Nathaniel Hawthorne, Circa 2006

Tonight we welcome 2006. In Nathaniel's Restaurant, our namesake, Nathaniel Hawthorne looks somewhat perplexed by the special New Year's Eve decor.

At the Hawthorne Hotel we embrace our historic surroundings, all the while looking forward to the ways we can use technology and innovation to serve our guests well.

We wish you all of the best in the New Year!

Juli, and the Staff of the Hawthorne Hotel

King Charles Cavalier Spaniels are our guests of the day

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I got to meet some very special guests of the Hawthorne Hotel here in Salem, including these three darling dogs.

It was quite a nice surprise when I received a holiday card from them, and their owners. The card read "We had the most wonderful Thanksgiving at the Hawthorne. We look forward to our next visit. Thank you for your great hospitality." It was signed, Deanne Sullivan, Mary Jane Farley, Alistair, Annabelle and Augustus-Fletcher.

After receiving this cute photo, I wrote a card and asked Alistair, Annabelle and Fletcher if I could post their photo on our Hawthorne Hotel BLOG. They were quick to respond in the affirmative, and here they are.

If you are a regular reader of the Hawthorne Hotel Blog, you will already know that we are a pet-friendly hotel, and that we even offer a "Doggie Room Service Menu" and a "Very Important Pet (VIP) Package" here at the Hawthorne. If this is one of your first visits to our Blog, now you will know why Alistair, Annabelle and Fletcher had such a good visit.

We look forward to welcoming you and your pet to the Hawthorne Hotel.

Juli

P.S. If you ever hear about a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel that needs a good home, please let me know -- they are such darling dogs, now I want one for myself! 

We love to hear from our happy Hawthorne Hotel guests

 

On many special occasions we take digital photos of our guests and email them to them as a memento of their time at the Hawthorne Hotel. This past weekend's Christmas Day Brunch was one of those occasions.

Today I received the following email. I asked permission to share it with you because it is so representative of how our guests feel about their visits to the Hawthorne Hotel, and how entwined we are with many of our guests' occasions of grace.

Juli


Dear Juli,
Thank you for the picture of our very enjoyable Christmas buffet meal at the Hawthorne, you did us justice.
My husband & I had not been back to the hotel since our wedding night 21 years ago. We were married at the Ropes Mansion , and had the Reception at Hamilton Hall, so we thought the Hawthorne would be a great place for the night. We thought it was nice then, but since the renovations it is lovely.
My husband, brother, and I Thought the Christmas day buffet was outstanding, and we will be back for the jazz brunch buffet.
We really feel this hotel is a true treasured secret.
Many Thanks,
Christine & David Prashker

Nathaniel's at the Hawthorne Hotel hosts yet another very special event

On December 24, Madeline and Andrew Schultz of Marblehead came to Nathaniel's to celebrate both Madeline's birthday and the couple's wedding anniversary.

The Schultz' are loyal customers of Nathaniel's and the Hawthorne Hotel, and we were very happy to be able to help them celebrate their doubly-special event in style.

Congratulations to you both, and Happy Birthday Madeline!

Juli

Juli Lederhaus, General Manager
Hawthorne Hotel
Salem, MA 01970

100-Year Birthday Celebration at the Hawthorne Hotel

On December 23, the family of Dorothy Upton came to the Nathaniel's at the Hawthorne Hotel to celebrate her 100th birthday. We thought such a momentous event should be celebrated in our Hawthorne Hotel Blog as well.

The photo here shows Ms. Upton surrounded by her daughter, Carol, and Carol's husband, Richard Fullerton, and her grandaughters, Deborah Farnham, Laurie Fullerton, and Pam Hertel.

Happy 100th Birthday, dear Dorothy, happy birthday to you! (That's as close to singing as you would want to hear from me!)

Juli

Flags of the Week - December 26, 2005 through January 1, 2006

In case you are new to the Hawthorne Hotel's Blog, I will explain the reason for listing the flags of the day here. We change the flags on the front of the building every night, so that we fly a different country's flag, and a different state's flag, in addition to the flag of the United States of America, each and every day. We fly the flags in an effort to have everyone who sees them think about the fact that we are part of a greater place, called the world.

We rotate them in alphabetical order, but whenever we receive a special request from a guest, as we have for this week, we gladly will accommodate those requests, obviously on a first-come basis.

Monday, December 26 -- Bhutan and Mississippi
Tuesday, December 27 -- Bolivia and Missouri
Wednesday, December 28 -- Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montana
Thursday, December 29 -- Botswana and Nebraska
Friday, December 30 -- Canada and New York (by special request for both flags, for guests staying in the hotel for their wedding)
Saturday, December 31 -- Brazil and Nevada
Sunday, January 1 -- Brunei Darussalam and New Hampshire -- Here is a link to learn more about Brunei Darussalam, http://www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wb/Article?id=ar079800

Juli

Christmas on the Common, Salem, Massachusetts

Were you dreaming of a White Christmas? Doesn't look that will be the case in Salem. However, we have this photo that will make you think it is. This was taken several weeks ago after we had a big Friday night snowstorm. I love the glowing quality that it has. This photo came to us courtesy of our friend, Trip Mason.

