In light of the fact that the Hartwell House Inn of Ogunquit, Maine has recently changed ownership, and Charlene Taubert and I have decided not to continue on as the General Managers / Innkeepers, we did want to take a few moments to wish the best of luck to the new ownership group AND thank our many, many loyal guests and the exceptional team of hospitality professionals we brought on board to work alongside us for their support over the years.
We also want to take a few moments, before we move on, to share some of the most cherished personal memories we have from our 9 years of leadership at the helm of this remarkable property.
In early spring of 2013, Charlene Taubert and I drove from our South Florida home to Ogunquit, Maine to take up management of the Hartwell House Inn.
From day one, we brought our own brand of warm and unobtrusive hospitality to this landmark inn; and as the New England seasons blended into each other and the years pleasantly passed we put a lot of ourselves and our passions into developing the guest experience at this celebrated property.
With the tireless devotion of the diverse team of hospitality professionals we assembled to work alongside us – together, we all made a significant impact on the culture of this high-profile lodging option in one of America’s top beach towns.
We built our reputation on becoming the visible leaders of this “meaningful milestone” destination in Ogunquit, Maine. The place you can trust to help you celebrate your most precious life moments in ways you will never forget. Honeymoons, anniversaries, birthdays, accomplishments, creative retreats – AND, as Ogunquit, Maine’s most romantic small inn, plenty of well-deserved spontaneous vacation getaways by the sea!
As any of you who visited us can attest, BREAKFAST and BAKING were two of the areas we were VERY passionate about at the Hartwell House Inn.
BREAKFASTS
Chef Eric brought the art of breakfast to new and dizzying heights with his signature, over-the-top, made-to-order breakfasts.
A few of the guest favorites were Eric’s:
- Maine Maple Ham and Vermont White Cheddar Omelet garnished with microgreens, served with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Fresh-Baked Sourdough Toast.
- Truffled Sunnyside Eggs Topped with Shaved Parmesan + Diced Heirloom Tomatoes and finished with White Truffle Oil + Minced Black Truffle.
- Great Pumpkin Pancakes topped with an Autumn Spice Syrup, Freshly Whipped Cream, Dried Cranberries + Pepitas, and garnished with an Inn-Made Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream.
- Maine Harvest Festival Candy Apple Pancakes – topped w/ Baked Spiced Maine Apples from Randall Orchards (Standish, ME), finished w/ a mini-scoop of Old-Fashioned Vanilla by Gifford’s Ice Cream (Skowhegan, ME) and a Salted Caramel Cider Sauce (utilizing Maine Sea Salt (Marshfield, ME) and RICKER HILL ORCHARDS Cider (Turner, ME), presented with a small chunk of Pineland Farms (New Gloucester, ME) White Cheddar Cheese.
- And no discussion of Hartwell House Inn’s breakfasts would be complete without mention of Chef Eric’s legendary Wild Maine Blueberry Pancakes topped with his proprietary Blueberry Sauce + Freshly Whipped Cream, and served with Maine Maple Syrup and Inn-Made Blueberry Ice Cream
One of the many ways we differentiated the property was through the scope and quality of our breakfast offerings. Our breakfast menus at the Hartwell House Inn changed daily and we offered a minimum of 4 made-to-order options for our guests – always with an emphasis on fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. Chef Eric even grew a wide variety of fresh herbs for breakfast recipe use in the Inn’s backyard gardens. We also offered juices in chilled champagne glasses, yogurt, muffins, fresh-brewed coffee, and tea – PLUS a premium breakfast cocktail menu.
We also sometimes surprised our guests during their candlelit gourmet breakfasts with daybreak LIVE MUSIC performances! Thanks for the early mornings Curt Bessette & Jenn Kurtz 🙂
RELATED: You may also be interested in: RECIPE: Publick House Fresh Blueberry Cream Pie – Sturbridge, MA (at NewEnglandInnkeeper.com)
RELATED: You may also be interested in: Bayberry Candles. History + Origins of the Christmas Tradition (at NewEnglandInnkeeper.com)
Photos of Hartwell House Inn Breakfast Items
BAKING
Charlene made certain the comforting aromas of baked goods and spiced breads filled our common areas during the early morning hours and our afternoon tea services. From cookies, cakes (including her insanely delicious Coconut Pound Cake), an unforgettable Heirloom Apple Pie (utilizing apples from the ancient George Thompson apple tree on property), bars, scones, banana breads, buckles, hand pies, homemade cinnamon buns with vanilla icing, candies, and holiday treats – all the way through to her famous blueberry muffins! Guests were always excited to indulge in the sweet treats that Charlene’s baking skills made possible.
