Jesse says we should finally unpack our bags. We moved here to Camden Maine 5 years ago from NY. I was in my early 30’s and none of my children were in school yet. Everyday was a surprise in this new state. Things are definately different here in Maine. My kids are “growing up Maine”. They know things about hiking, sailing, hockey, & hunting. They are also watching their parents try to make a living selling rooms in an historic home. They see us get up every morning and prep for breakfast. They watch us interact with guests. They are learning alot, whether they know it or not. After 5 years we finally feel like we are home in this 1854 house.
Come January we will be doing some renovations to the Inn, but also renovating the owners quarters to make it more warm and comfortable for us and the kids. Most Bed and Breakfasts use every square inch for the guests, to generate revenue. Some innkeepers live in the attic or the basement. We are lucky, when we found windward house, the owners’ quarters consists of a large part the house. We have 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The former owners however did not focus on making the owners’ quarters warm and comfortable, and that is the challenge Jesse and I will go about tackeling this winter.
But, not to neglect our guests for the next season, we are making improvements to our guest rooms also. We are tiling a bathroom in Windrose, adding a beautiful accent wall of wood in Coastal Garden and extending the bathroom wall in Quarterdeck. We will be able to offer our guests two more King sized bed options and one more two twin bed options, and the King bed in Chart should look spectacular with posts and a canopy. All great things to make the guest rooms even more comfortable. We will be the only Bed & Breakfast in Camden Maine that has 3 ground floor rooms with King sized beds. We are also finding more ways to be green by bringing lines of amentities that are environmentally and socially good.
We are excited and nervous about all the new things we are trying to do. The economy, as everyone knows is still giving people the jitters, but in a sense it makes a Maine vacation, and our rates, which haven’t gone up, but have gone down in the last five years, a real great vacation or weekend getaway or Camden Conference or PopTech or Maine Coast Fall Leaf Peeping good deal! And with more King beds, there’s more room to stretch out.
So we have many reasons to be optimistic and thanks to our guests, and providence we keep moving forward. We hope you will come to visit in the spring and summer to see our improvements and enjoy Camden Maine the way we do. There will be no price increases in 2011, just more added value. Happy Holidays and see you in the New Year.