vineyard-hero
Home-Slider4-K1-20180605-VSH-EmilyOBrienPhoto-294-Edit_LUXONEBEDLOCKOFF_LIVINGRM_FACINGBALCONY2
Home-Slider3-20180605-VSH-EmilyOBrienPhoto-1353-Edit_BREAKFAST_FOODDETAIL_FROMABOVE2
Home-Slider5-20180605-VSH-EmilyOBrienPhoto-934-Edit_FRONTPORCH_GUESTS2

Archives for December 2010

New Year Resolutions Clock by husin.saniI have never been a fan of new year “resolutions”; there is way too much guilt and disappointment going on, come February when resolves aren’t as strong!  This is a great time of year to reflect on the good, bad, and ugly of the past, however; as well as organizing and making plans for all of the good things ahead…  so, are you with me?!

Here at the Colonial InnEdgartown Residence Club, we are thankful for all of our friends (old and new) who made the time to visit Martha’s Vineyard this past year, and included us in their plans.  We feel very lucky to not only live in such a magical place, but to have a part in creating treasured memories for so many visitors.  We are looking forward to creating more value for our guest’s in 2011 with some exciting new room renovations and the creation of a new and improved salon and day spa within our complex…  more on all of that in coming months!

On a more personal note, I am making plans and committing to spending more time & enjoying the island with my family (read: doing housework doesn’t count for quality time!).  I was suprised and am a bit embarrassed to report that when we took our kids to Aquinnah last summer, they didn’t remember ever having been there before!  They were all four born on Martha’s Vineyard, so yes, it is as bad as it sounds…  The point is, how many of us live in a place that we fail to fully enjoy? I live on an island, work a block from Edgartown harbor, and yet go weeks sometimes without really looking at the water!  Similarly, how many of you visit Martha’s Vineyard and fail to explore beyond the closest beach and town?

My plan for the coming year (and challenge for all of you) is to make more time every week to spend with family and friends.  While at it, we are going to enjoy more of the wonderful activities & venues on Martha’s Vineyard!  What about you?  When you are next on the island, can you explore someplace you haven’t been in a while?  What about in your own hometown?  Do visitors frequently enjoy more of it than you do?

If your travels bring you back to the Vineyard in the coming year, I hope you will include a stay at our Martha’s Vineyard hotel in your plans.  Come and challenge us to think of something new for you to do during your next visit!  And please, share your experiences with us when you venture out to explore!

Best wishes for a healthy and adventurous 2011!!  What are your plans for the new year?

Image courtesy of husin.sani

 

Where to Get the Best Pizza on Martha’s Vineyard Near Edgartown
Explore Memorable Things to Do & See in West Tisbury
Spend a Day at the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest
See the Next Big Thing at a Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
A Guide on How to Get to Martha’s Vineyard
A Look at the History of Our Edgartown Hotel
Celebrate the Season | A Guide to Christmas in Edgartown
Where to Get the Best Lunch in Edgartown

Christmas in Edgartown was last weekend and we were really getting in the spirit…here are some of the highlights!

Tree Smaller-resized-600

Jim, our grumbly but lovable maintenance guy claims he’s a bah-humbug scrooge but he always does a wonderful job of getting us in the spirit with his outdoor lights – I think he excelled himself this year with this beautiful tree of lights in the courtyard of the Colonial Inn!

Mobile Uploads 145-resized-600

This is a picture of Martha’s Vineyard’s most famous ‘Christmas House’.  Every fall, this display starts taking shape in time for a Thankgiving night unveiling of Santa’s Workshop.  The Gatchell family take great pride in this display and I challenge you to find a family of any denomination who don’t stop by and admire the lights on County Road in Oak Bluffs every year.  They collect donations for the Island Food Pantry every night and on Christmas Eve, even Santa and Mrs Claus stop by to greet all the children getting a last look at the lights before Santa jumps on his sleigh to deliver all his gifts.

Mobile Uploads 141-resized-600The Colonial Inn lobby is all decked out with ribbons (tartan of course – guess who chose those?!) and beautiful Poinsettas.

We enjoy welcoming guests at this time of year and getting into the spirit with the parade and fun.  This year there was pizza baking in the courtyard from Stonekrazy Pizza and music in the Eisenhauer Gallery on Saturday afternoon. A portion of the proceeds went to help the Red Stocking Fund. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the day – of course a good weather day helped with sunshine and mild temps in the high 40’s.

Santa rode into town, not on his usual conveyance but on a Fire Truck…

Santa

Elf and DanielAnd elves were roaming everywhere, warning kids to be good, for goodness sakes.  We’re not sure that Santa will believe the Tshirt that CJ’s son Daniel is wearing in this photo (Santa – I was framed!) but he’s so cute and takes such good care of his sister Jamie (she’s the cutie in the pic below with Santa), that we’re sure Santa has something good in store for him!