The Common in Salem is our next-door neighbor. What a lovely neighbor she is! No matter the season, there is always something of nature, of the seasons, that can be seen in the Salem Common.

We are so fortunate to have this great expanse of land right next to us, in this fair city of Peace, Salem.

I hope you have a very happy holiday.

Juli

Hawthorne Hotel's Staff Family Christmas Party

Every year we have Santa come to visit all of the little children that are part of the Hawthorne Hotel staff family. The photos below are from that event.

This is one of several events that we host each year for our staff member's families. When you run a business such as ours, where we work on so many of the holidays, providing a way for our staff to be with their families at a holiday event is another way we work toward keeping our employees happy. We feel very strongly that when our employees are happy and engaged, they do a better job in providing a higher quality of service to our guests.

I hope I will be able to see you soon!

Merry Christmas,

Juli

New Room Package - Dine on the Green

Our Rooms Department at the Hawthorne Hotel here in Salem, Massachusetts recently set up a new overnight package called "Dine on the Green".

It is available Sunday through Wednesday nights, and features a standard room for two persons, and dinner for two in the Tavern (think cozy paneled room with crackling fire and wing-backed chairs). The price is only $140 plus tax.

Or, if you want a bigger room, ask about the possibility of paying for an upgrade. Sometimes we are able to do that for you.

If you're thinking of a mid-winter getaway, and want a room and a three-course dinner for the price some places charge for dinner, think Hawthorne Hotel's "Dine on the Green".

You can book it on-line by going back to our website at www.HawthorneHotel.com, or you can call us toll-free and talk to a real person at 800-729-7829 or 800-SAY-STAY.

I look forward to seeing you at the Hawthorne!

Juli

Orange Pekoe, 1996, Michael Hosaluk

 

Wood, 8 x 8 x 5 inches

The Artful Teapot

This photo and the two below it represent only a very small fraction of a delightful exhibition now at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) here in Salem, Massachusetts. There are 250 pieces currently on display. These are from a collection of over 7,500 teapots that belong to one couple, the Kamm's. When you think about two people collecting that many teapots, it boggles the imagination.

But when you see all of these different teapots, that really can play with your mind. They will be there until March 2006, but time flies by, so don't keep putting off a visit, or you will miss one of the most interesting collections you will ever see.

I have been twice already, and plan to go back again. There is so much to see. It definitely makes me want to start collecting teapots, but I think I'll stick with my antique silver egg coddlers. Those are REALLY hard to find, so it's easier on my budget.

Juli

P.S. We, the Hawthorne Hotel, are sponsoring this exhibit, and we have created a special overnight package that you can take advantage of when you travel to Salem to see this fine display. Ask for the "Artful Teapot" package. Our direct line is 800-729-7829.



 

Melon 1997, Michael & Maureen Banner

 
 

Sterling silver, 9.75 x 10 x 5 inches

The Artful Teapot, at the PEM

Celestial Teapot, 1999, David Gignan

 
 

Hand-blown glass, forged steel. 20.25 x 12.5 11 inches

The Artful Teapot, PEM, Salem, Massachusetts

Holly, Molly and Alice at the Hawthorne Hotel Teddy Bear Tea

 

In the magical poinsettia forest in the lobby of the historic Hawthorne Hotel in Salem Massachusetts there lives a giant teddy bear. Twice a year he comes out of hiding to have his photo taken with all the good little boys and girls who come to the Teddy Bear Tea that is held in his honor

This darling group of children and their teddies came to our tea on Saturday December 17. The next tea will be held on Wednesday December 28, so if you are looking for something to do with your little ones the week between Christmas and New Year's, the Hawthorne Hotel's Teddy Bear Tea may be just the event. It is a fine excuse to get all dolled up in your holiday finery, and to beat any potential wintertime cabin-fever.

We are almost sold out, so don't delay in calling us at 978-825-4311 to make a reservation.

Happy Holidays,

Juli 

An Engaging Evening at the Hawthorne Hotel

 
We always love playing Cupid here at the Hawthorne Hotel. On Friday night, December 16 we got to have that experience in a big way.

Michael Everett called us to reserve a Sweetheart Package and let us know that this was a big surprise, and that he planned to propose to Kristine Ruane that night at their dinner in Nathaniel's. We helped him to keep the secret, and we were so thrilled to learn that she accepted.

