We have so many interesting guests here at Hampton Terrace that it occurred to me that it might be fun to share some stories here in my blog.   Of course, everyone is special in his or her own way…..but let's limit this to those you might want to read about.

Several weeks ago Debra and Fred Zeller stayed over a weekend.    My background includes music promotion and the subject of music came up at breakfast..   It turns out that Fred has been a sound engineer at NBC, 30 Rock, for almost 30 years….about 10 as the sound engineer for Conan, and the last year doing the same for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.   Over the years he has met and worked  with virtually every celebrity and musical guest on the planet.    We talked about Macon, GA, my hometown, and the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, etc.    I produced an Allman Brothers reunion in 1986 which turned out to be pivotal in reuniting the band after a 10-year break.

I get an e-mail a week later from Fred saying that The Allman Brothers were playing the Fallon Show on March 9th and he would hold tickets for me.  So Susan, my sister-in-law, my daughter and I went to New York to spend the day with Fred.    Fred got me in about 11 am for equipment set-up and sound check.   I was able to spend a couple of hours backstage and reconnect with some of the Allmans:   Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, the drummers.   Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes, guitarists.     Fred was old friends with some of their tech guys so we spent considerable time listening to road stories.   It was great.     I watched the band do a couple of noon run-throughs….and even though the technical crew at the Fallon Show had seen just about every act there is….they applauded the sound check.   This band has remained vibrant, fresh and tight, in spite of a 40-year career.  Their line-up changes have been careful and deliberate.

While Susan, Lynn and Lauren sat in the live studio audience, I got to sit in the sound production room with Fred.  The layout is not too much different than the cockpit of the space shuttle.    This guy is the ultimate multi-tasker.   His hands fly all over the board, flipping switches, pushing slides, punching buttons.   His chair rolls around his work space methodically as he moves from panel to panel.    I am hearing the director cueing cameras, sound augments, props.     Although I had seen an earlier run-through for the show (with a Fallon stand-in), it turns out the live production is pretty much like Saturday Night Live….theater on the fly.    They know that a really bad screw-up can be edited out before the evening show, but much is left in.   A spontaneous-looking performance is the goal.

And screw up this show did.   A national headlines-type screw up.   Jimmy had challenged guest Chelsea Handler to a martini making contest.   The goal was to make 3 martinis, grab them and race around the audience, return to the stage and dump them in a container to see who could spill the least over the contest.    Chelsea got back first, but the mess they both made had soaked the stage.   As Jimmy was running back to the  table his feet went straight up the in the air and he crashed on his back, breaking all three glasses.    When he got up, he was bleeding profusely from his hands.    It turned out not to be serious…. but it was terribly funny because with his Saturday Night Live experience, Jimmy was not stymied by the moment…and Chelsea Handler was so quick that she had two great one-liners within seconds.   The perfect guest for the moment.

I had the extra thrill of hearing and seeing the way the production booth handled the mishap.    Close-ups.   Slow motions.   A running gag for the rest of the show.    The injury turned out to be just minor cuts and Jimmy had the hand wrapped for the rest of the show.    It was not wrapped the next  night.

The Allmans, meanwhile, were fabulous.    I cannot thank Fred Zeller enough for giving us this unforgettable experience at 30 Rock.    Owning an inn has many types of rewards.

If you think this is the only guest story I've got….just wait.

We are pleased to share that you can now  be a fan of Hampton Terrace, with a special set of benefits to be associated with that.    By following us on Facebook (and soon Twitter) you will be the first to know about special events here and in  the Berkshires, last-minute availabiilty, associated discounts, and other items of interest.  

CLICK HERE to register as a fan.

Occasionally, it is important to stop the world for a moment just to take stock.   What is important?

There are a million large and small details that go into running a bed and breakfast.  You don't want to know.   But whittle away all the other stuff and it boils down to this:   people want a good mattress and they want to smell great coffee in the morning.   We took care of the mattresses when we bought the place.   The numerous positive comments on our website and Trip Advisor support that decision.

So let's talk about coffee.   We have prepared breakfasts on more than 3,000 mornings for about 35,000 guests.   We have had ample opportunity to get feedback on our coffee and we have ended up with Single Origin Hawaiian Kauai.    It is imported and roasted locally by Barrington Coffee Roasters.     You can tell it is great when you first snip open the air-tight bag.    The aroma of the ground beans alone can overwhelm the room.   Amazing.    "Delicate and Refined" is the description on the bag.    We make it strong.

Just like our Sealy Posturpedic mattresses, it is an investment.    This coffee costs us about $20/pound….compared to about $7/pound for average grocery store brands.   Over the years we have tried alternates.    Consumer Reports likes "8 O'Clock" brand.   It is much cheaper, but did not make the cut.   Breakfast Blend from Dunkin Donuts is passable but not memorable.    Starbuck's tastes burned.   We have gotten good feedback on Peet's.   Not as good as the Hawaiian.

Last Spring we were lucky to be able to spend a week in Kona, where the Kona Coffee is as plentiful as water.   Literally free samples everywhere and hundreds of choices.    It was great.    So when we came back to Lenox we inquired with Barrington Coffee Roasters if they also imported Kona.    They do.  It is private reserve and they do not serve it in their local coffee shops but will roast it to order.   Instead of $20/pound, it costs about $30.   So we bought a 5 pound bag and alternated Kona and Kauai, querying our guests whether they could tell the difference.   It was fun….kind of like a wine tasting event each morning.   Bottom line, they liked both equally and could not identify one over the other.     So Kauai it is.   Why pay 5 times as much when you can pay 3 times as much?