Charlene also taught cooking and baking classes at the Inn.
Photos of Hartwell House Inn Baked Items
The Gingerbread House
Then there was that one time Charlene and I designed and created a Gingerbread House inspired by the historic Thompson Farmhouse (1750) of Ogunquit, Maine (where we lived).
Hartwell House Inn Accepted Into Select Registry
A proud moment for Charlene and I and a big accomplishment for the inn…
In 2014, during our second year as General Managers / Innkeepers at the Hartwell House Inn, our focus on local + seasonal food, along with our commitment to exceptionally high standards of cleanliness, the care we took with the physical maintenance of the building, and our timeless hospitality (along with our implementation of many “Shock & Awe” guest touchpoints) all empowered our Inn to be accepted as a member of one of the most prestigious innkeepers’ associations in the country, Select Registry: Distinguished Inns of North America.
Then there was that other time when Charlene and I were interviewed for “The Voice of Innkeeping” magazine…
Hartwell House Inn Weddings
At the Hartwell House Inn, Charlene and I have long built our reputation on being the “meaningful milestone” destination in Ogunquit, Maine — THE place that specializes in helping you celebrate your most precious life moments in ways you will never forget.
From dream wedding ceremonies and receptions (whether large in scale, or intimate micro-weddings) – PLUS other special events (anniversary parties, retirement celebrations, reunions); we’ve helped so many of our valued guests celebrate the most important dates in their lives, always surrounded by the lush lawns and gardens of the Inn AND our professional and attentive staff.
Photos of Weddings + Receptions at Hartwell House Inn
Hartwell House Participates in Ogunquit Community Events
Charlene and I also took many steps to raise the profile of the Hartwell House Inn throughout the Ogunquit community.
We took serious pleasure in celebrating the vibrant and enduring legacy of the Ogunquit Art Colony by participating in events held by the Ogunquit Art Association at Barn Gallery (where Eric is a juried artist member) and the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (OMAA).
We were among the earliest sponsors of the inaugural (and very successful) Perkins Cove Plein Air Art Event. Eric even served as one of the 3 Celebrity Judges at the event.
With the development of our popular Hartwell House Inn Artist-in-Residence program, we brought artists of many disciplines to the Inn (painters, photographers, writers, and musicians) and allowed them to stay on property while they created art, held “live art” events, performed music, and interacted with our guests.
For the benefit of the younger creative visitors to our town, Charlene and I also served as judges for the annual Ogunquit Sandcastle Building Contest at Main Beach.
Through her work volunteering for the Ogunquit Parks and Recreation Committee, Charlene encouraged our staff to also volunteer as part of the team hosting the two major concerts they held at Leavitt Theatre featuring The Platters and The Classic Drifters.
We made enough waves on the Maine arts scene that Down East Magazine eventually called out the Hartwell House Inn as their sole ‘Where To Stay” in their popular Arts Issue.
Photos of Hartwell House Inn Art Events
Fall + Winter at Hartwell House Inn
Charlene and I also enjoyed embracing the finer qualities of the Fall and Winter seasons at Hartwell House Inn.
In the fall (particularly during the annual Ogunquitfest celebration in town) we would always turn the Hartwell House Inn into a seasonal spectacle for the enjoyment of our guests (and the general public). Our front yard at the Inn would be transformed through overly-generous use of cornstalks and pumpkins. The inside of the inn would be decorated with earth color hues and a tasteful embrace of the owners’ long-standing tradition of displaying whimsical Halloween figurines throughout the common areas.
And, as anyone who has ever visited Ogunquit during October would surely know, Charlene’s epic and colorful Peanuts Gang displays would always be backing up traffic along Shore Road in front of the Inn. Charlene even took home a coveted first place award (as voted on by visitors to the town) in the 2017 Ogunquitfest Autumn Display Contest.
