As we transition from a busy summer in to an equally crazy fall I realize that all of us at The Nonantum have so much to be grateful for! I read the following over the weekend and thought others would enjoy reading it too! Please let me know your thoughts!

“I am thankful for…

The mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

The taxes I pay because it means that I am employed.

A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

My shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

The spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

All the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.

My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

The lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.

The alarm that goes off early in the morning hours because it means that I am alive.

The piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby

Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.”

(This reflection first appeared in the newsletter of First Presbyterian Church in Lyons, New York. It was reprinted in Family Circle magazine in 1999.)

Enjoy this beautiful weather!

The following quites are from some recent guests. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Very welcoming and enjoyable. Stayed in an Ocean view room with a Queen and a
twin bed. Everyone was courteous and professional – from check-in, to seating at
breakfast, to answering questions etc. I loved the location – close to Dock
Square but yet far enough away to be isolated (Also recommend Hurricane and Old
Vines for Dinner/Tapas). Stayed with wife and my 16 year old daughter but
noticed a lot of activities for smaller children too. The Nonantum appeals to a
wide demographic based on the the guests that I saw. I would return without
hesitation.

We stayed at the Nonantum Resort for a wedding this past weekend and had a
wonderful time. The InnKeeper was so gracious and kind during our stay and the
rest of the staff was very friendly, professional and accomodating to our needs.
The room was very clean, beds turned down at night, the property was beautiful
and the breakfast was great! The food, music, and beautiful setting made the
wedding a hit- even ended the night with giant sparklers!We will definately be
back and would highly recommend this resort.

We checked into the Nonantum on Saturday and extended our stay until Tuesday
because of the excellent environment. We stayed in one of the newly decorated
rooms in the Carriage building; I am a bit of a critic when it comes to the
cleanliness of a room and I must say, it exceeded my expectations. The room was
lovely, very comfortable and the staff was extremely accomodating from checking
in/out to early morning coffee in the lobby. The breakfast was more than we
planned on, we didn’t even realize it was part of the room rate. Our reason for
the stay was to attend a wedding……….Excellent venue!!!!!!!

We have 4 children, ages 5-9 and have been staying at the Nonantum for over 5
years. Our oldest child has many food allergies, so we contacted the hotel staff
in advance this year to see if we would be able to dine in the restaurant. The
staff was unbelievable in making sure our son’s needs were met and our dinner
was a wonderfu experience. One we will remember for many years to come. There
are always great activities for the kids when we visit! The staff organizes fun
games while the kids take breaks from swimming. There are also options of
kayaking and boating. There is never a lack of things to do for our family at
the Nonantum and it’s a very short walk into town. We look forward to many more
years of visits!

Some days I just have to pinch myself and wonder how I got so lucky as to work everyday in Kennebunkport! Today is one of those days. The temperature is a perfect 80 degrees with no humidity. The sun is shining and the sky is that beautiful crystal blue that makes you think you can see forever!

The Sand Bar still has a prominent place on our lawn. We use it now for weddings and special events. Yes, it really is made of sand and no, the rain doesn’t hurt it!

The picture just isn’t doing it justice! You will have to come down here and see for yourself!

The Carriage House at The Nonantum Resort was part of the original inn that opened in 1884 in the home of sea captain Henry Heckman. The original Nonantum Inn opened on July 4, 1884, with 28 rooms and 10 staff members.  In 2008 we celebrated our 125th anniversary and opened Heckman’s Pub in the Carriage House. We like to think Henry is flattered that our guests spend so much time socializing and enjoying this special little corner of the hotel.

We also have a mascot here named Henry Heckman. Henry is a Harbor Seal and he even has his own Facebook page. Make sure you friend him!

Henry the Harbor Seal can also be seen at the Nonantum Sundays at Breakfast, Monday at Pool Lunch, Tuesday at the Guest Appreciation Reception, Wednesday morning at kids camp and throughtout the week. Our little guests flock to him for a hug!