But I make too big of a deal about the price.    In context, the Hawaiian coffee costs us about a quarter a cup.   Maxwell House might be a dime per cup.   Our guests are paying between $175 and $345/night to stay at Hampton Terrace.   Give the people some good coffee!    Jeez.    That is what I mean about boiling things down to what is important.

At Hampton Terrace we want to make sure that our guests have the best possible dining experience.   Most are here just a couple of nights, and considering the hundreds of choices in the Berkshires, the chance of accidently making the perfect choice is small.   So we help the process along.

We have hosted over 35,000 guest nights here at the inn.   The #1  topic at breakfast among our guests is a comparison of their dinners during their stay.   So we hear a lot.   And we have personally experienced most of the restaurants ourselves.    The list of preferred places has always included Bistro Zinc, Pearl's in Great Barrington, Fin and Betty's Pizza in Lenox.   All were created by the same ownership group over the past ten years, so it is safe to say they know what they are doing.    We send a list of our "preferred" restaurants to our guests prior to their arrival, so that if they want to make reservations somewhere they can.   Or if not, at least they arrive in the area with some ideas, and then they can look at the menu book in our front hall.

Last summer this group opened Frankie's.  It debuted right as the summer rush began, and we tried them twice, several months apart.  Our experiences were not memorable.   Plus, some of the guest feedback was pretty negative.   So they did not make our list.   There really ARE a lot of good Italian restaurants in the area.

But we saw positive reviews showing up on Trip Advisor recently.   Occasionally some guests would end up there and report back that they liked the place.   And then finally, we saw an ad that Frankie's was running a winter 3-course price fix at $20.   Remarkable enough for us to give it another try.

And I am glad we did.   The special (Sunday-Thursday) includes soup or salad, a choice from about 10 entres, and either canolli or Tiramisu.    I had the mushroom soup.   Great.   Susan had the Chicken Picata…and said it was the best she had ever eaten.   Large, soft chicken chunks instead of tough hammered flat pieces…and a lemon/caper sauce that we mopped up with our bread to keep from losing any.   I had the Spaghetti alla Carbonara.   Perfect.   We had to take our deserts to go….as the entres were normal size.    You know how it is sometimes on these "teaser" price fix promotions….choice of 3 entres' that are 40% smaller than a full price serving.   Not this.

And we are normally VERY picky about wine choices.   In this case, we had had some before leaving our house so a glass each was all we needed.   And usually when we have to settle for wine-by-the-glass, we are not overwhelmed.  In this case, I had a fine glass of house Chianti for $5,  and Susan was happy with her white at $6.

So as of now, Frankie's is on our list and we appreciate their giving us an "introductory" opportunity to come in on the cheap and give it another whirl.   So for those of you coming to Hampton Terrace mid-week this winter, go check this out.   And even if you are visiting us on a weekend, the normal menu prices should not deter you.

After more than 60 years operating as an inn, Hampton Terrace's guest rooms finally have names.   It is not that they needed names…Main House 5 was pretty descriptive…but we decided that this was an opportunity to help tell the history of the property in a colorful way.

Earliest recorded owner of this property, pre-dating 1852. Considering we are located on Walker Street, and that Lenox was quite rural in those days… could there be a connection?

This bright, cozy mini-suite consists of two side-by-side rooms and a bath. Encompassing the entire rear of the second floor, it has many windows but gives a sense of privacy. One bedroom has an heirloom iron bed with a down comforter and net canopy. Television/VCR. The other has a lovely iron day bed with down comforter. Both rooms display antiques and vintage fabric pillows and drapes. Original claw-foot tub with shower.  Air conditioning, iron and ironing board, hair dryer and bath amenity collection.

I was struck this past weekend at how many couples were here for reasons beyond just "getting away."    We had two honeymoons, a 5th anniversary, a 20th anniversary, and a guest who popped the question right in one of our king suites! 

I was thinking, why do people choose us for special occasion weekends?   It could be because virtually all of our rooms have fireplaces and Jacuzzis.   For everyone who stays at least two weekend nights during the off-season we give them a $30 gift certificate to the local wine/gourmet food shop in town to buy their own nice bottle of wine or champagne.   We provide glasses, plates, etc. at our private BYOB heirloom bar.   We also help our couples pre-plan their stay by providing a list of the best restaurants in the area, and lists of activities such as hikes, historic house tours, museums, night-life, theaters, spas…   Speaking of spas, we have a selected list of places to go for massages and spa services…or it is possible to have a massage right in your room.   During warm months we have an outdoor heated pool (always at 87 degrees) and six outdoor porches and decks.   Our breakfast consists of comfort food choices by candlelight, and we have two living rooms consisting of overstuffed or leather couches and chairs…..  During the winter months there are four public roaring fireplaces…. 

I guess I have answered my own question.   For our last anniversary, we stayed on the property and enjoyed one of our own king suites!

I know more are coming.   I received an e-mail from someone a few minutes ago who said friends were coming this Thursday for their 20th anniversary and she wanted to arrange chilled wine waiting in the room.   Happy to oblige.

We are proud that we are still among the top 2 rated inns in Lenox, out of 21, based on unsolicited guest reviews posted to Trip Advisor. 800-203-0656 www.hamptonterrace.com