The Inn at Willow Grove’s Matt Scibal is a charmer

When Matt Scibal left his job as a CFO to become the General Manager of the B&B his parents purchased on a whim 10 years ago, he never guessed it would one day be crowned Travel + Leisure’s #1 resort hotel in the South or a top 10 resort in the world. Yet by cultivating a relaxed feel with focused service standards, Matt and his family have crafted The Inn at Willow Grove into a luxurious outpost of Southern charm that continues to attract the most discerning guests. Can I Speak to the Manager? caught up with Matt to find out more about fly-fishing, what’s good in Charlottesville, and his favorite vacation.

On their little family secret:

Some people don’t know we’re family owned. My parents bought the property in 2008 for us to move here. There was a bed & breakfast from the 1970s that was closed and in disrepair. They drove in, saw it was for auction, and put a bid on it. The renovation process took about two years and we opened in October of 2010.

We started as a small B&B with a little restaurant and it’s grown into an 25-room Inn with a 65-seat restaurant. My mother still does all of the decorating; it’s very country chic and different than your typical B&B with great art throughout the property.

It took about a year for us to find the right mix of staff. In the beginning, I was doing the finances from New Jersey, where I was working as a CFO for an insurance company. There had recently been a turnover of GMs and I was looking to get out of the rat race and so our family decided to move down here and I took over the GM position.  I have never run a hotel and my parents aren’t hoteliers but figured we’d give it a shot. It’s been an interesting 6 years - the learning curve has been steep.

What to know about Charlottesville:

Virginia and the Charlottesville has become a great little area for wineries over the last five years. Barboursville Vineyards has a great Bordeaux called Octagon that was poured at the Royal wedding (Duchess Kate and Prince William’s). There is a big craft brewery scene; my favorite is a local farm brewery called Bald Top.

I also suggest guests visit Montpelier, James Madison’s ancestral home. November is the Montpelier Hunt Races, which is the only horse race on Presidential grounds in the country. We like to go down, have some drinks, watch the horses run. It’s a great time.

On becoming one of the top five resorts in America:

I wish I had an easy answer about why we were nominated, but I was shocked. Since we won, the expectation is a lot higher and it can become a hurdle. Genuine service is what we hang our hat on. We try to ask our staff: how do you want to be treated? We may not be perfect but we try to really care. Our philosophy is that we don’t want our guest to have to work at all. Life is so hectic these days - we believe you should unplug. There’s not a lot of cell service here and it’s easy to unwind. That’s what we try to craft the experience around.

On how he plugs back in:

When we are meeting up with friends, we go to The Commonwealth where there is a great sky bar that overlooks the mall.  I’m a beer and bourbon guy and the only thing that goes in my bourbon is ice. In terms of type… I’m an equal opportunity guy, I love all bourbons…  but Buffalo Trace is my favorite.  We like to go to the Walking Mall in Charlottesville - it’s a great little place to go with kids or grab a beer and people watch or catch some music.  

On his Sunday routine:

I was working when I had my first two children, so I didn’t get a lot of time to be there when they were young. I get Sunday and Monday off and Monday is just me and my son; it’s really cool that I can take that whole day with him. My relationship with my other two children is fantastic but it’s different with my third because we get 1 on 1 time every week. We go on hikes, we go fish, we play with legos, we do all the things I didn’t get to do with the other two.

On fly-fishing:

But my other ideal day off would be to go hiking and fishing. I’m a newly avid fly fisher and its taken hold of me. Shenandoah National Park is an amazing resource for me and the hotel and there are five other rivers around it. I’m 25 minutes door to door before I’m in the water. I like to fish the Conway River or the Rapidan or the Rose River. There’s a closer one called the Staunton River. We have an Australian Shepard/Poodle Mix named Tallulah and she loves it up there.

On his indoor hobbies:

I listen to music more than I do anything. When it comes to the music playing in the hotel and restaurant, I’m kind of nut if you ask the staff, but I believe music sets the tone and is a member at the party. It’s an important part of the guest experience.

My favorite band is Widespread Panic but I love Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule. My mother is from New Orleans so I also like Greyboy Allstars, Galactic Funk, and The Grateful Dead.  There are a lot of great venues for live music in Charlottesville, and I’m an avid live music fan. The Jefferson is the one I try to go to as much as possible.

I also read a lot and only fiction - just to get out of reality and unplug. I’m more of a sci-fi and fantasy guy - I’m a nerd in that way I guess. Tigana is my latest recommendation.

On his favorite vacation:

I love Sea Island - everything they do at that resort is amazing and the way they handle service is impressive considering their size. We went shooting, played golf, spent time at the pool. It’s a great kid place and lots of family friendly activities but still feels secluded, peaceful and quiet. I would definitely suggest visiting the spa. Their whole spa service was relaxing and professionally done.

On his big city hotel crushes:

We travel to NYC to see family and most recently we stayed at The Bowery Hotel - I loved it the second we walked in. It has a great space and great feel. I really appreciated the way they handled service and the in-room amenities. A hotel I’ve been wanting to check out is the Hay Adams in Washington DC. Hotels with history are something that I am always interested in seeing.

Notes: Interview conducted and edited by Alison Harrigan. Pictures provided by The Inn at Willow Grove.