THE LYME INN
The Best of the Old and the New
This article will appear in the fall issue of Here in Hanover.
by Karen Wahrenberger photos by Lynn Bohannon
Lyme Inn manager Jack Elliott refers to Lyme as “a living town”—one of those few remaining towns that still hold together like a big family. He adds, “We know each other’s dogs’ names.” He and his attentive staff (a few recruited from his soccer team) create a small-town oasis at the Inn, which faces the Lyme Green and the Lyme Congregational Church built in 1812. “We are in the business of providing a nest for people while they are away,” he says.
CHARACTER AND LUXURY
Built in 1809, the Inn was renovated down to the studs in 2011, but it retains the charm of another era. Jack and his two partners purchased the Inn in 2014 and added a conference room too. Original hand-hewn beams in the suites and a stone foundation, as well as the original green shutters, provide the character of the historic building, while the private marble bathrooms with soaking tubs and glass showers in guests’ rooms offer luxury. The furniture throughout is a mixture of antique and opulent modern New England. Whimsical paintings of large-eyed cows and a corner chess set decorate the common area. Gardens and a terrace allow for relaxing and enjoying birdsong.
Everything is sparkling clean, including the wide wooden floorboards that, notably, do not creak. The guest-room walls have three sheets of drywall for sound proofing, and a new elevator leads to the 14 rooms on the second and third floors, which have wildlife-themed artwork, flat-screen TVs, and high-speed Wi-Fi.
A PERFECT LOCATION
The customer satisfaction ratings for the Inn are the highest in the entire Upper Valley area and in the top 2 percent of the country. Nowhere in the Upper Valley can such high-end guest rooms (with Ariana’s breakfast buffet included) be found at such reasonable rates. The easy 20-minute drive from Hanover passes Christmas tree and turkey farms as well as views of the Connecticut River.
The Inn has nearby opportunities for ice skating, snowshoeing, and cross- country skiing and is a 10-minute drive from Dartmouth Skiway. Swimming is available at Post Pond, and cyclists are attracted to some of the most scenic gravel roads in the country.
Built in 1809, the Inn was renovated down to the studs in 2011, but it retains the charm of another era. Jack and his two partners purchased the Inn in 2014 and added a conference room too. Original hand-hewn beams in the suites and a stone foundation, as well as the original green shutters, provide the character of the historic building, while the private marble bathrooms with soaking tubs and glass showers in guests’ rooms offer luxury. The furniture throughout is a mixture of antique and opulent modern New England. Whimsical paintings of large-eyed cows and a corner chess set decorate the common area. Gardens and a terrace allow for relaxing and enjoying birdsong.
Everything is sparkling clean, including the wide wooden floorboards that, notably, do not creak. The guest-room walls have three sheets of drywall for sound proofing, and a new elevator leads to the 14 rooms on the second and third floors, which have wildlife-themed artwork, flat-screen TVs, and high-speed Wi-Fi.
A PERFECT LOCATION
The customer satisfaction ratings for the Inn are the highest in the entire Upper Valley area and in the top 2 percent of the country. Nowhere in the Upper Valley can such high-end guest rooms (with Ariana’s breakfast buffet included) be found at such reasonable rates. The easy 20-minute drive from Hanover passes Christmas tree and turkey farms as well as views of the Connecticut River.
The Inn has nearby opportunities for ice skating, snowshoeing, and cross- country skiing and is a 10-minute drive from Dartmouth Skiway. Swimming is available at Post Pond, and cyclists are attracted to some of the most scenic gravel roads in the country.
