Does anyone else sometimes feel like they’ve been in a fog for the last few years? There are times we certainly do. For our guests who haven’t been able to return since the Pandemic and others who are still to come- we thought we’d do a little update on changes we’ve made: what we’ve done, what we’re doing, and what’s planned for the future.
We were shut for part of the first year and then had a lot of restrictions for the rest. Income was limited and non-existent at times. The cost of everything increased dramatically: food, water, electricity, etc, and so we found ourselves having to raise room rates as well. We spent a lot of time brainstorming ideas to make changes that would help improve the guest experience.
Here are some of the changes we made-
*The Honeymoon Suite got an amazing spa tub with 30 air jets, chromotherapy lights and room enough for two adults to sit side by side. Guests who have visited before and after we installed this new tub have remarked the last one was big but this one is HUGE.
*Coffee, coffee, coffee- we love coffee as do most of our guests (or tea). No more having to wait for breakfast to have that first cup of the morning. We’ve added a Keurig to the dining room so guests can have coffee 24hrs a day. The largest three guest rooms: Honeymoon, Hatherley & Game now have single-cup Keurigs in them as well.
*Beds- guests have often complimented our beds and the quality of sleep. We have got new beds in several rooms and updated the mattress sets as well to make them even more comfortable.
*TV’s-everyone knows the price of cable is exorbitant and kept getting more and more expensive. We decided to cut cable and install flat screen smart tv’s in all the rooms. You can still find most channels on the Hulu Live app installed on the TVs. You can also sign into your own Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc., and watch your own shows as well.
*Internet- we knew with the plan to switch from cable to internet-based tv that we would need a great internet system. We upgraded to a wifi 6 system and put pods throughout the house to boost the signal.
*Windows- in a 150 yr old house (last remodeled 90 years ago), the windows were the rope and anchor type that had become hard to open and not energy-efficient. When the ropes broke it became nearly impossible to find someone to fix them. We created a plan to replace the windows with energy-efficient ones that are easy to open (and clean). 6 guest rooms have had new windows installed and we hope to finish the other 3 later this year. The house has 100+ windows so it will take several years to replace them all but we’re excited to see it happening. We were able to get windows that do all we needed while still maintaining a historically accurate look.
*Patio- We love sitting on the back patio from spring into fall and guests have always enjoyed the space as well. The awning was estimated to be 25+ years old and had begun to have leaks in spots. We had some patchwork done a few years ago to try to extend the life, but it was beginning to leak too much. Sitting out there while it was raining was always relaxing, but not when you were getting wet. We found a company to make us a new awning to fit the current frame and we are excited to see it installed sometime next month.
*Food- many local restaurants have closed permanently or are closed from fall to late spring, leaving guests with few options if they didn’t want to travel out of town. We started offering some options that guests can add to their stay. Those include fruit and cheese platters, charcuterie boards and of course we continue to offer our homemade chocolate-covered strawberries. You can see all the options on our enhancements page by clicking here: Enhancements
These are some fo the changes we’ve made in hopes of our guests having the best possible stay with us. We really do want the Brewster Inn to be your home away from home while you’re with us. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Mark & Tina