AHH Blog

What a fantastic summer it has been here at the Inn this year! From family reunions to birthday surprise parties to the recent Croton-Harmon High School Reunion weekend- it has been non-stop fun and relaxation for all. As it has been a particularly warm season, I am happy to say that the pool has been a very popular spot for everyone- including me!

Our recent Croton-Harmon High School Reunion brought folks from Colorado, Arizona and even Europe! There were festivities galore and many enjoyed the FREE outdoor concert held every Friday night at Senasqua Park just down at the foot of our hill. Some even enjoyed the eclectic mix of music from our pool deck. The breakfast table was a trip down memory lane for members of the class of ‘ 60 and ‘ 61 and we all learned some great tidbits of Croton history.

The sparkling new kitchen is proving to be both beautiful and functional and we’ve received numerous compliments from our guests- both new and returning- and it is a pleasure to prepare the morning feast in such a wonderful space.

-Tom

I suppose I should introduce myself to our blog followers.  I’m Innkeeper Tom and I am seen here enjoying my two free minutes per day of leisure time. I am finding that there are not a whole lot of free moments in a day and when I do finally look at the clock- it’s always 5 pm!
Spring has finally arrived in Croton after a very long winter.  Although I have not figured out a way to put to use my 27 year-long gemological experience here at the Inn, I am living out a lifelong dream of caring for this magnificent property and the people who come here to enjoy it with me.  I have been working closely with Barbara and Steven honing my innkeeping skills and Clara has been instrumental in teaching me just exactly how a dog friendly B & B actually operates.

Everything seemed to happen here overnight. The Red Maple outside the Garden Room is glowing, The prize winning azalia hedge poolside is as spectacular as it can be. The Wysteria is about to eat the guests – I’d better get out the pruning shears.

Barbara and I talked all day today and came up with a great new rate schedule which is sure to make our guests happy. Be sure to see our new packages for weekday, weekend and weekly stays, the gist of which is the more you stay, the more you save.

Innkeeper Tom

The kitchen is almost complete! The granite is in, the floor is finished and ceiling and lighting almost done. My new stove came with two broken parts, so we’re hoping the replacements come or I’ll have a beautiful new kitchen for Superbowl weekend with no stove to cook on! It’s been a nightmare trying to feed everyone,  but the results will be worth it. As the weatherman predicts, a major East Coast Storm for the weekend, my Cape Cod contractors are thinking they may never go home.  Kelly can’t decide if it’s all bad as she has a “wife” to make breakfast and dinner, no children to care for and no commute to work.  By Monday she’ll be back on the Cape and back to all her regular responsibilities and I’ll be cooking and smiling at the inn.

The kitchen work is underway! With the help of Kelly and Ed, from Cape Cod, we have removed all the tiles and ceiling panels.  The granite people came yesterday to template the counters and in about another week it will look like new!  We are adding white bead board to the cabinets, replacing the tile floor and making the back splash and the wall paper crisp, clean and very bright.  I can’t wait to be done.  Having everyone come to my house next door for breakfast is not fun.  My house is on the market,  so we also have to coordinate the breakfast schedule with the realtor showing schedule.  Talk about having too many plates in the air!

I chose the last two weeks in January to do this work, as it is usually very quiet here.  Consequently, I’m housing Kelly and Ed and my friend, Raul, who is doing the painting.  With the Jets in the playoffs, I thought no one from NYC would want to travel, but a bunch of people are taking advantage of the warm spell to visit the Hudson Valley.  We seem to be attracting a crowd from across the US and other countries.  Our guests this weekend hail from England, Mexico, Brooklyn and California!  It makes for very interesting breakfast table talk. We even have a little guest enjoying our high chair and the orange croissant French toast.

-Barbara

Tomorrow completes my first month here!  Now, my skin is getting better and probably in a few days I can have a normal life again! It helps that the weather is warmer and much less wind. Barbara says, “Wait until the February snows…”

This week we went to a meeting of the Hudson Valley B&B Association where we learned more about how important is it to manage social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, Trip Advisor, etc. to keep growing your business today.

This week we were also working at everything to time to keep everything in order.  The days are warmer and today it’s a sunny and beautiful day.  We have new ovens and a new grill!  I keep going to the gym and take my free day to go to NYC. This Sunday I will see the Jets at a friend’s house at Manhattan.

-Julio

The New Year has begun! Our business travelers are back! We made a major shopping trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond and now every room has extra pillows and blankets in bright clean plastic boxes under the bed. We put up additional room darkening shades in the Turret room so those who don’t smile at the morning sun need not do so.

We also experimented this week with a new recipe for a Panettone Bread Pudding with Almonds. It was not difficult, but cooked for an hour and a half in the oven! Reviews were unanimously top drawer. It has been so cold that temperatures in the 30s seem warm. Having the Panettone Bread Pudding in the oven created a warm, cozy and sweet-smelling afternoon. I think this might become a winter staple at the inn.

We’re planning a short visit to Cape Cod next week so that Julio can see Boston. Lori will be returning to the inn to take care of our weekday guests, but Julio and I will be back in time for the MLK Weekend.

-Barbara

It’s a sunny week! Last weekend, I was in Manhattan and went to Barnes & Noble, Times Square, Chelsea, etc. The City is really amazing and super close to Croton! Only 40 minutes from here to there. I had to buy more winter clothes and ear muffs. Oh, I found a friend from Brazil in NYC. I bought tickets for a party we have in Brazil and here in New York called Alegria. Also I’m looking for tickets for the Lady Gaga shows. Wednesday, I did my first breakfast alone and I’m ready to take on this responsibility. We must now practice how I can answer the phone calls. This is my next step.

I went to the dermatologist this week. My skin is still getting used to the climate, but hopefully soon and with the cream he gave me, I will be 100% again. Today it snowed in the night. It is the first day without sunshine this week, but certainly the beauty of the snow is like the sun rays.

-Julio

Christmas week is always special at the Alexander Hamilton House, but 2009 was outstanding fun. Our first “dog guests” arrived: Franci, the Beagle mix and Sonic, a Rat terrier who loved playing with our Boston Terrier, Clara. Our human guests were great, but our four-footed furry guys really added something warm and cuddly to this year’s festivities.

Julio Cardia, our Brazilian apprentice arrived from Brasilia. He is young, strong and handsome and speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English and a little German. I speak a little French so we’re now ready to receive the world! Julio, like others in their 20′s, is on Facebook and Twitter and adds photographs of everything we do here. This makes old folks, like Steven and me, laugh.

Cyd and Jonathan spent the week in Italy, leaving Bam in Clara and Steven’s care, while Julio and I kept things going at the inn. They arrive back today and we’re really glad. Cyd is our webmaster and will soon have the picture of our doggie guests on the website.

We are getting ready to help our guests ring in the New Year and plan the kitchen renovations which will happen the second two weeks in January.

I’m now turning the blog over to Julio who I’m sure will see things here in a different light.

Julio

So, everything is different and amazing here in Croton! Barbara and Steve are fabulous and really show me a good American way of life. We are working hard, always trying to make things better at the inn. Croton Village is like a piece of heaven in those crazy days around the world. If you want a peaceful and a lovely place, it’s here.

I had a fun time at a Candlelight tour at Van Cortlandt Manor on Friday. Saturday, I toured Lyndhurst in Tarrytown. Lyndhurst is a Castle. It is so big. I can imagine how difficult was to live 100 years ago. Now I can appreciate the things we have in this century. The first day, I ate at a simply and fantastic burger place and I want to go to Japanese restaurant. Read more…