. Each unit boasts a Jacuzzi for two, a fireplace, kitchenette, cable TV, VCR, stereo with CD player; some of the guestrooms have billiards and so many more features. What ties them together is an air of romance most apparent in the red- or black-colored Jacuzzis tucked away in each unit.
Donna Marie explains that some accommodations have a black heart-shaped waterfall Jacuzzi, “which means that when they’re in the Jacuzzi, like where the point of the heart is, the Jacuzzi goes up just a little and the water cascades down and you get the waterfall effect. We have some rooms with the red Jacuzzi with stone around it, which would be close to the fireplace. Guests can soak in the Jacuzzi with their complimentary non-alcoholic sparkling beverage, because we’re in a dry area even though guests can bring their own alcohol.”
Arlington Bed and Breakfast Journal dubbed Donna’s Premier Lodging as the "Best Inn for kissing." Couples will discover spots aplenty for those most intimate moments. The grounds, landscaped to perfection, highlight a 75-foot waterfall-stream-fountain combination. For optimal viewing pleasure of the fountain, guests staying at the bridal suite (a special space for kissing for sure) can relax on the back deck in Adirondack chairs.
Another example of the pivotal point of romance offered on Donna Marie’s premises is the “Romancing the Stone” cabin. The lofted bedroom and ultra-comfortable king-size log bed provide a choice location for couples to snuggle overtime. The unique feature in the cabin accessorized with such pleasures as remote-controlled mood lightning is the Jacuzzi.
“Water comes down over the rock and it goes into a stream in front of their rose-colored heart-shaped Jacuzzi that’s in an arch log alcove,” Donna Marie explains.
Complete with mosses, ferns and special up lighting and down lighting, the innkeeper continues, saying, “It’s almost like the outdoors have been brought indoors. We’ve had people that have renewed their vows in front of the rock or have gotten married there. And even just getting a massage, it’s very soothing with the water coming down over the rock.”
The special packages available are as novel as the accommodations and they can encompass niceties like a full, hot country breakfast delivered in a basket to the room. Donna Marie also takes full advantage of the nearby Amish chocolate factory. “We will gift wrap those and guests can put a little note there for their loved one, and we put those in the room.” Other packages may feature rose petals, meat and cheese trays, fresh fruit and pastry platters, just for starters.
For guests who want to venture out, Donna Marie says, “Our area offers a lot to do and everything is really close.” Area activities, for instance, include hiking, horseback riding and bicycling. She further elaborates, “Some of our units are within walking distance to all the little gift and craft shops right here in the little village of Berlin. And being that we’re here in Amish country, we have a gentleman that will give carriage rides. We’ve actually had people married in their room and then left their room to go on an hour carriage ride in Amish countryside.”
If anything alone will drive the many repeat guests back, it’s Donna Marie’s wickedly delicious peanut butter sandwich cookies. Even non-staying guests will stop in to purchase them. The dessert strata, Johannes’s mother’s recipe, is another highly praised culinary asset.
The comments in the in-room journals continually state three exceptional factors regarding a stay at Donna Marie’s: the friendliness of the staff; the accommodating staff, and the cleanliness of the quarters. Clearly, a place so extraordinary, it merits a personal signature.
