~ From Our Guest Book ~
"Great Food! Thank you."
" Here on our honeymoon from Philidelphia, PA. Had a wonderful stay."
"Good - fabulous!! The karma & vibe - very good! Wonderful stay, everyone is very pleasant."
"Thank you for the fantastic service and the incredible food! We will definitely come by again!"
"This place is like home away from home. Thank you for making us feel welcome!"
"Our stay was beautiful, even with the arrival of Irene! Food was amazing, thank you very much."
"Had a lovely and relaxing time! Food was awesome & very nice staff."
"Home away from home. Amazing people."
~ From The Deerfield Valley News ~
DOVER, VT- For Sandy MacDougall, the former Paw House Inn was just the place he was looking for to start a new business. This spring, the well-known Route 100 property will reopen its doors as a bed and breakfast featuring kennel services for everyone and much more.
In late April or early May, the inn will open for business as the Four Seasons Inn, the inn’s former name. Ever since MacDougall moved to Wilmington from Connecticut, he has wanted to start his own business. MacDougall has worked at Mount Snow, Boulder Ridge, and managed the Sports Odyssey ski shop on Route 100. MacDougall and a friend made an offer on Sports Odyssey but the sale did not pan out. An opportunity arose last summer when the Paw House went on the market. “I’ve always enjoyed the interiors of the inn. It’s what drew me to the place,” said MacDougall.
According to MacDougall, the new Four Seasons Inn will offer lodging, dining, and kennel services. Since the closing, MacDougall has been renovating the property, from removing mold from the basement to building a new game room, a bar, and a restaurant. Most of all, MacDougall wants to offer the inn’s services to the general public. “The restaurant will be called ‘The Hunt Club’ and it will offer a lite fare menu open to the public. The game room will have pool tables and dartboards and we may even start a dart league to get people in here and use the facility. We’re big proponents of giving back to the town,” said MacDougall.
One of MacDougall’s plans is to utilize the dog kennel on site. The previous owners of the Paw House provided dog services to their guests and the new Four Seasons will expand the service to the public. “The next nearest kennels (in the area) are Putney and Bennington. We’ll board local dogs and we’re going to do doggie day care. We want to come in and help the town because everyone here has dogs,” said MacDougall.
MacDougall said the Four Seasons Inn would like to tap into the hunting market. According to MacDougall, the Deerfield Valley offers great upland hunting and there are over 900,000 registered bird hunters within a 300-mile radius. He said there are many people with dogs who love to hunt and travel but have no place to stay. MacDougall hopes the Four Seasons Inn will meet that demand. “We have dog trainers we’re in discussions with to get up here. They can come up and train bird hunting with the dogs. We’d like to promote that and bring people into the area.”
MacDougall also wants to invite the local community to utilize the Four Seasons Inn. He is considering a weekend Dover farmers market in the Four Seasons parking lot so that local farmers and craftsmakers can sell local produce or peddle their wares. MacDougall is also looking at small concerts and other public events and inviting the Twin Valley Middle School Jr. Iron Chef team to cook meals at The Hunt Club with proceeds going to the middle school. “We’re a big proponent to giving back to the town,” said MacDougall.
MacDougall said he is optimistic about the local economy. He is encouraged by the number of businesses opening along Route 100 and the opening of the Valley Trail. He believes there is potential for Deerfield Valley to expand as a four-season destination and that the Four Seasons Inn will contribute to the area’s growth. “Winter is a given here. People come to ski and we want people here in the spring, summer, and fall. It’s God’s country. There is so much to do,” said MacDougall.
In 2000, the Four Seasons Inn was purchased by Barry and Anne Poulter, of Westport, CT. The Poulters made extensive renovations and operated as a 24-room inn until 2008. The Poulters sold it to Mitch Frankenburg and Jen Frederick who reopened as the Paw House Inn.
The inn operated as a dog-friendly bed and breakfast complete with kennels, attendants, an off-leash dog park, and TVs tuned to the Animal Planet channel. The Paw House Inn of Dover struggled during the economic recession and was eventually foreclosed by the Bank of Bennington. In December Dover voters reject a bond vote to purchase the building. The Thomas Hirchak Company, of Morrisville, then held the auction of the Paw House Inn property and MacDougall’s winning bid was $551,000. The sale closed February 2.
