A Scituate couple bought a storied Vermont inn during the pandemic

After working in the insurance industry for decades, Mary Lou Ricci and Tim Hall completely changed careers during the pandemic when they bought a storied Vermont inn.

“I had always thought in the back of my mind maybe someday it would be fun to run a small bed and breakfast,” said Ricci, 59, a Scituate native.

“This couldn’t have been furthest from my dreams,” said Tim Hall, 61, originally from Memphis. “However, one could say I always wanted to start my own business, and here we are.”

The couple, who have been together for 13 years and married for seven, decided to sell their insurance company and buy The Hermitage Inn, which sits on 112 acres at the base of Haystack Mountain in West Dover, Vermont.

After a two-year multi-million dollar renovation, the 14-room inn, complete with a fine-dining restaurant, private wine cellar, and adjoining tavern, has already earned Wine Spectator‘s Award of Excellence.

The property opened in phases late last year but this is the first full ski season that all aspects of the property are open. The inn boasts a trout pond, apple orchards, private gardens, hiking trails, and a covered bridge.

The Hermitage Inn had been sitting vacant since 2018. It was previously owned by a private ski area called the Hermitage Club before the owner went bankrupt and put the inn up for sale. Ricci and Hall were members of the club.

The property’s culinary program is overseen by James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Schlow.

“What makes a smart business person is you need to know what you don’t know,” said Ricci. “Of course, we don’t know how to run a commercial kitchen.”

So Ricci and Hall reached out to Schlow through a mutual acquaintance.

“There’s something really beautiful and a little old-fashioned about it,” said Schlow in a video about the property posted on the inn’s Facebook page. “When I was contacted by Mary Lou and Tim, there was a symmetry in the desire to bring The Hermitage to a world-class destination. And here I have the opportunity to truly participate in creating this new vision for what The Hermitage could be.”

The culinary program includes seasonal menus and local ingredients. The wine cellar is stocked with vintages from around the world and the wine program offers special events and tastings throughout the year. Guests can also rent out the wine cellar for a one-of-a-kind dining experience.

Schlow said he has been visiting The Hermitage Inn since the late ’90s. Hall and Ricci, who owned a second home nearby (which has now become their primary home) were previous patrons of the inn as well.

“We were really excited because we have history with The Hermitage Inn,” Ricci said. “We have been coming up here as second homeowners almost every weekend and The Hermitage Inn would be our stop on Friday night. We were there every weekend. So we were truly excited to be able to be the owners of this iconic inn that everybody knows and loved in the area.”

The 1842 property was once a working farm before it was transformed into an inn in 1962, according to Ricci, and then Jim McGovern took it over in 1971 and during his more than three decades of ownership, the oenophile earned an esteemed Wine Spectator Grand Award in 1984.

Ricci had previous experience renovating homes and looked forward to the challenge of renovating the inn, she said. When opening up and modernizing the dining space, it was important to her that guests could view the outdoors from inside.

The couple knew they wanted to provide a five-star experience, something they appreciated during their own travels.

“Tim and I have been fortunate enough in our lives to travel to some really wonderful luxury places and have eaten at Michelin-rated restaurants,” she said.

The inn offers three Historic Inn Rooms that date back to the 1800s located above the tavern, seven rooms in a wing called the Coldbrook Rooms, and four rooms in the Carriage House near the pond. The rooms all have gas fireplaces.

“Our guests have said they’re very luxurious,” said Hall. “These are high-end rooms. We wanted to make sure it is a luxury experience.”

“I wanted to keep it a very neutral palate that’s inviting and warm, so you’ll see a lot of beiges and creams and grays,” Ricci said. “It’s very light and welcoming, but more modern.”

They turned the property’s old sugar house into a fitness center. The inn also offers a spa treatment room, sauna, and jacuzzi. They just installed an archery range.

“We have plans to put in a swimming pool and pickleball courts,” Hall said. “We have the trout pond. We stock the pond each spring with rainbow and brook trout. We have fly fishing clinics there, which have been very popular.”

Behind the inn is an extensive trail system. During the cold months, guests can use snow shoes and cross-country skis or hit the skating rink. During the warm months, there are kayaks and paddle boards for exploring.

“We’re up to about 40 employees,” Hall said. “In ski season, we’ll be at 60. That’s our really busy time.”

The Carriage House is already sold out for ski season this year and guests are booking weddings and events in 2023, Ricci said.

“My favorite thing is watching people walk in our front door with eyes wide open saying, ‘Wow, I can’t believe the changes and how beautiful the property is inside and out’, and then hearing the stories everybody has,” Ricci said.

“We’re building up a business, we’re building a brand,” said Hall. “We want our brand to be nationally and internally known. But, more importantly for me, I love reading the positive reviews we get. I just love the guest experience, making people happy.”