Some Like it Hot
“Do you have a hot tub at your inn?””No, we have TWO!” Darren loves giving this answer to guests over the phone. It thrills us (and our guests) to have two special spots for guests to enjoy an apres ski, after-cycling, or after-a-long-drive-here hour of relaxation. (Six, if you add in our two saunas, Spa Relaxation Room, and cozy Fireplace Room. We were down to only one in October as our original hot tub – which has entertained Phineas guests for more than 15 years – finally gave up the ghost. Needless to...
read moreInto Every Sun, a Little Shade Must Fall
A lot of interesting things have happened here at the Phineas Swann. We’ve had Nobel-prize winning economists visit. We’ve had a pathfinding leader in the fight for LGBT rights perform a wedding in our fireplace room. We’ve hosted countless auctions, events, weddings, memorials, vow renewals, and memorable family moments. About a year from now, on Monday, April 8 at 3:26 p.m., we’ll have the type of historic event that won’t happen again here until July 22, 2381. And after that, not until June 9, 2699. On April 8...
read moreWhat is a “Licensed” Property?
The Phineas Swann has won lots of awards, from one of Boston Magazine’s “Most Romantic Inns” to CNN’s “Top 12 Dog-Friendly Hotels in the World.” But we know there’s lots of choices when you’re coming to stay in the Jay Peak area. When you do decide where to stay, we’d like to suggest you choose carefully, because not all accommodations meet the safety regulations set by the state of Vermont. We take your safety seriously. We know it’s easier to have a good night’s sleep when...
read more20 Trivial Facts About Vermont
Coming to visit us in Vermont? Never been here before? Or think you know it all since you know about Ben & Jerry’s, Bernie Sanders, and cheese? Here’s 20 neat facts about Vermont you may not have known: A century ago 80 percent of the state was deforested by the lumber industry. Today, more than 78% of the state is covered by trees. Although it’s the only New England state that doesn’t touch the ocean, two big fossil finds were made in Vermont, including an ancient Beluga whale. Vermont was one of the few U.S. states to be a republic...
read moreGetaways only possible thanks to great team
We often get asked, “With you guys there 24/7, when do you find time to get away?” Lynne & I just returned from one of those moments – a vacation to St. Martin/St. Barts to recharge our batteries & get ready for the busy and fun ski season. But we couldn’t do it without this fantastic team we have. Each of the people you see here cares about the inn & spa, and cares about our customers, so we feel comfortable leaving it in their capable hands. Thanks, team. We appreciate you allowing us to renew for a week...
read moreWhy We’re No Longer a ‘Bed and Breakfast’
Several people have asked us why we changed our name from the “Phineas Swann Bed & Breakfast” to the “Phineas Swann Inn & Spa.” It slightly complicated, and maybe a little wonky, but if you’re if you’re interested, read on. One obvious reason is that we have added a day spa to our campus, SpaVermont. We now offer all of our guests, and indeed people in the area who may not be staying with us, spa services including saunas massages exercise bikes, facials, manicures and pedicures. But the larger...
read moreTurning a Greener Leaf
Those who’ve stayed with us in the past know we’ve tried keep our footprint as small as possible. We live in the most beautiful and scenic part of Vermont, so we don’t want anything to detract from that. We recycle bottles. We try and source everything locally. When we arrived just over seven years ago, we quickly converted all our lighting to LED to conserve electricity. Guests can enjoy water bubblers instead of plastic water bottles. And we recycle where we can, including collecting all the cans and bottles we give out...
read more1,000 Words
A picture is worth a thousand words. And during Lynne’s and my seven-plus years here as owners of the Phineas Swann, we’ve been lucky to have thousands of guests send us hundreds of photographs documenting how much they love their stay. We encourage all our guests to let us know how we’ve done, whether it’s a compliment or suggestion over breakfast, via an email or phone call after your stay, or via an online review at Google, TripAdvisor, Facebook, or any of the other travel-related sites. So here’s a small...
read moreFire Safety Means a Good Night’s Sleep
Forgive us if at some point this gets a little wonky. One of the critical things you’re looking for when you pick a place to stay at the Top of Vermont near Jay Peak is where you’re going to find a good night’s sleep. We’ve all stayed at that friend’s apartment where the mattress on the floor just doesn’t cut it. We’ve all stayed on that folding bed where the metal bar digs into your back all night. We’ve all stayed at that hotel where the loud music from three rooms down or the kids running up...
read moreRules To Live By On A Holiday Ski Weekend
Lines at Jay aren’t as long as these at Whistler – which is why Jay is such a great secret. One of our favorite people to follow on Facebook is “Skiology Matt,” who runs the “Northwest Skiology Group” Facebook page. If you haven’t “liked” his page, stop right now, go do it, and then come back. We’ll wait. Matt does a great job tracking weather, predicting which resorts will get fresh pow (Yea! Jay has been getting puked on regularly this year), which resorts will be on the wrong side...
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