Inn at Pleasant Lake » News

Winter Fun, New London & Sunapee, New Hampshire

lindamackenzie — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:14:29 +0000

Mount Sunapee Resort, December 26, 2011

Winter is a great time to stay at the Inn at Pleasant Lake. We offer specials all winter long for stays of two nights or more and a midweek dine and stay package. What better way to get through winter than with one of Chef MacKenzie’s wonderful meals awaiting you at the end of a busy day on the slopes or just a leisurely weekend away from the pressures of eveyday life.

This snow season started off with a bang right before Halloween….oops. Then again right before Thanksgiving. Ok, ok, so we want our snow, but not before we are ready, not on nights of big holiday parties or when our guests are traveling to see us. Picky aren’t we? We had a bit of snow at Christmastime and not much since. Fortunately the cold air has set in and our local ski mountains, Mount Sunapee Resort, Ragged Mountain Resort and Pats Peak have been busy blowing their own mini blizzards to get their trails open. Sunapee reports that they will be at 80% by January 6th.

We can report that the trail system just up behind the inn is beautiful any time of year. Friends and family hiked the trail on December 22, 2011 and you can see how pretty Little Brook looked with its iced over edges. Our friends also had an opportunity to hike Mt. Kearsarge before the deep snow set in and captured some great views on December 24th. We hope you get a chance to visit.

Coco's Path, Great Brook Trail, New London, 12/22/11

Mt. Kearsarge Hike, 12/24/11

The inn gets a new outdoor patio

lindamackenzie — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:17:10 +0000

Since mid-May we have been working double shifts to complete an outdoor patio project. The new patio comes off the side of the inn and has views to Pleasant Lake and the pond. We’ve ordered some beautiful outdoor furniture from Porch and Patio in Orange, CT where Linda’s brother works. To control costs Brian worked with our landscaper, Jim Orrok of Nature’s Design and Linda’s cousin Nick who arrived in late May for a summer culinary internship. Nick initially didn’t know he was going to learn landscaping during the days, but happily agreed to help out and was a huge asset to the project. A local mason, Josh Judkins created the amazing rock walls using rocks harvested from our home property. The result is a beautiful outdoor space that will be welcome our guests to relax and unwind. We hope you get a chance to come for dinner or stay overnight and enjoy the new space. Below are some photos of the project. There are many albums of the this project and our barn project on our Inn at Pleasant Lake Facebook page. You can “like us” there if you enjoy photos and day to day tidbits from the inn.

Why choose an inn or bed and breakfast?

lindamackenzie — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:00:06 +0000

Ten Reasons to Choose a B&B

Tied of the same old stark hotel or motel room? Why not choosea B&B? The biggest reason to leave your old hotel behind is… Cha Ching – the added value. Today’s B&Bs are simply a better way to stay for travelers seeking more for their travel dollars. Take a peek at the top ten reasons bed and breakfasts and country inns make a better and a more affordable way to stay.

Reason 10: Put your nickels and dimes away. Heck, put the $5 bill for the bottle of water back in your wallet! No mini bars here! Research from BedandBreakfast.com reveals that more than 92 percent of B&Bs offer complimentary afternoon refreshments, wine and cheese/hors d’ouevres receptions or evening desserts. More than 50 percent of B&Bs offer stocked snack and beverage pantries 24-7 and we’re sure that 100% of today’s B&Bs will offer you a glass or bottle of water and tell you to put the cost toward your vacation!

Reason 9: Stay plugged in. Complimentary wi-fi & calls. Say goodbye to that $20 daily fee for wi-fi access. Nearly 90 percent of B&Bs and country inns offer complimentary wi-fi according to BedandBreakfast.com surveys. The other ten are working on getting it. Nearly 100% of today’s B&Bs offer complimentary local or long distance phone calls. When’s the last time you saw a pay phone anyway? They’re a dying breed.

Reason 8: Great rates! According to the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII – (pronounced PIE) don’t you just love that a B&B organization is named after a yummy treat?) the average daily rate for B&Bs is ???. When we compared this to city hotels of like levels, the B&B rate came in lower, and that doesn’t take in to consideration all the extras.

Reason 7: When’s the last time you met the owner of the hotel? And when is the last time he or she carried your bag to your room? Pick a B&B and read their reviews. Inngoers rave about the fabulous hospitality and friendship that innkeepers offered during their stay. In fact, for many B&B travelers, the innkeeper was what made the stay special.

Reason 6: Free parking. OK, we’ll admit, not all B&Bs offer free parking, but last time BedandBreakfast.com surveyed innkeepers, 95.3% said they did. Even in the city, B&B rates for parking average around $25 vs. as high as $50/nightly in hotels.

Reason 5: Flat screens, fireplaces & whirlpool tubs: Usually reserved for the Presidential Suite in a hotel, increasingly B&Bs offer amenities including flat screen TVs, in-room fireplaces, steam or multi-jet showers and deep Jacuzzi tubs.

Reason 4: Bed is half their name: Looking for fabulous beds? Nearly 100 percent of B&Bs offer high thread count sheets, feather beds, pillow libraries and down comforters at no additional cost to guests.

Reason 3: Breakfast is the other half of their name: Take a family of four to the breakfast buffet at a resort hotel, and you’re looking at upwards of $100 to feed the whole family. Bed and breakfasts all offer breakfast – it’s their signature selling point and half their name. From five course candlelit breakfasts to lavish continentals, most innkeepers offer a breakfast to fuel you for the entire day.

