Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Marlinton residents and business owners Rob and Caley Gonyea never expected to be in the hospitality business, but they both have it in their blood.
Rob spent the first few months of his life in Huntersville, the son of David and Sherry, who owned the Carriage House Inn. The elder Gonyea’s opened the Inn in 1987, but moved to Florida in 1991, with their newborn son, to take care of family down there.
Rob grew up in Florida and although he returned to Pocahontas County to visit family in Minnehaha, he didn’t return permanently until 2024 when he and Caley bought the former Jerico Bed and Breakfast and renamed it The Moore House Inn.
Caley also had a bit of hospitality in her past – her grandparents ran an inn in her native state of New Mexico.
It wasn’t until they bought the Moore House Inn and three of the Jerico Cabins that the younger Gonyea’s were bit by the hospitality bug.
The inn and cabins were originally owned by Tom Moore, who continues to operate five of the Jerico Cabins.
“We’ve had the Moore House Inn for two and a half years and we really love it,” Caley said.
Less than a year into owning and operating those four lodgings, the Gonyeas had an opportunity to buy the Old Clark Inn, in downtown Marlinton, and decided they couldn’t pass it up.
“[Geoffrey and Elizabeth Woods] liked what we had done, carrying over a new brand and refreshing the place,” Caley said. “When you put your heart and soul into a business, you want to see it keep going.”
“They thought we would be a good fit,” Rob added. “We figured out a way to make it work and were able to get financing lined up. They had an opportunity to move back to Florida, so it all worked out and we jumped right into it.”
The Gonyeas closed on the Old Clark Inn the weekend before the Great Greenbrier River Race, and they were all booked up.
“I remember a guest coming in and asking, ‘where is room six,’ and Caley said, ‘I don’t know,’” Rob said, laughing.
The Gonyea family, which includes 10-year-old Amelia and seven-year-old Oliver, and Rob’s dad, David, settled nicely into inn life and have enjoyed being part of the hospitality industry in Pocahontas County.
The two locations have their own personalities, and it shows in how Rob and Caley have decorated them and added to the atmosphere of the common spaces.
Because the Moore House Inn is off the beaten path and surrounded by cabins in the woods, it has a more folksy feel.
“People say it’s like going to grandma’s house,” Caley said.
The Moore House has six rooms and the three cabins the Gonyea’s own are all within walking distance.
With its location in downtown Marlinton, the Old Clark Inn has a city feel, but not a current decade.
“Here we went with jazz style because we’re in the city,” Rob said. “We’re trying to show people the culture here. You’re in the forest at the Moore House, so we have mountain culture. Here, it’s also downtown, so I see it like what they call the roaring twenties, that kind of vibe a little bit more.”
At the Old Clark Inn, there are nine units – two of which are suites with two bedrooms each – and a third floor for overflow or personal use. Each room now has its own bathroom, a welcome change from when the Inn was established in 1924.
“It was one bathroom per floor,” Caley said.
Both locations offer a continental breakfast and a warm welcome from the family.
“Meeting guests is my favorite,” Caley said. “Getting to greet everybody personally is great. Everybody’s got their own thing they appreciate, and I like to make sure those needs are met and make sure they’re satisfied.
“It’s a beautiful area and I want to make sure that they get to experience it and enjoy it, and go home relaxed and refreshed,” she added.
“I’m more back end where I design the website or work on renovations,” Rob said. “My dad also lives nearby and he works with us. He and I have renovated a lot of bathrooms over at the Moore House already.”
Rob said he also enjoys the fact that he and his wife are now doing what his parents dreamed of doing with the Carriage House Inn.
“We’re doing now what he wanted to do,” he said. “They moved here at a similar age as we did. It was around the same time period of life. [My mom] would have loved it here. She passed away in 2018.”
The hospitality bug has even started nibbling on the younger generation of Gonyeas, especially Oliver.
“He’s the people person so he loves meeting everybody,” Rob said. “We’ll be like, ‘where’s Oliver,’ and he’ll be off talking to guests, just chatting with them for long periods of time. Amelia likes to see the people, too, she’s just not as talkative.”
While the innkeepers are there to check in guests, they do also offer self-check in with instructions on how to enter the properties provided to the renters.
Since moving to the county almost three years ago to make a go at the hospitality industry, the couple has been embraced by the community and they are happy to help the county thrive.
“We really enjoy being part of the community,” Rob said. “You never know what it’s going to be like coming to a new place. We made friends so quickly with the neighbors and the town has just been great. Everybody you meet is really friendly.”
Rob was asked to serve on the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors in the lodging seat, and he said he has learned so much about the tourism and hospitality industry since joining the board.
“It’s been a lot of fun because I’ve been able to meet a lot more people that way but also have a little bit of a say in tourism,” he said. “It’s been so cool to be there and watch how much time and effort goes into making sure our county does well.”
