drjeff
Well-known member
The thing about the Balsams, is that it really was almost its own culture, and a culture that unless you've experienced 1st hand, it's tough to fully grasp. I know there's some AZ folks who have been there in the winter (myself included) and it's possible to get a bit of what the special, oldtime, almost a bit eclectic vibe that the place has, but compared to what the summer experience was there, the winter one is minor. My family courtesy of my grandparents, had 5 family summer reunions there, and some of it's distinct charm and ambience had to do not necessarily with what it had, but with what it didn't have. No TV's in the rooms, no air conditioners, no wifi, just a setting that allowed one to relax, and if in the case of my family (and many other familes too) get to spend some quality time together. Very often in the various sitting areas/pubs that they have in the main hotel, or down by the pool or even up at the Panorama Golf Course clubhouse, you'd talk to other people there and find out that this was their families 5th, 10th, 15th + trip back to The Balsams, almost always at the same week of the summer. It was that type of place where even though on the outside it seemed to be lacking many modern ammenities we've all come to take for granted, it offered so much more than any modern hotel could.
Then with the reopening of the Mountain View Grand and the "modernizing" of The Mount Washington Hotel, and even to some extent places such as the Sagamore on Lake George in NY, the idea that you could still have a "classic" early 1900's "Grand" hotel, but tastefully add in modern features really started to appeal to more and more people, some of those at the expense of longtime Balsam's guests.
I sincerely hope the new owners of the Balsams and their plan works out, since it really is a special place. At the same point I can totally see how especially with the locals there's a bunch of skepticism around them, since it's a HUGE change for an employer that when up and running is a MAJOR employer in that region. I look forward to hopefully upon completion making the drive back upto the Notch and hearing the doorman say "Welcome Back!" as they open the door of my car and then handing me a small bottle of NH maple syrup as they do(or atleast the old owners did) for any returning guest upon their arrival
Then with the reopening of the Mountain View Grand and the "modernizing" of The Mount Washington Hotel, and even to some extent places such as the Sagamore on Lake George in NY, the idea that you could still have a "classic" early 1900's "Grand" hotel, but tastefully add in modern features really started to appeal to more and more people, some of those at the expense of longtime Balsam's guests.
I sincerely hope the new owners of the Balsams and their plan works out, since it really is a special place. At the same point I can totally see how especially with the locals there's a bunch of skepticism around them, since it's a HUGE change for an employer that when up and running is a MAJOR employer in that region. I look forward to hopefully upon completion making the drive back upto the Notch and hearing the doorman say "Welcome Back!" as they open the door of my car and then handing me a small bottle of NH maple syrup as they do(or atleast the old owners did) for any returning guest upon their arrival