Each year on the day after Memorial Day we gather all of our staff together and have a discussion and briefing of the year ahead. Each year I feel very overwhelmed when I see all of the different folks from all the different departments all together in one spot! All told, in the course of a season, we will have nearly 200 different folks on our payroll.

The first spring I worked here I remember thinking that we are almost like a little city. We have kitchen workers, maintence people, waitstaff, front desk staff, sales people, gardeners, administrators, accountants, chefs, housekeepers, consierge and laundry people. All of us need the others to do our jobs sucessfully. Our meetings always emphsize teamwork and trying to see things from another persons point of view.

As always we started our meeting by having everyone introduce themselves, tell us how long they had been at The Nonantum and what their job is. It is always mind blowing to see how many people have been here for a very long time! We have several who have been here over 20 years and next year Sandra Gendron will celebrate her 30th anniversary with us!

The Fire Chief came and talked to us about what to do in an emergency and we also listened to the three boat captains tell us about their boats and the fact that employees get to ride for free!

This year we had ML Hannay as our guest speaker. ML is a wonderful motivational speaker and she gave us all  lots of great ideas for even better guest service than we already have! We did lots of fun ice breakers and learned a lot about our fellow employees!

The meeting concluded with pizza and lot of conversation. Another year is off to the races!

Many of you have asked me about this whole phenom known as Fairy Festivals. How did this ever get started? Why are children (and adults) so taken by this? Where can I go to one? I will use this post to fill you in!

“When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies. And now when every new baby is born its first laugh becomes a fairy. So there ought to be one fairy for every boy or girl.”

James Matthew Barrie (Peter, in Peter Pan, act 1)–

Once the Fairy’s arrive here on earth, they need to have a place to live. That is where Fairy Houses come in!

Author Tracy Kane explains it perfectly in this quote: 

“Fairy Houses are small structures for the fairies and nature’s friends to visit. Sticks, bark, dry grasses, pebbles, shells, feathers, seaweed, pine cones and nuts are just some of the natural materials used. Ranging from rustic to intricate ‘Fairy Mansions’, these whimsical habitats are built by children, families, gardeners and nature lovers reflecting their creativity, joy and pride.

The simple challenge of creating a fairy house gives children a unique activity that encourages them to go outside and connect with the natural world, nurturing care and respect for the environment.”

Here is an interview with Tracy:

Tracy will be at The Nonantum Resort on Friday June 17 and Saturday June 18 for our annual Fairy Festival. For more information, check out our website at

http://www.nonantumresort.com/sites/default/files/content/images/Fairy%20Festival%202011.pdf

Hope to see you at The Nonantum Resort’s 2nd Annual Fairy Festival!

For the fourth consecutive year, the Nonantum Resort was the site of the High School of the Kennebunks annual Prom. We love having the opportunity to share our beautiful spot with 350 young adults on a very exciting night! Tradition at Kennebunk High is for the Prom goers to have dinner at area restaurants and in groups with friends at home and then head down to the beach for pictures with the perfect backdrop! Kathy Guay and Intown Trolley help transport the students to the Nonantum where a beautiful tent awaits them!

Each year Nonantum Director of Sales Tim Ames takes on the Kennebunk Prom as his own special event. Tim calls in favors from many local businesses such as the Candy Man, who donated the candy for a fantastic candy bar. In addition Nonantum Chef Lauren Zuma made dozens Whoopie Pies from her boyfriends Mothers secret recipe! Rounding out the tasty choices will be a make-your-own sundae bar featuring Shanes of Maine ice cream!

As The Nonantum is such a wonderful customer of Sperry Tents, owner Bancroft Potter donates the use of the breath-taking tent at no charge. This is an extremely generous donation as rental of a tent of this style would be in excess of $5,000!

Despite a chilly evening, the heaters kept the tent warm and students danced the night away. This group of 350 were not only beautiful in how they were dressed but also in how they behaved. They were courteous and polite and thanked us throughout the evening. A wonderful time was had by all!

We are now extending your pets a warm welcome in our designated pet-friendly rooms.  When you make your reservation, be sure to let us know about the pet(s) who will accompany you so we can reserve the appropriate lodging and have all the pet necessities ready for their comfort. 

