ESSENTIAL Naples
Feature
A Dream Come True By Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD
SUMMER 2020
28
Abbington Green Bed & Breakfast Inn and Spa:
“You have one life. If you have a dream, figure out a way to make it happen.” - Nick Poulos
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bbington Green B&B Inn and Spa literally is a dream come true on so many different levels. As a guest, it’s a dream to stay there and trust me, you’ll never want to leave. For owners Nick Poulos and Steven Donahue, it was a dream to own an Inn. Nick’s parents inspired him to travel and see the world. They also taught him that you have one life and if you have a dream, figure out a way to make it happen. For 15 years, Nick kept a file folder of ideas, articles, and clippings of things he wanted in their Inn one day. He also kept meticulous notes on what he didn’t like in hotels and Inns that he stayed in. Nick’s 30-year retail career in Senior Management continued to develop his skills and would eventually financially support his dream. Nick lived in Raleigh and Charlotte, NC early in his career and frequently visited Asheville. “I think that’s when I fell in love with the beauty of Asheville, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and all there is to do in the area. I knew once I started looking for an Inn, Asheville was the place I wanted to be. The moment I walked into Abbington Green, it felt like home. The historic charm, the modern conveniences, and the close proximity to downtown encompassed what I wanted in an Inn,” says Nick. As his retail career progressed, he became Regional Vice President for Williams-Sonoma in the Southeast. This is where his passion for cooking grew. “I enjoy entertaining guests and friends.
There is nothing better than conversation and sharing stories while enjoying a delicious breakfast in the morning. How your day begins is important to me,” Nick said. Just to give you an idea of the kind of person Nick is, many of his past bosses and coworkers have come to experience the Inn. That’s pretty impressive. Was it scary to give up his corporate job, salary and stock options; of course, but he had to do it. Since then, he’s never regretted a day and has met the most amazing people from all over world. Many continue to return year after year and become part of the Abbington Green family. I can honestly say that’s exactly how I feel. This was our second stay at Abbington Green B&B Inn and I was so excited to return and see what new sustainable initiatives they had introduced. I was happy to hear that Nick had formulated his own line of cleaning products. What I didn’t expect to learn was that the reason was because he had developed an extreme allergy to what he had been using. His face and eyes began to swell up each time he used products with a certain type of preservative in them (specifically Polydimethylsiloxane which is found in most commercial cleaning products and many personal care products). He now uses his own personal mixture of castile soap, vinegar and essential oils. There are also no pesticides used in the gardens. If you want to learn more about Nick’s recipes – A