We brought plenty of a “Hallmark Christmas Movie” style of magic to our corner of Shore Road as the winter holidays approached. Charlene and I would adorn the exterior of the inn with dazzling Christmas lights and live evergreen garland. And Charlene always brought her skilled design touches to play in transforming the inside of Hartwell House Inn into a full-blown winter wonderland – complete with 25 decorated Christmas Trees and a sugarplum dream of a Santa’s Workshop display that you needed to actually see to believe!
Additionally, during Ogunquit, Maine’s annual Christmas by the Sea parade (which passed directly in front of Hartwell House Inn), we always hosted a free “Hot Cocoa and Mulled Cider with Mrs. Santa Claus and her Elves”. Charlene dressed like Mrs. Claus and (along with her team of trusty elves) would hand out homemade cookies and warm drinks to parade viewers. You should have seen the lines!
Photos + Videos of Hartwell House Inn Fall and Winter Events
VIDEO: A Valentine’s Dinner Getaway at Hartwell House Inn
New Year’s Eve at the Hartwell House Inn of Ogunquit, Maine
One of our favorite events was our VERY exclusive Hartwell House Inn New Year’s Eve Getaway – a magical few days during which the Innkeepers Charlene and Eric Taubert (along with our staff) would create and serve a decadent homemade-completely-from-scratch dinner (featuring Eric’s famous Ogunquit Lazy Lobster Newburg) while the wine continuously flowed against the backdrop of live music and the impressively decorated Inn. The lucky few guests in attendance alway enjoyed it so much that they would prebook for future years well in advance, so the waitlist for this event was several years long.
Video: New Year’s Eve Dinner Getaway at the Hartwell House Inn of Ogunquit, Maine
Photos of Hartwell House Inn Accommodations
Accolades
Due to the seasonal pride and excitement we exhibited on a regular basis, our property was even listed as one of the “Top 12 Winter Escapes in the US” – AND in their “Cozy Up To Winter in Ogunquit, Maine” AAA Magazines listed Hartwell House Inn as their “Where To Stay”.
Through our positive energy, tireless stamina, and our true love of what we do, Charlene and I steadily built a 9-year history of consistent 5-star online service ratings for the Hartwell House Inn.
Here are a few snippets from some of our favorite reviews:
“As they say, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Hartwell House Inn didn’t need one. The Inn was absolutely beautiful. Eric and Charlene were amazing from the moment we arrived. We arrived as guests and left as friends.“
“Charlene and Eric are charming and most accommodating hosts who seem to have an instinctive knack for being there just when needed and then disappearing into the (handsome) woodwork.“
“As other reviewers have noted, the home-cooked breakfasts are truly delicious, and not at all what one generally expects anymore when breakfast is included with a room. Charlene’s homemade baked goods could truly be dangerous for your waistline.”
“The Hartwell House Inn is by far our most favorite vacation spot up and down the east coast. It’s no wonder that The Hartwell House Inn is a member of Select Registry. The Inn meets all their standards above and beyond!“
“We just spent a couple of delightful days in Ogunquit, Maine at the Hartwell House Inn right on Shore Road. Our room was spotless and cozy, romantic with a beachy feel. We were celebrating a very special, significant anniversary and this Inn was up to the task of making the occasion memorable. Charlene, our Innkeeper, and her staff went out of their way to make us and their other guests feel very comfortable and right at home. Same time next year!!”
“One morning the muffins were apple muffins made from the apples of the 300 yr old apple tree on the adjoining property across the street. They were very memorable and I’d love the recipe but the technique Charlene explained to me made perfect sense and explained the depth of flavor of the muffins.”
“When we look for a place to stay we are happy if 3 things are excellent… The room, the mattress, and the innkeepers. This being our first trip since Covid, as we come out of the winter of 2021, we stayed in various places in Massachusetts and Maine. But only at the Hartwell House did we find all three components align perfectly. But let’s focus on the service of the innkeepers, which from the second they greeted us, was exceptional. And throughout our stay, lots of very small gestures, here and there, were so appreciated yet not expected. And during Covid of course all establishments had to get creative on how to service their guests at a distance. Only the Hartwell House got the breakfast part of B&B correct… With a wonderful breakfast hanging on your doorknob in the morning, complete with absolutely everything you needed for a late breakfast. And overhearing reservation troubles we were having, they took it upon themselves to see if they could get us reservations at the place we really wanted but was booked, and they were able to; then they canceled our other less desirable reservations for us. Our stay was Excellent on all 3 counts, Room, Mattress, and the hosts, Charlene and Eric! Thank you for making our exodus out of Covid so delightful and comfortable.”