When I talk to people about careers in the hotel business, I try to remember to tell them about how much I enjoy my job and the reason is shown in this perfect example. We are almost always dealing with people in what I like to call "occasions of grace". Our guests are usually here to celebrate life-milestone experiences, whether they are engagements, weddings, birthdays, bridal or baby showers, holiday events, or even business meetings.

We all wish Michael and Kristine the very best in their journey through life, and look forward to helping them celebrate many, many of their life-milestone experiences with us right here at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem.

Juli 

Hawthorne Hotel's Flags of the Week -- December 19 - 25, 2005

Monday, December 19 Bahrain and Kentucky
Tuesday, December 20 Bangladesh and Louisiana
Wednesday, December 21 Barbados and Maine
Thursday, December 22 Belarus and Maryland
Friday, December 23 Belgium and Massachusetts
Saturday, December 24 Belize and Michigan
Sunday, December 25 Benin (Flag and Map below) and Minnesota

At the Hawthorne Hotel we Love to Surprise and Delight

 

This week we got to surprise Maria MacLeod with the Part-time Employee of the Month Award for November. As you can see by these photos, she was indeed pleased by our arrival at the office door where she was working at this particular time.

Maria is part of our accounting staff, and as such she is able to fill-in in a number of the positions in this department. Her selection as EOM was a unanimous one, arrived at by acclimation at the last monthly managers' meeting.

Please join us in congratulating Maria for a job well-done.

Thank you!

Juli

(The group photo in this collage shows Maria's direct supervisor, Art DiGiovanni, Controller of the Hawthorne Hotel helping me, Juli Lederhaus, congratulate Maria.) 

Hawthorne Hotel celebrates November Employee of the Month

Jose Rivera with Kitchen Manager - Ramon Rodriguez and Sous Chef - John Pellechia


Today we honored Jose Rivera, who was chosen as November's full-time employee of the month by the management staff of the Historic Hawthorne Hotel.

Jose works in the culinary department of the Hawthorne, and if you are a frequent reader of our blog, you will have seen him and his extra-curricular work on these pages.

In addition to his aforementioned hobby, Jose is an outstanding worker, and a thoughtful person. We are very honored to have him as a part of our hard-working Hawthorne Hotel team here in Salem, Massachusetts.

Thanks for all you do, Jose!

Juli 

Juli, Claire-Marie, Britony, and Claire

On Thursday we presented Claire-Marie Gauthier with the part-time employee of the month award for September. We were a little behind in our presentation, partly because we were waiting for her to get back from Paris!

Although her tenure with us has not been long, she has quickly become in integral part of our team, and we are very happy to have Claire-Marie with us at the Historic Hawthorne Hotel.

Thanks for all you do, Claire-Marie!

Juli

Santa Brunch at the Hawthorne Hotel is Sold Out

Here is a photo from last Sunday's Santa Brunch at the Hawthorne Hotel. I thought I should post a quick note on our BLOG to let you know that this weekend's activities (Teddy Bear Tea on Saturday and Santa Brunch on Sunday) are both fully committed at this time.

We do have some extra seating in our Tavern; however, the buffet will be located across the lobby in Nathaniel's/Sophia's, so please be aware.

Juli

Herson is honored as employee of the month, Hawthorne Hotel, Salem, Massachusetts

Juli Lederhaus, Herson Fermin, and Nathaniel Potter are shown in this photo as Herson is honored as our full-time employee of the month for October, 2005.

As I explained in my "award speech" to Herson and the managers and staff members who gathered to applaud him, Herson is the kind of staff member who is always willing to help in whatever way we need him.

During this past year, Herson has worked as a Tavern Server, Tavern Bartender, Banquet Server, Nathaniel's Server, Overnight Custodian, and a number of 'pick-up' jobs that just needed doing. Through it all he has always been smiling, laughing and joking, while performing the duties of the job with professionalism and compassion.

Something you may not know about Herson is that he has a keen interest in unusual and difficult words, and he is constantly learning new ones. Herson, the word of the day when you received your award was "ostentatious". From what I have seen, that is something that you simply are not. My question to you today is, "are you a turophile?"

Thanks for all you do, Herson!

Juli 

Juli Lederhaus, Allison Austin and Nathaniel Potter in the Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel

This past Saturday all of the managers on the property (including Allison's direct supervisor, Nathaniel Potter) gathered in the Tavern of the Hawthorne Hotel to honor Allison Austin as our part-time employee of the month for October (yes, we're a little behind).

Allison was in the middle of taking orders and serving her guests when we surprised her with a bouquet of balloons, a gift certificate and the framed award, along with a special nametag.

As we watched her work, it was obvious that she is totally focused on providing outstanding service to our guests. While we did take her away from the tasks at hand for a few minutes, her customers were very understanding and also applauded her recognition.

Congratulations Allison! Keep up the great work!!!

Thank you,

Juli and the staff of the Hawthorne Hotel