Reason 2: They really will leave the light on! Arrive at 2am, and you may not see a cherry innkeeper greeting you, but you will always find a personalized welcome, no matter what time you arrive from innkeepers who genuinely care about your safe trip and will call you by name.

Reason 1: Cookies, yes! Cookie cutter? No. No two B&Bs are alike. As independently owned small lodging properties, each one offers something new and different. No big box look to B&Bs ranging from urban chic to historically preserved mansions and homes.

Chef MacKenzie mentioned in The National Culinary Review

lindamackenzie — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 22:42:22 +0000

Jody Shee has written a lovely article about different potato soup recipes from various restaurants around the country and has included us in her pursuit of a delicious bowl of soup. Our Potage Lyonnaise is a favorite in the restaurant and it is fun and rewarding to be recognized. Enjoy.

Haute Potato Soup by Jody Shee for The National Culinary Review

Our old 1789 barn gets a new foundation

lindamackenzie — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:29:06 +0000

Starting at some point in September we will have a company here to lift our antique barn and pour a finished basement. We are really excited for this which might seem a bit odd, but we have always been short on storage space and the thought of a clean and open area is wonderful. We will have a nice spot to put our canoes and kayaks in the winter and a nice home for our big tractor. Finally we can move the majority of our catering equipment out of our housekeeping area in the basement below our commercial kitchen. The contractor will be lifting the entire structure, straightening it and then pouring a foundation. The entire barn will be elevated an additional 30 inches after the foundation is in.

We will post pictures as the project unfolds.

Upcoming Events in the New London, NH area in September & October

lindamackenzie — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:17:37 +0000

August 28 & 29, Muster Field Farm Days, Muster Field Farm, North Sutton, NH

August 24-29 & August 31-September 5, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, New London Barn Playhouse, New London, NH

September 2-6, Hopkinton State Fair, Hopkinton, NH

September 4, SRKG Fall Walkabout, SRKG, 4.2 miles, level: easy.

September 12, New Hampshire Antiquarian Book Fair, Concord, NH

September 26, Lake Sunapee Chowder Challenge, Sunapee Harbor, Sunapee, NH

through September 16, Vermont Watercolor Society Exhibit, Library Arts Center, Newport, NH

through October 11, Art at the Fells: Celebrating NH Family Farms, The Fells Estate, Newbury, NH

through September 20, The Magnificent Views of the Kearsarge/Sunapee Area, Little Brook Gallery, New London, NH

through November 14, “Four Legged” Celebrating the Animan Kingdom, Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Concord, NH

October 22-24, Psychic Medium Spiritual Weekend, Inn at Pleasant Lake, New London, NH

Inn at Pleasant Lake Welcomes International Travelers

lindamackenzie — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:13:49 +0000

In April of 2009 and 2010, Linda and Brian attended the Discover New England International Tourism Summit to begin selling the inn to international travelers via tour receptives here in the US and Tour Operators overseas. We met with German, English, French, Italian, Dutch and Chinese tour operators to discuss selling our country inn rooms to this market. Our region of the state is often passed over with many of the tours going to The coast of Maine, up to North Conway, across to Vermont and down throught the Berkshires and Connecticut before heading back to Boston to fly back to Europe. Pecco Beaufays from the Highland Lake Inn in East Andover and our inn hope to change this and welcome more travelers to our beautiful part of the state of NH.

In April 2009 we signed two contracts, one with a tour receptive in Boston and another one in NYC. These were for April 2010-April 2011, so this is our first season being sold to these overseas travelers. We welcome our first internationals through this program at the end of August and have many different couples arriving through the end of October. It seems predominantly Italian and German couples are booked.

We are excited to have these customers come and feel confident that they will enjoy the beauty of the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region as much as we do.

Romantic Moonlit Fine Dining in New London

lindamackenzie — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:51:30 +0000

One of the most spectacular times to dine at The Inn at Pleasant Lake is during a full moon. These photos were taken back in June of 2010 and it’s no wonder that legend has it that a full moon rising above Mt. Kearsarge is said to have inspired the song, When The Moon comes over the Mountain, sung by Kate Smith as her theme song for The Kate Smith Show in the 1930′s.

Upcoming full moons: Tuesday, August 24 (dining room closed, but inn is open for rooms)
Thursday, September 23
Saturday, October 23

New bluestone driveway installed in July

lindamackenzie — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:45:51 +0000

It has been a busy summer for the Inn at Pleasant Lake. The tired, sandy driveway was given new life during that really hot week in July. The guys from J&B Landscaping worked really hard in that 95+ degree heat to provide us with a beautiful new bluestone driveway and garden wall. We love the results as do many of the guests that have seen the new change. This summer has been one of the best for our guests hoping for a warm, dry vacation. What great weather we are having! We hope you get a chance to be here yourself!

Summer Sizzles in New London

lindamackenzie — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:52:32 +0000

Summer is upon us in full force marked by the arrival of a heat wave. Our guests are staying cool in the inn and at the beach by taking a dip in Pleasant Lake.

Every Wednesday this summer, the New London town green is host to a “Market on the Green“. When you visit you will often find a band playing outdoors in the evening at one of the many nearby town gazebos.

A visit to The Fells is on most guests lists of things to do while in the area. From June 23rd – October 11th an art exhibit during main house hours, “Art at The Fells: Celebrating New Hampshire Family Farms”

The last weekend in both July & August still has a good choice of rooms. If you are planning a vacation to New Hampshire, book your reservations soon.