“Through the past four decades, my wife, Peg and I have stayed in numerous inns, hotels and motels, however, the Hartwell House Inn is the benchmark for all others and we consider it to be the best inn in all of New England.“
“The innkeepers were so helpful, so accommodating. The folks here really do the job of hospitality to perfection.”
“We’ve visited Ogunquit numerous times over the years and have stayed in various Inns. This past weekend the Hartwell House Inn was our destination and it quickly jumped to be our all time favorite.“
“Eric’s breakfasts are EXCEPTIONAL. I am not a morning person, but I would jump out of bed to get to the dining room for his five star creations. He is an artist in the kitchen. His breakfasts are delicious and each plate is worthy of a picture.”
“The innkeepers Charlene & Eric are absolutely over-the-top Amazing! The second you arrive they make you feel comfortable and welcome. The breakfast is outstanding! Gourmet picture perfect. Having stayed there twice, there is no better option in Ogunquit than The Hartwell House Inn.”
“We would recommend this lovely inn to any who enjoy a quiet, unpretentious elegance against a distinctly dramatic seaside backdrop. The innkeepers convey warmth and professionalism in every detail.“
“My husband and I went here for a random romantic getaway around Thanksgiving time. We were totally blown away by this place. If you’re looking for a quiet romantic ocean getaway, Hartwell House is the place.“
“Charlene ran the House and is the baker. I can’t tell you how great her cookies were. Truth is everything she baked was outstanding but we especially loved the Snowball Cookies with Chocolate chips in them and Cinnamon Buns.”
“The Hartwell House Inn of Ogunquit is easily the greatest inn we’ve stayed at in our many years of traveling throughout the United States and Canada. Obviously, we will return as often as possible.“
“The Innkeepers Eric and Charlene are so professional, kind, thoughtful and talented. They treat their guests like family and they’re the reason we continue to come back. Besides the hosts, honestly my favorite part about the Hartwell House is the breakfast. It’s 100% ridiculous. It’s custom…just for you off of a unique menu created and placed out for you each morning. A server brings you a chilled glass of the juice of your selection before you indulge in your morning choice: blueberry pancakes, a Belgian waffle, French toast, a specialty omelet…all homemade and accented with fresh fruit, maple syrup and bacon. You know those folks that like to post images of their meals on Facebook? Well, get ready to be one of them. And, snap the picture fast because the food won’t stay there long.”
“The Hartwell House Inn well-deserves all the five star reviews. We are hardworking professionals and look for a level of excellence when we go away. All our expectations were met here. We will definitely come back.“
“No review of this wonderful place would be complete without mentioning the ABSOLUTELY AMAZING Hartwell House breakfasts created by Eric. Each morning guests can choose from four breakfast options – and that decision will be your toughest of the day!”
“The innkeepers, Charlene and Eric, were so helpful and positive and flexible about every one of our requests. They made our guests feel like royalty, catering to their needs and offering up a breakfast that people raved about.“
“The Hartwell House Inn in Ogunquit, Maine is simply the best inn in all of New England, and perhaps in the entire United States. The rooms are clean, comfortable and spacious, and the amenities provided by the innkeepers, Eric Taubert and his lovely wife, Charlene are seemingly limitless. The true barometer of a quality inn is invariably the attentiveness provided to its lodgers by the innkeepers of the establishment, and no one we’ve seen has made a greater effort or total commitment to fulfill the needs and wishes of its guests than Eric and Charlene and their superbly trained employees. Their sincerity is palpable.”
A Few Photos of our Hartwell House Inn Team
A few parting words:
Tonight, after our 9 years of successful stewardship of the Hartwell House Inn, Charlene and I are celebrating the innumerable nostalgic reminiscences, heartfelt moments, and smiles that we’ve shared with all of you, our loyal guests, friends, and professional team at this landmark property. We put our utmost passion into creating enduring memories of this “beautiful place by the sea” for everyone who visited the Hartwell House Inn — and along the way, each one of you has become a bright and glistening facet on the jewel of the vibrant time we spent at this celebrated inn. Although we are moving on from our tenure at the Hartwell House Inn, we definitely look forward to seeing many of you in the future. Stay tuned!
