Changes, changes, changes…. 12 May 2012, 3:20 pm
Things are constantly changing here at the Brewster Inn in Dexter Maine. They’ve been changing since the day I arrived and I’m happy to say the changes have always been positive.
Some of the recent and upcoming changes include: Hopefully finishing the gardens this summer and adding some lovely fencing around a couple sides. I can’t wait to see how the butterfly garden looks when it blooms out this year. The lilac bushes are already budding out. The pond will also have some changes to help it be more noticeable and accessible to guests. The flag out front now has a light that illuminates it at night.
I take great pride in trying to give all my guests a comfortable and relaxing night’s sleep. Guests have already voiced approval on the recent changes with guestroom additions of new mattress toppers, chamber pillows. New luxurious sheets are on the way and will soon be added to each room. I know the sheets are going to be a big hit, as a few guests who’ve tried them out have already been trying to purchase them from me! One guest even remarked on a Trip Advisor post that his wife described the sheets as “sleeping on a cloud wrapped in a ray of sunshine”.
The change into spring/summer temps prompts some changes to the breakfast menu. I’ve been trying out several new recipes. The fruit crumble is a new addition and has been a big success. This week I made some delicious pumpkin muffins with cheesecake filling. My recipe file is expanding quickly and I can’t wait to share the successes with you. I’m just looking at Pecan and honey french toast. Guests will also soon be dining on brand new dishes that arrived this week.
Several other changes are going on as well and I’ll let you in on some of them in my next blog. Hint: there’s more “going green” around here. Literally! One thing I am sure of, is that all the changes that have happened, and will be happening, continue to make everything better here at the Brewster Inn.
Hope to see you soon!
Massage and Romance packages at the Brewster Inn Dexter Maine 29 Jan 2012, 12:43 pm
You work hard, you play hard, treat yourself to some ME time at the Brewser Inn Dexter Maine
The Brewster Inn has recently started up a partnership with another Dexter business “Stressless Massage Therapy” to be able to give our guests amazing 1 hour singles or couples massage. You have the choice of basic swedish, added aromatherapy or deep tissue and a 1 hr session per person is for the excellent rate of $70. I go there myself and its an hour i look forward to very much. The massages are bookable either by calling the Brewster Inn direct on 207 924 3130 or by ordering the exact package you would like as you book your stay online at www.brewsterinn.com and the exact massage page is here Brewster Inn Massage
If your desire is a romantic getaway, add a bottle of champagne, 12 fresh roses and vase and strawberries for $80. Again available when you book your stay online or bookable over the phone with the Brewster Inn Romance package and then enjoy a whirlpool for 2, a fireplace or a king size bed.
We even partner with an excellent spa 20mins away called Wavelengths Hair and Body Works where you can further indulge in pedicures, manicures, facials and waxing.
For the months of Feb, March and April, when you book 2 nights in the Brewster Inn Honeymoon Suite or Game room at full price, you can get the romance package for just $25! And if you don’t like champagne i’ll replace that with either a bottle of wine or non alcoholic sparkling apple cider.
Book your next romantic getaway at the Brewster Inn Dexter Maine
The Brewster Inn Butterfly garden 2 Oct 2011, 3:19 pm
The gardens at the Brewster Inn here in Dexter Maine have started to get a good amount of attention not only via word of mouth from guests but also from people that are passing by and see the gardens. Now all of a sudden i get people coming asking if the gardens are public. They are not really public, they are for my guests to enjoy but if someone comes up taking an interest in them, i will always give them a quick tour and of course make sure they have a Brewster Inn business card and brochure to take away with them for next time.
The Brewster Inn also had good press attention recently from both Birds and Blooms magazine and the Boston Herald.
I always ask guests while they are out on the patio looking at the garden if they can see my butterfly garden. Now i have no idea what they are actually looking for, but its amazing how many can’t see it. Some tell me they are not sure what they are looking for and others tell me they are looking for a big cluster of wild plants somewhere and then, they see something and they look, and they look some more, and then.. they realize what it actually is. They are looking side on at my butterfly garden
Its filled out a lot more now. That pic was taken during the planting in early June. Now its really established itself and filled out completely and when we get a sunny day again, i’ll be sure to post it hopefully for my next post. Not only does my butterfly garden attract butterflies but i also get quite a few hummingbirds visiting there too.