Santa was at Donaroma’s meeting all the kids and admiring the beautiful displays – maybe he even picked up a tree for the North Pole from their beautiful selection or made a wreath at their annual Wreath Making Workshop.

Jamie and SantaIt’s never too early to make plans for next year’s Christmas in Edgartown, so call us for availability and rates on 800-627-4701.

We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday.  Remember that we are open year round and still have some availability for Christmas and New Years…Or maybe you’ll need a little re-charge after all the chaos of the season?

What do you do (or where do you go) to get into the spirit of the season?

Where to Get the Best Pizza on Martha’s Vineyard Near Edgartown
Explore Memorable Things to Do & See in West Tisbury
Spend a Day at the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest
See the Next Big Thing at a Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
A Guide on How to Get to Martha’s Vineyard
A Look at the History of Our Edgartown Hotel
Celebrate the Season | A Guide to Christmas in Edgartown
Where to Get the Best Lunch in Edgartown

Winter Stare by Vonschnauzer-resized-600

People in the tourism industry refer to times of year in a different sort way than ordinary folk, especially here on Marthas Vineyard. Where you might say ‘summer’, we say ‘peak’ season. You may call them ‘spring’ or ‘fall’ but to us they are just ‘shoulder season’. These refer to our level of volume in the hotel, specifically and island-wide, in general.

After ten years in the business and six at the Colonial Inn, and having given it some thought, I personally have to break my year down differently. Spring is the ‘Anticipation’ season. After being closed for several months, I go a little stir crazy and it feels like it will be forever before we open up again and have guests to serve. (It is almost as bad as the furniture in the animated Beauty & the Beast, except I don’t sing as much as they do. It’s the ‘ennui’.) Summer shall hereby be known as ‘Madness’ season, simply due to the need to run madly about the property and the inability to form coherent thoughts. That’s how busy it feels some days. The fall, I call ‘Reprieve Season’. It is a time where the flow of guests begins to taper off slowly. While it would nice to be a little busier than we are, that is how it works at a beach-resort destination. It just naturally quiets, leading right into the final season: ‘Nostalgia season’ can strike at any time, but usually happens when our guest level drops below the number of employees we still have on hand. We usually have a ‘whoa…when did THIS happen’ moment in which we tell our staff they have some extra time off…um…Yay? That’s when I start thinking over the year and looking back and remembering some of our long-time repeat guests:

  • Brian and Lisa who come twice a year, when it’s quiet, whether they need a getaway or not!
  • Paul & Company who come for the MS Bike Tour fundraising ride in late April or early May. I have learned a lot about what makes wheel-chair accessible rooms easier to use with their patient help. (Several other wheel-chair bound guests have thanked me for those improvements to our rooms.)
  • Michael, Stacey and the boys (actual kids or photo shoot crew) who almost achieved ‘Permanent Resident’ status over the years, before they bought a place on Chappy! You know we are here for you when the power goes out over there!
  • Kevin & John visit regularly, even as busy as they must be. (I think Kevin is the only Town Mayor we have ever had in-house…)
  • Janet and Helen – together with Joanne and Evelyn form our own little book club as they exchange titles.
  • Kim & Marc and Christine & Joseph and their clans! A two-family long-weekend getaway, they have been as regular as clockwork. (They rented houses one year to accommodate their whole party…but secretly…I think they missed us too much to stay away.) How is it possible for kids to grow so much so fast?
  • Barry S. and his merry band from Maine- From reluctant bus drivers to allergic reactions…we have been through some fun bus tours!
  • Kris, Mike and the In-line skate group keep us busy and leave us their quiche from time to time!
  • Meg should bring her Adventurers back to see us, but since she still comes by just to pop in and give us updates on Little Man, Chase…we won’t nag!
  • Alan and Stephanie who 1st visited on their honeymoon and now come back with their boys, despite having a legendary air-conditioning problem on their 1st visit!

There are so many more…people we have grown to love over the years, kids we have had the privilege to watch grow into young ladies and gentlemen. We miss you when you’re gone and look forward to seeing you again soon!

So now that you know we miss you, what do you miss most about the Vineyard when you’re gone?

Photo by VonSchnauzer

 

Where to Get the Best Pizza on Martha’s Vineyard Near Edgartown
Explore Memorable Things to Do & See in West Tisbury
Spend a Day at the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest
See the Next Big Thing at a Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
A Guide on How to Get to Martha’s Vineyard
A Look at the History of Our Edgartown Hotel
Celebrate the Season | A Guide to Christmas in Edgartown
Where to Get the Best Lunch in Edgartown