Beverly Mathews; Ex-Model Known for B&B; Business Savvy

Beverly Mathews, 72, the model and actress who matured into a travel writer and expert on the bed-and-breakfast business, died Sunday at Encino Hospital of heart failure.

Once a face and hair products model for New York’s Hartford Modeling Agency, Mathews raised four children, often putting them in front of cameras in soap advertisements.

In her later years, Mathews became well known for operating a bed and breakfast in the family’s Studio City home. She was so successful at it that she wrote a book, “Start Your Own Bed and Breakfast Business,” and lectured on the process at Santa Monica College and other campuses.

She also traveled the world and wrote articles about accommodations and adventures in other countries, often under a double byline with her husband, soap opera actor Walter Mathews. Many of her articles appeared in The Times’ travel section.