One thing i tell guests is things are not always quite as they seem in the Brewster Inn garden and i’ll show you another example of that next time too. There’s a clue in the picture below
The Brewster Inn gardens are really coming on now in year 3 of a 5 year plan and that’s all thanks to 3 wonderful people, Darlene, Lorraine and Danny who are responsible for the garden renovations. It is truly amazing work that they do for me here.
Here is another angle of this section of garden taken from late June. All the slate is Monson slate from Monson Maine. Its the original slate off the roof from when the house was remodeled in 1934. Lots and lots of excellent landscaping materials complete with nail holes to landscape areas of garden and make new pathways.. beautiful!
Till next time…
Big things happening at the Brewster Inn Dexter Maine 25 Sep 2011, 5:48 pm
Apologies for the lack of updates recently. The Brewster Inn here in Dexter Maine gets busier every year. Last year (2010) was the best yet but 2011 has gone off the scale and as of today is 117 room nights ahead of this time last year. As you can imagine its been all hands to the pump for an extended time but as i work my way through everything i see lights at the end of the tunnel and plan to blog more frequently again as of today. So as i tend to say every now and again…
“Whats been happening”??
Well (following on from my last post) the lilacs bloomed and looked and smelt incredible for their first year. Its only going to get better each and every year. But that was just the start…
Take a look here at whats been happening in the garden.
The original fountain has been re-installed in the garden
Below is the heavy duty plastic drum that will hold the water used by the fountain. The fountain will sit on top of the drum
There’s plenty of work that needs to be done before the fountain can be set in place like getting power to the fountain to run the pump
The fountain in place and more work going on around the outside of it. It was actually found in the basement in 7 sections, is very heavy but just looks so good in position in the garden
The fountain close up waiting for the figure to go on the top. The tube hanging over the side will go up inside the figure. The fountain is made of concrete and had to be repaired first before it was painted with rubberized swimming pool paint to protect it from the elements and make it completely waterproof. The water comes out of the top of the figure and then drops into the top bowl which then fills and the water then drops into the bottom bowl before dropping out of there into the container in the ground which is covered with blue stones. The water then recycles and starts its journey all over again
More in my next post
Beautiful lilac planting at Brewster Inn Dexter Maine 22 May 2011, 4:01 pm
When Governor Brewster lived here at the Brewster Inn in Dexter Maine, he had lilacs all around the property line. When he died, the lilacs were killed off by all the trees that started growing over a period of time. In September 2010 once we had cut down a large amount of trees, we decided to start replanting the lilac hedgerows. No small task considering the size of property we have. We planted the first 24 bushes using 7 different varieties making sure that there was a sequence of different colours all along.
After a month of watering and a hard winter, we waited… and waited… and waited for signs of life and sure enough buds started appearing about 2 weeks ago. Today i took a couple of photos to show their progress and it looks like in the next 2 weeks we will get lilac smell and colour! This is especially exciting as so many guests to the Brewster Inn have commented on the lilac smell all around when they used to live here in Dexter Maine.
The varieties planted are
Mine have got a little way to go yet but all being well we should get some great colours and lilac smells this year before planting approx another 33 bushes at the same time this year that will cover along the back of our property.
Next post will be all about why the mechanical digger was in the garden today digging holes.
Birds and blooms feature the Brewster Inn here in Dexter Maine 23 Apr 2011, 7:28 am
The Brewster Inn had some great national press coverage this week letting the readers of Birds and Blooms magazine know all about the gardens here in Dexter Maine. I’ve linked to the whole article here where we’re the only B&B from Maine shown!
The part where it says “Mark promises a free stay to any guest willing to turn a part of the gardens into something truly special” i just want to add what that actually means. I’ve had a few guests who have all commented just how quiet our gardens are and how great it would be to have a meditation garden within it, so i told each of them that if they designed it and wanted to come and do the work, i would give them a free stay to accomplish that. That offer still stands to someone thats up for the challenge. We’d obviously need to approve the design and dates for doing the project and would be happy to pay for the materials, all you have to do is get here and build your design and for doing that, you get a free stay!
