A Scituate couple bought a storied Vermont inn during the pandemic

Journey

The property’s culinary program is overseen by James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Schlow.

After working within the insurance coverage trade for many years, Mary Lou Ricci and Tim Corridor utterly modified careers throughout the pandemic after they purchased a storied Vermont inn.

“I had all the time thought at the back of my thoughts perhaps sometime it could be enjoyable to run a small mattress and breakfast,” stated Ricci, 59, a Scituate native.

“This couldn’t have been furthest from my goals,” stated Tim Corridor, 61, initially from Memphis. “Nonetheless, one may say I all the time wished to begin my very own enterprise, and right here we’re.”

The couple, who’ve been collectively for 13 years and married for seven, determined to promote their insurance coverage firm and purchase The Hermitage Inn, which sits on 112 acres on the base of Haystack Mountain in West Dover, Vermont.

After a two-year multi-million greenback renovation, the 14-room inn, full with a fine-dining restaurant, personal wine cellar, and adjoining tavern, has already earned Wine Spectator‘s Award of Excellence.

The property opened in phases late final yr however that is the primary full ski season that every one features of the property are open. The inn boasts a trout pond, apple orchards, personal gardens, mountaineering trails, and a coated bridge.

The Hermitage Inn had been sitting vacant since 2018. It was beforehand owned by a non-public ski space referred to as the Hermitage Membership earlier than the proprietor went bankrupt and put the inn up on the market. Ricci and Corridor had been members of the membership.

The property’s culinary program is overseen by James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Schlow.

“What makes a sensible enterprise individual is you might want to know what you don’t know,” stated Ricci. “After all, we don’t know the way to run a industrial kitchen.”

So Ricci and Corridor reached out to Schlow by means of a mutual acquaintance.

“There’s one thing actually stunning and a bit of old style about it,” stated Schlow in a video in regards to the property posted on the inn’s Fb web page. “Once I was contacted by Mary Lou and Tim, there was a symmetry within the need to convey The Hermitage to a world-class vacation spot. And right here I’ve the chance to actually take part in creating this new imaginative and prescient for what The Hermitage could possibly be.”

The culinary program consists of seasonal menus and native elements. The wine cellar is stocked with vintages from all over the world and the wine program affords particular occasions and tastings all through the yr. Friends also can hire out the wine cellar for a one-of-a-kind eating expertise.

Schlow has been visiting The Hermitage Inn for the reason that late ’90s. Corridor and Ricci, who owned a second dwelling close by (which has now change into their main dwelling) had been earlier patrons of the inn as effectively.

“We had been actually excited as a result of we’ve historical past with The Hermitage Inn,” Ricci stated. “Now we have been arising right here as second householders nearly each weekend and The Hermitage Inn could be our cease on Friday evening. So we had been really excited to have the ability to be the house owners of this iconic inn that everyone is aware of and beloved within the space.”

The 1842 property was as soon as a working farm earlier than it was reworked into an inn in 1962, in keeping with Ricci, after which Jim McGovern took it over in 1971 and through his greater than three many years of possession, the oenophile earned an esteemed Wine Spectator Grand Award in 1984.

Ricci had earlier expertise renovating houses and appeared ahead to the problem of renovating the inn, she stated.

She advised her renovation group: “I need you to have the ability to stroll within the entrance door and be capable to see all through to the again. I need you to have the ability to see the outside from the within and really feel like you’re open air.”

The couple additionally knew they wished to supply a five-star expertise.

The inn affords three Historic Inn Rooms that date again to the 1800s positioned above the tavern, seven rooms in a wing referred to as the Coldbrook Rooms, and 4 rooms within the Carriage Home close to the pond.

“These are high-end rooms,” stated Corridor. “We wished to verify it’s a luxurious expertise.”

“I wished to maintain it a really impartial palate that’s inviting and heat, so that you’ll see quite a lot of beiges and lotions and grays,” Ricci stated. “It’s very mild and welcoming, however extra trendy.”

They turned the property’s outdated sugar home right into a health middle. The inn additionally affords a spa remedy room, sauna, and jacuzzi.

“Now we have plans to place in a swimming pool and pickleball courts,” Corridor stated. “Now we have the trout pond. We inventory the pond every spring with rainbow and brook trout. Now we have fly fishing clinics there, which have been highly regarded.”

They simply put in an archery vary. Behind the inn is an intensive path system and throughout the chilly months friends can use snow footwear and cross nation skis or hit the skating rink. In the course of the heat months, there are kayaks and paddle boards for exploring.

“We run it like a household enterprise,  like we did our insurance coverage company,” Ricci stated about inn, which staff about 40 individuals and 60 throughout ski season.

The Carriage Home is already bought out for ski season this yr and friends are reserving weddings and occasions in 2023, Ricci stated.

“My favourite factor is watching individuals stroll in our entrance door with eyes huge open saying, ‘Wow, I can’t consider the modifications and the way stunning the property is in and out’, after which listening to the tales everyone has,” Ricci stated.

“We’re increase a enterprise, we’re constructing a model,” stated Corridor. “We would like our model to be nationally and internally identified. However, extra importantly for me, I really like studying the optimistic evaluations we get. I simply love the visitor expertise, making individuals completely happy.”