With decades of experience in luxury brands, and a lifetime spent cooking, entertaining, and event planning across the globe, Anand and Naina Rao of the Barn B&B offer a rare kind of hospitality in the heart of Walla Walla wine country.
Like most farming communities, Walla Walla has its share of barns.
Innkeepers Anand and Naina Rao decided Walla Walla was where they would build a barn of their own—a haven for gracious hospitality and global cuisine: The Barn B&B.
“We wanted to try to blend into the agricultural landscape around us,” says Anand.
The idea of an inn had been something the Raos had long considered, given Anand’s career spent in development and leadership roles with brands such as Hilton, Disney, and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
Wherever work took him—countries such as Kuwait, Sudan, France, and England—Naina and the couple’s two children followed.
“We’ve lived together in eight countries,” says Naina, who studied business in England and applied her own hospitality skills over the years planning events and fundraisers.
The jet-setting pair wound up in Walla Walla in a roundabout way, having fallen in love with the West Coast while their son was attending college in Portland. They were living in Bangkok when they made their first visit to Walla Walla, in 2006.
The Raos had considered starting a B&B in California, and looked at Paso Robles, Napa, and Sonoma. But Walla Walla had the “it” factor—the warm feeling from the people of Walla Walla.
They bought the 10-acre west side Walla Walla property in 2007, which was then just farmland, but didn’t officially relocate to Walla Walla until 10 years later.
Working with local builders, construction began in 2017, based on plans Naina had been drawing for years.
The one-of-a-kind barn officially opened in April 2019.
Seven guest suites, each measuring over 630 generous square feet, comprise the Barn’s luxurious accommodations. One of them—the freestanding “Granary” suite—resembles a silo. The remaining six, each with its own private entrance, resemble horse stalls. All rooms, with the exception of the Granary, feature a private outdoor zen garden, and, excepting the ADA accessible Barrel suite, an outdoor shower, in addition to upscale en suite facilities.
A colossal barn sits at the center of the property, with a soaring 30’ tall ceiling crowning the main building that serves as check-in, lounge, and dining room for the 3-course, globally-inspired breakfast Naina prepares daily.
“I try to take our guests around the world,” says Naina, of her inspiration for the Barn’s morning meal. Recent menus have included items such as kimchi pancakes, naan pizza, Croque monsieur, and Colombian arepas. Naina accommodates all diets and allergies, and Anand serves each guest.
A love of cooking and entertaining has been central to the Raos’ story for generations. When they met in Kenya, they quickly learned both their families loved to cook and pamper guests.
“Food was always a part of it,” Anand says.
Then there are all the little things.
The Raos personally greet each guest at their car and escort them into the inn. Then, after ringing a ceremonial Burmese gong—”It signifies that their vacation has begun,” Anand says—a drink of local Rotie Cellars wine is offered for refreshment.
From here, returning guests might want to catch up and chat about what’s new, while first-time visitors might ask for tasting recommendations or help with dinner reservations. From reception to departure, Anand and Naina effortlessly make themselves available for their guest’s every need, a gift they learned early on at home, then refined into the art of hospitality that has become their calling. Making people feel special, cared for, and “nurtured,” as Anand likes to say, simply feels good in return.
“Surprising and delighting our guests gives us the greatest pleasure,” Anand says. “Making them feel welcomed, taking care of their needs, gives us the satisfaction of making people happy.”
There are many more upscale amenities and special touches that are too vast to mention—from the heated pool and hot tub to the couple’s personal collection of art and exotic wood furniture that give the Barn its warm and elegant ambiance. Naina’s hand-painted artwork hangs above each king-sized bed.
The fact is, the most defining feature of the Barn is its gracious hosts, Anand and Naina Rao.
Three-time visitors Tracey and Kevin Brown of Tacoma, Washington agree.
“Anand and Naina have poured their personal attention into every detail of the Barn B&B,” Tracey says. “It is clear that they are personally invested; they sincerely want their guests to have an incredible Walla Walla experience. All of this helps to create a vibe that is both upscale and relaxed. We will never stay anywhere else.”