The Brewster Inn gardens will be complete this year with some big additions inc about another 30 lilac bushes around the outer edge of the property to compliment the 24 planted in 2010, Windswept Gardens of Bangor will be adding all the “bits” to make the original fountain and pond work again as well as adding plants to the pond. I’ve always wanted to see lilly pads in the pond so the frogs we get each year can sit on them.
Also we’re finishing the flower borders this year adding about 3 more large ones around the front and back garden. One of them at the back of the property will be a large one to match one we did last year and will be a real focal point and great photo opportunity once we get the fountain back in there as the centrepiece.
We also need to crush all the slate that we took off the roof last year and use that for more landscaping around the garden which will become pathways and also will define the outer edge of all our flower borders.
Then finally in Sep when all this work is completed we will get the whole lawn reseeded using the Turf Doctor who come highly reccomended as the company to make the lawn look amazing again.
So much going on here at the Brewster Inn in Dexter Maine
Try Brewster Inn Dexter Maine for your 1st B&B stay 10 Apr 2011, 9:47 am
Here at the Brewster Inn Dexter Maine, we get a lot of 1st time B&B guests. So i’ve dedicated this post and indeed a whole page on our Brewster Inn website just for you
Considering a bed and breakfast in Maine for the first time?
B&B’s are a wonderful alternative to the typical hotel and motel accommodations for a Maine family vacation, a honeymoon, a romantic gateaway, or any other occasion. We recognize that it can be intimidating to think of staying in “someone’s home”, but once you enjoy a great stay at a B&B you’ll see that it’s so much better than any other lodging options.
First-time B&B guests are often uncertain of what to expect, so we’ve tried to answer some of the most frequently asked questions, debunk some of the myths, and provide some information specific to The Brewster Inn.
Privacy:
Guests might be afraid they will feel as if they’re intruding on the Innkeepers and that they won’t have any privacy. Each B&B is set up differently, with intentions of making you feel welcome. The Brewster Inn is spacious at over 8,000 sq ft, with a large living room, expansive gardens, screened porch, and patio for reading, conversation, or relaxing as you watch the world go by. The dining room is also available for writing, or playing board games. Our quarters are not connected to these common areas. You’re encouraged to interact with other guests as much, or as little, as you choose. Each guestroom has a lock on the door and a private bathroom. You’re also given a key to the front door to come and go as you wish.
Breakfast:
Breakfast is one of the great values included in the B&B experience. New B&B guests may feel they will be dictated to as to what time they have to eat. Each B&B has different routines for breakfast. The Brewster Inn serves a buffet-style breakfast, 7 days a week from 8-10am, to allow you to eat at the time you want. Breakfast includes juice, milk, coffee, tea, fresh fruit, fruit salad, breads, cereals, and a different hot serving each day. Please make your hosts aware of any special dietary issues or food allergies.
Value:
B&B guestrooms are not all one cookie-cutter price like hotels. The Brewster Inn guestrooms are available at a range of prices to suit the most budget-conscious traveler to the guest that would love everything. There are even specials available throughout the year and a guest loyalty program. Please feel free to browse the room selection on our Web site and discuss them with us. Brewster Inn guestrooms include free: Wi-Fi, LCD TV with HD cable, DVD players, iPod/iPhone clock radio docking stations, a selection of available movies, and plush luxury robes to wear during your stay. The Honeymoon Suite and Game Room each have a small fridge and microwave oven. For all other guestrooms, there is a microwave and fridge available in the dining room for your use. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are also available throughout the day. If you’d like something stronger, a good selection of beer and wines are available for purchase too.
Please see the rest of the post here on our website
Discover New England with Brewster Inn, Dexter Maine 7 Apr 2011, 12:36 pm
Something i’ve always wanted is to get more international guests staying at the Brewster Inn here in Dexter Maine. We’ve always had a small amount find us on the web each year BUT i wanted to work harder again to get more. In 2009 i signed up to be part of the contingent of attractions and accommodations group representing Maine at the annual getting together from all the New England States at the Discover New England international tourism summit where they all promote their business and area in short 8min meetings to a large group of US and European based receptive and tour operators from countries such as UK, France, Italy and Germany.