There are a limited number of rooms available as we are offering two of our ground level Portside Lodge, Non-waterview rooms for your family and pet lodging needs. 

Please help us in pioneering our trial year by following the guidelines below:

            -Maximum 50lb Limit (Dog Size)

            -Dogs only, sorry. Maximum of Two dogs per room.

-There is an additional $30 per-dog, per-day charge and we offer Cuddledown dog beds for the comfort of your four legged friends at $5.00 per-dog, per day. 

-If you would like to make arrangements for your dog(s) to have time away from the family we can offer a list of highly recommended dog-sitters and dog-walkers at the rate of $15 per hour.

-Pets must be taken with you whenever you leave the property.  Please see our Concierge for dog friendly locations.  Pets are allowed to stay in your room unattended only during the hours of breakfast operation as the Carriage House Inn and common areas (including the courtyard and riverfront areas) do not allow pets.

- Please keep your pet safe on his or her leash while enjoyingKennebunkport(there is a leash law). We would love to provide you with some biodegradable doggie pick-up bags for your use during your time around town. 

-Please understand that you are responsible for any damages (damage fees) and must sign your pet in at the time of check-in with license number(s).

-In the event of a canine emergency we recommend contacting www.maineveterinaryreferralcenter.com.

This week we welcomed our first doggie guests and from all accounts it was a roaring (barking?) success!

Last Sunday we were honored to have nearly 500 friends join us for Easter Sunday. We take our resonsibility as the headquarters for family holidays very seriously. Nothing makes us happier than watching people have build memories together. In case you missed it, our roving photographer Melanie Kratovil caught a few images of the day!

So as you can see, at The Nonantum, holidays are really something special!

Mother’s Day will be here before you know it….

It is spring break here in Kennebunkport, Maine and parents of teens are uttering those words kids hate to hear “Go and get a summer job this week!” If you are one of those kids with parents breathing down your neck to come up with a summer in Kennebunkport plan, I have some tips that will help make the rest of your vacation a whole lot more fun!

First of all, I suggest you think about what you might be interested in! Don’t apply because your friend did. Apply because you actually might want to work there! It will make your summer much more tolerable! There really are lots of options. Be creative!

Give some thought as to what you can add to the potential summer employers talent pool! Are you great at organizing? Do you speak French? Are you a pro at Facebook? Let people know because it will make your application stand out among the crowd!

Another question to consider is whether or not you can work during school, or during just summer vacation. For example, we are a seasonal property that opens April 15th and we close December 15th. If a student comes in who is willing to work a shift or two a week from now until December, in addition to during the summer, their application goes to the top of the pile! Anything you can think of that makes you more valuable to the place you are applying should be emphasized!

If you know someone who works at the place you are applying to, by all means contact them and ask what some of the great things about working there are and what the best way to get your foot in the door might be! For example, if they only take applications on-line like we do here at The Nonantum Resort, follow that protocol. Don’t just show up and ask “Are you hiring?” It makes you look like you haven’t done your homework (because you haven’t!)

Fill out the application completely. Check your spelling. This is a place to tell us about any of those special talents! If you know someone who works there, feel free to mention it in the notes field. 

If you are lucky enough to get an interview, be a few minutes early. Check out the website of the company before you go and think of a couple of questions you would like to ask. Dress neatly. Be polite. After the interview, write a short handwritten note to the person who interviewed you and send it that very day. Tell them how much you enjoyed meeting them and that you would love to work there.

A few things not to do: Have your parents call to find out about available jobs, stop in to get you an application, or do a follow-up phone call for you. We are hiring you, not your parents, so please come and see us yourself. We interview lots of kids your age, and we will help you with the process. You will be nervous. We will help!

One last bit of advice, next year please start looking a little earlier! At The Nonantum we have completed our hiring for the season. We still take applications and keep them on file because some students end up doing something else at the last-minute or not working out, but pretty much our staff is set. There are still lots of “help wanted” signs around Kennebunkport though, so get out and start pounding the pavement! Hopefully be the end of the week, you will be among the ranks of the employed!