Hotel Management — February 2012
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Double Take
WINVIAN
The Connecticut resort is a study in varied tastes
Winvian in Litchfield Hills, Conn., is about as eclectic a resort as you will find anywhere. Of the 18 accommodations in the form of stand-alone cottages, no two are alike. And when we say they are all different, we don’t just mean in terms of space and amenities. We mean one cottage is fashioned like a helicopter cockpit, another takes the form of a lighthouse, while yet another is devoted entirely to golf—complete with its own putting green.
A joy for guests, it can create some operational obstacles. Renovations typically have a long lead-time and are costly, since most items that need replacing must be custom-made every time. “We have to go back to the source and get items made from scratch, including things like couches, shades and curtains,” said Heather Smith, managing director of the property. Her mother, owner/operator Margaret Smith, commissioned 15 different architects to design the 18 cottages, which are spread across 113 acres.
Maintaining the property and keeping the cottages fresh and clean on a daily basis is no simple task either. Staffers are trained on different protocol needed to clean each cottage properly, including the various cleaning products and equipment that must be used in each room on surfaces and finishes.
Room service delivery is a challenge at the Winvian, since buildings are spread out over such vast acreage; with an award-winning restaurant, Winvian takes great pains to ensure guests receive their food promptly.
“Each time a guest orders food and beverage, we put it in a car and drive it to them,” said Smith. “Our chef puts the food in iron pots to keep it hot, and we serve meals in courses so that each part is hot.”
As a result, Winvian’s housekeeping and room service staff is considerably larger than most other properties with similar room counts.
Once a family country home, Winvian was transformed into a chateau-like resort in 2007. While the resort is composed of disparate parts, there is one distinct factor that defines the resort: “The comfortable, ‘home away from home’ feeling that the resort and our employees emanate,” said Smith.
Guests are able to choose their desired accommodation style— be it romantic, rustic or adventurous—and each cottage ranges in size from 950 square feet to 1,250 square feet.
Other cottage concepts include the Woodlands Cottage, which blurs the line between the outdoors and indoors with the use of wood and stone, and the Treehouse Cottage, which is suspended 35 feet above the ground and fitted between three trees.
“There’s no question it is more expensive to run a hotel of this caliber,” said Smith, “but it is a labor of love.
The Connecticut resort is a study in varied tastes
Winvian in Litchfield Hills, Conn., is about as eclectic a resort as you will find anywhere. Of the 18 accommodations in the form of stand-alone cottages, no two are alike. And when we say they are all different, we don’t just mean in terms of space and amenities. We mean one cottage is fashioned like a helicopter cockpit, another takes the form of a lighthouse, while yet another is devoted entirely to golf—complete with its own putting green.
A joy for guests, it can create some operational obstacles. Renovations typically have a long lead-time and are costly, since most items that need replacing must be custom-made every time. “We have to go back to the source and get items made from scratch, including things like couches, shades and curtains,” said Heather Smith, managing director of the property. Her mother, owner/operator Margaret Smith, commissioned 15 different architects to design the 18 cottages, which are spread across 113 acres.
Maintaining the property and keeping the cottages fresh and clean on a daily basis is no simple task either. Staffers are trained on different protocol needed to clean each cottage properly, including the various cleaning products and equipment that must be used in each room on surfaces and finishes.
Room service delivery is a challenge at the Winvian, since buildings are spread out over such vast acreage; with an award-winning restaurant, Winvian takes great pains to ensure guests receive their food promptly.
“Each time a guest orders food and beverage, we put it in a car and drive it to them,” said Smith. “Our chef puts the food in iron pots to keep it hot, and we serve meals in courses so that each part is hot.”
As a result, Winvian’s housekeeping and room service staff is considerably larger than most other properties with similar room counts.
Once a family country home, Winvian was transformed into a chateau-like resort in 2007. While the resort is composed of disparate parts, there is one distinct factor that defines the resort: “The comfortable, ‘home away from home’ feeling that the resort and our employees emanate,” said Smith.
Guests are able to choose their desired accommodation style— be it romantic, rustic or adventurous—and each cottage ranges in size from 950 square feet to 1,250 square feet.
Other cottage concepts include the Woodlands Cottage, which blurs the line between the outdoors and indoors with the use of wood and stone, and the Treehouse Cottage, which is suspended 35 feet above the ground and fitted between three trees.
“There’s no question it is more expensive to run a hotel of this caliber,” said Smith, “but it is a labor of love.
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