The “buyers” as i’ll call them are broken into groups like the ” receptives” that are companies that make the tour packages for the trade such as Travalco AlliedTPro and Tourmappers . These are all companies that the Brewster Inn has contracts with now to supply our product to the world tourism market. There were many tour operators there too like Bon Voyage and Audley Travel and America As You Like It
Already in 3 summits as i’m now just back from the latest one held at the Omni Mt Washington resort in NH we have a total of 5 receptive contracts with hopefully a couple more contracts to come. The bookings are coming in with just last year alone about 40 room nights from the contracts that we now have. Each year should get better and better as following on from the 27 meetings that i had at this years summit, i’m now talking to the tour operators about who we have contracts with that they can buy from and what packages we are planning on putting together so that when guests come they can experience real Maine like moosewatching, white water rafting, snowmobiling or hiking to name just a few.
Attending the DNE summit as a small tourism related business in Maine is a great way to network and show off our part of the USA to the world. Its hard work, takes a lot of planning but the long term benefits for the Brewster Inn could and hopefully will be significant. I’ll be at the next summit in 2012.
Brewster Inn Dexter Maine 2011 a new year. 3 Apr 2011, 8:31 am
So whats been happening since i last blogged? A lot thats what. The Brewster Inn has an award winning website for starters which is excellent and theres more to come from the great design company acorn is inc a google events calender which will tell everyone what events are going on in the area at any given time. I’m also planning on blogging more as its going to help Google and the other search engines keeping on coming back finding fresh new content to help us in our rankings so that more people find the Brewster Inn here in Dexter in the great state of Maine.
The inn is a Maine State Enviromental Leader and i’ve just been through the re-accrediatation for 2 years with my 17 page workbook. We also have a “Brewster Inn Newbie” web page added dedicated to people that have never been to a B&B before. There are plenty of misconceptions like thinking they are coming into someones home and that webpage will help help i hope to greatly lay to rest any fears or thoughts potential guests might have that would stop them wanting to come and stay.
I’ve added plenty of additions to the Inn and the guest rooms this year like 32 and 26″ LCD TV’s, HD cable boxes and Ipod/Iphone clock radio docking stations. The Game room and Honeymoon Suite even have small fridges and microwaves too.
The garden will be finished this year once we get the large original fountain and pond reinstalled courtesy of Windswept Gardens who like they say on their website “Create the Wow”! I planted 24 lilac bushes last year around the perimiter which i’m hoping will start to bloom this year. Got another 30 or so bushes to plant later this year as i continue to re-create the garden as it used to be. Oh and we cut down 57 trees last year too, but thats ok as they were never here when the State Governor and Washington Senator Ralph Owen Brewster lived here anyway. He had lilacs and no trees and thats why i’m putting it all back like it used to be. Pics will be forthcoming once the snow goes, whenever that is.
More updates in my next post
Red rock Sedona 28 Jun 2010, 7:05 pm
Looking for interesting structures made from red rock? Come to Sedona AZ.. a really colourful place for all the landscape as long as you like red that is
We took a visit into the town and came across the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Its a Catholic church built into the side of a mountain. A very impressive structure with an interesting history on how it came to be there.
The unique architecture and location of the Chapel of the Holy Cross are the inspirations of Marguerite Bruswig Staude, who went on a trip to New York City in 1932. She observed that a cross could be seen in the newly constructed Empire State Building when viewed from a certain angle, and was inspired to built a church based on that design.
Staude kept an eye out all over Europe and the USA for the ideal location, and she was especially struck by the beauty of Sedona. She decided to build her chapel here, which would be “a monument to faith, but a spiritual fortress so charged with God, that it spurs man’s spirit godward.” The Chapel of the Holy Cross was completed in April 1956.
Heres the view from the back of the church in the mountain. It doesn’t look so big when your up there. Its a good long walk to get to the church unless you want to take the car and wait in line for a space further up.
When you get to the church and go to the front, look down and you will see a really strange place below you to your right. Its someones home, thing is theres numerous ideas on whos house it is. Its a little bit over the top?
It appears the house is owned by one of two people, either by the Dr. who invented the laser for Lasik eye surgery from Romania or i believe another doctor from India that has invented numerous medical products. This blog tells more on the property. These pics have been taken by someone who got in the house and i have to say it look pretty vulgar.
Sedona was nice, well worth a visit. After stopping for an excellent lunch in town we happened to see this sign below. It raised a laugh
