Inn Partners offers a variety of consulting services catered to the needs and desires of current and future Innkeepers nationwide. Whether you are looking to buy an Inn, sell your Inn, or simply looking to maximize your current business activity, our primary goal is to ensure your success as you traverse the Innkeeping lifecycle.

Inn Partners has consulted in the sale of over 400 Inns throughout the United States (and two in Europe!).  Over 250 of those properties were members of Select Registry: Distinguished Inns of North America.

Inn Partners is affiliated with The B&B Team®, Inn Consultants and Brokers.

Photo of Eben Viens Inn Consultant

Eben Viens, Owner

Eben has a long history within the hospitality industry. His early years were spent under the wing of Inn guru Bill Oates and behind the scenes at two historic New England Country Inns. He has worked on behalf of countless Inn Buyers and Sellers over the last 10 years and draws on his background in anthropology and passion for hospitality design (in all things) in his work as managing partner of Inn Partners and affiliate organization The B&B Team®. Eben is based in Vermont but spends most of his time visiting Inn owners throughout the country, extracting stories from financial statements, and enjoying authentic expressions of hospitality.

David Hiler Headshot

David Hiler, Partner

David Hiler currently owns and operates the Whetstone Station Brewery, Kampfires Campground, Inn and Amphitheater, and The River Garden Marketplace, all in and around Brattleboro, Vermont. David decided at a young age to enlist in the Hospitality industry. From his early twenties to the present, David amassed over 35 years of Restaurant and Inn experience; the early part spent attending Hospitality Management school in San Francisco and managing the California division of the Hard Rock Café. From 1999-2005 David and his parents Heide Bredfeldt and Bill Oates rebuilt the Three Mountain Inn in Jamaica, Vermont, into a profitable, four-diamond AAA-rated, Wine Spectator Award-winning Country Inn and Restaurant.

David has owned, leased, and managed properties, developed staff and management training methodologies, performed speaking engagements for leading industry organizations, published articles in hospitality publications and served as Inn consultant to Gordon Ramsey on the hit TV series Hotel Hell. David’s most recent experiences in the food and beverage industry have given him a unique and hands on view of what contemporary guests desire. He looks forward to joining Inn Partners and The B&B Team® to offer his services to those looking for expert help with finding or managing their existing properties.

Photo of Inn Partners Vice President Heide Bredfeldt

Heide Bredfeldt, Partner

Heide has been assisting current and future Innkeepers for over thirty years, with her spouse and business partner, Bill Oates. Heide’s background as a psychotherapist and former Innkeeper, provide her with insight and understanding of the personal side of Innkeeping. Heide has a gift of matching the right buyer with the right Inn and her knowledge of what guests want and expect is a resource to new Innkeepers. Problem solving and personal issues in a family business such as Innkeeping is also a specialty of Heide’s. Whether you are considering Innkeeping as a possible next career, or you are already an Innkeeper, Heide is always available to talk.

Headshot of Inn Partners President Bill Oates

Bill Oates, Founder

Bill had a long involvement with Bed and Breakfasts and Country Inns and to this day is referred to as the "guru of the Inn business". For over forty years he provided educational, operational, and marketing services to Inns and Innkeepers, present and future, throughout the country. His thorough knowledge of the Inn business was tempered by a real understanding of the human component. In 1999, in partnership with his wife/partner Heide Bredfeldt and son David Hiler, he purchased the Three Mountain Inn in Jamaica, Vermont. The Inn achieved a four-diamond rating from AAA, before being sold in 2004. Bill passed away in 2021 after a career spanning 40 + years on behalf of aspiring and current Innkeepers. His impact on the industry can be seen and felt throughout the Innkeeping industry.