My two year period of immersing myself in the daily operations of being an innkeeper at Pomegranate Inn in Portland, Maine will wrap up April 1st. We have decided not to renew our lease in order to focus 100% my time on hospitality brokerage. I'll continue to do my cooking classes at Stonewall Kitchen and other events on occasion and I hope to get into some private brunch catering. I'll also be participating in The B&B Team's aspiring innkeeper seminars throughout the year.
The inn (and Portland) was just so busy that there weren't enough hours in a day for me to run the inn and brokerage (which has recently picked up significantly) simultaneously without my feeling that eventually something would have to give. It has always been important to me to never compromise the level of quality of anything I do. And I didn't want to manage from afar or without having my fingers directly on the pulse, it's just my personality!
I'm thrilled that I was able to get back into innkeeping for a short while. It certainly gave me an appreciation of how today's innkeeper has to keep up with social media, as it's no longer a game or just for personal use, it's a very large part of business.
So with 7 years of innkeeping under my belt, I'll continue to devote my time and energy in sharing my knowledge and expertise in the hospitality industry with buyers and sellers, as I've walked every step in their shoes.
And every now and then, when an innkeeper is inn need of a break, I'll be happy to innsit...
The inn (and Portland) was just so busy that there weren't enough hours in a day for me to run the inn and brokerage (which has recently picked up significantly) simultaneously without my feeling that eventually something would have to give. It has always been important to me to never compromise the level of quality of anything I do. And I didn't want to manage from afar or without having my fingers directly on the pulse, it's just my personality!
I'm thrilled that I was able to get back into innkeeping for a short while. It certainly gave me an appreciation of how today's innkeeper has to keep up with social media, as it's no longer a game or just for personal use, it's a very large part of business.
So with 7 years of innkeeping under my belt, I'll continue to devote my time and energy in sharing my knowledge and expertise in the hospitality industry with buyers and sellers, as I've walked every step in their shoes.
And every now and then, when an innkeeper is inn need of a break, I'll be happy to innsit...
Lark Hotels will be taking over long term management of the inn. They are well versed in hospitality and currently operate several boutique inns in New England. The following is a press release announced today:
PRESS RELEASE 2/20/12
"LARK HOTELS ANNOUNCES THE ADDITION OF FOUR NEW ENGLAND PROPERTIES TO ITS ROSTER OF COASTAL, BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATIONS
Pampering Spa and Fitness Room to be Added to Newport’s The Attwater
NEWPORT, RI – February 20, 2013 – Rob Blood, founder and CEO of Lark Hotels, a lifestyle hospitality company with properties located in iconic New England coastal towns announced today that the company will begin management contracts with two esteemed Portland, Maine
boutique hotels, the nine room Danforth and the eight room Pomegranate Inn beginning in April 2013. Additionally, Lark is currently developing, renovating and managing 76 Main, a new 20 room hotel opening this spring on Nantucket and The Break, a new-build, 16 room hotel and restaurant in Narragansett, Rhode Island set to grand open in spring 2014.
“We are thrilled about these four exceptional boutique properties joining the Lark Hotels collection,” said Mr. Blood. “We’re looking forward to continuing to grow our brand with intimately sized properties in premier east coast seaside destinations and to providing our guests with the amenities they desire, service they will remember and a design experience that captures a strong sense of place.”
Lark Hotels also owns and manages the Captain Fairfield Inn in Kennebunkport and The Attwater in Newport, Rhode Island, which will debut a spa treatment and fitness room this spring.
The Danforth, a nine room Federal-style property built in 1822, features swanky old-school style with 14 wood burning fireplaces; grand, multi-paned windows; and a basement billiards room that served as a speakeasy in the days of prohibition. Pomegranate Inn, an eight room property built in 1884, serves as an eclectic three-story gallery for Maine’s artistic community. Located in Portland's West End, the inn charms with a brilliant play of color and texture and literally hundreds of pieces of original art from Maine artists.
76 Main on Nantucket is the only hotel located directly on esteemed Main Street in Nantucket town and will introduce a new type of accommodation to the island with interior designs by Boston-based Rachel Reider Interiors. The Break will be Narragansett’s first boutique property and will also feature a pool, rooftop lounge and easy access to the town’s best surf breaks.
About Lark Hotels:
Set in coveted seaside locations, Lark Hotels embrace the locations they are in, but in playful, unexpected ways. Think “sense of place” with imagination and a touch of mischief. Each Lark Hotel invites guests to experience modern luxury in the heart of an iconic destination, to feel the pull of a nostalgic getaway while surrounded by today's amenities and to find attentive service when they want it and privacy when they don't.
For additional information on Lark Hotels and its hotel collection, or for information on packages and the “On a Lark Club,” please visit www.larkhotels.com."
My husband Greg and I did our best as caretakers of the inn and all of the guests who stayed with us. And you all know I had fun sharing my passion for the culinary arts with everyone as well!
We appreciate that you chose to stay with us and hope that you'll continue to stay at the beautiful, uniquely eclectic and artsy, Pomegranate Inn.
dana
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