Press Kit

News from Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce – September 28, 2017

Contact:  Marti Mayne, PR@mtwashingtonvalley.org or 207-846-6331

WHAT’S NEW IN MT WASHINGTON VALLEY?

From outlet center expansions and restaurants to new hotels, condos, glamping, and a haunted castle, five new options for visitors in Mt Washington Valley, NH

North Conway, NH – The sound of hammers banging and local construction contractors working feverishly is being heard throughout Mt Washington Valley.  From contemporary shopping centers filled with public art to slopeside condo complexes, glamping sites, and mountainside hotels, not to mention a $1 million Haunted Castle, visitors have plenty of novel new options to experience in Mt Washington Valley in 2017 and 2018.  Let’s take a look.

Settlers Green Streetside

It’s an exciting time at Settlers Green, the area’s largest shopping complex and a recognized regional outlet mall. Opening in fall, 2017 with ten new stores and a locally owned restaurant, Settlers Green Streetside is the newest addition to the Settlers Green development. Featuring the Streetside Art Project, works of public art by local and regional artists, Mt Washington Valley shoppers will be treated to a new shopping experience filled with unexpected delight.

To every extent possible, the new Streetside complex utilized local labor, local products, and locally milled wood in its construction, plus local artwork too.  The new restaurant, Barley & Salt, is the brainchild of local restauranteur, Ben Williams who also owns Black Cap Grill in Settlers Crossing. 

For years, Settlers Green has enhanced the shopping experience with a full line up of events, local entertainment, playscapes, photo ops, and artwork, coining the phrase “shoptainment” to describe the idea of taking shopping to the next level.   To continue its commitment to “shoptainment”, OVP Management has added unique artworks to the entertainment offerings found at the center, the new public art is intended to take outlet shopping beyond brand names. While shopping is always the primary focus, these new amenities bring a sense of discovery and delight for the customer.  That the new art reflects the beauty of the natural surroundings is no accident, and offers up the ideal photo-op for shoppers who love to post photos of shopping in cool places.  For more information on Streetside, including a list of stores and restaurants, visit www.SettlersGreen.com.

The Haunted Castle at Adventure Suites

Get ready for Casper, the Headless Horseman and Poltergeist, all rolled into one haunted experience unlike any other at Adventure Suites in North Conway.  While visitors to Mt Washington Valley may stay in hotels, inns and B&Bs that are purported to be haunted, there’s only one place where you can be guaranteed you’ll sleep with a ghost. Adventure Suites in North Conway, NH, named among the top ten themed hotels in the country, is diligently putting the finishing touches on their newest addition – a $1 million room called the Haunted Castle.  This five-level room leaves absolutely no details behind, and is the first and only simulated overnight haunted hotel experience in the world.

Nothing like this has ever been created before.  It’s Disney level and a breakthrough in hotel technology.  The special effects experienced by those who stay in the Haunted Castle are state- of-the-art. Beds will shake, ghosts will appear and disappear, cupboards will open and close, there might even be a small explosion or two, to say nothing of the audio effects being designed for this lodging experience.  Adventure Suites has implemented a sophisticated computerized system involving motion sensors, time delays, video, projection pneumatics, lights, audio and more to scare the heck out of guests. 

No expense has been spared on this project.  The special toilets alone cost more than $9,000. Features include a gangway bar overlooking the living room, outdoor hot tub on the balcony, the king’s “bone throne”, two fireplaces, three bathrooms, a draw bridge leading to the three bedrooms (including a 3-tiered “dormatorium” sleeping 12) and hundreds of features, skeletons, gargoyles and beyond-your-imagination statues and effects.  The room sleeps up to 18 people, and can be used by individuals, families or groups.

Guests can expect to be haunted, expect to have fun, but can’t expect to get much sleep.  Special effects will last throughout the night.  Effects can be programed for preferences from family-friendly to bachelorette, wedding, and scare-your-pants off.  Be prepared to sign a waiver before entering, and yes, there is a way out if it’s too much!

The room is still under construction but is expected to make its debut in November, 2017.  For information (coming soon), visit www.AdventureSuites.com.

Kearsarge Brook at Cranmore

A year ago (September, 2016) state and local leaders gathered at the base of Cranmore Mountain Resort to celebrate the groundbreaking of Kearsarge Brook Condominiums at Cranmore,  part of the $50 million development to add  year-round residences and expanded base facilities at the North Conway ski resort. Today, the construction crews are working on decks, and a model unit is open 11am – 4pm. The first units are slated for move-in at the end of October, 2017 with first, second and third floor units anticipated for move in by Christmas. Phase One of Kearsarge Brook Condominiums is located at the base of Cranmore’s South Slope, providing the first 18 two-and three-bedroom residences with easy access to the slopes and expansive views of Cranmore and the surrounding White Mountains.

In April 2017, Cranmore Mountain Resort announced it would break ground on the new Kearsarge Brook resident pool facility and future tubing park base lodge. The new facility, located at the base of Cranmore’s tubing park hill, will be adjacent to Cranmore Fitness. The building will be constructed in two parts.  The first segment will include a new outside pool and hot tub area, with an adjacent indoor viewing area and men’s and women’s changing room. The Pool Facility will be reserved for Kearsarge Brook owners on weekends and vacation periods, with a limited number of midweek membership options available to Cranmore Fitness members. The projected completion date for the first portion of the building will be December, 2017. 

The second segment of the building will include first level Tubing and Mountain Adventure Park ticket windows, an employee room, public bathrooms and a small private fitness area for Kearsarge Brook residents. The second level will include a restaurant for the tubing park and a large deck. The completion date for this segment is projected to be completed in two to three years.   

When the entire $50 million project is completed, six new buildings and a total of 106 condominiums will have been added to Cranmore's base area. The first two buildings will be residential, while the third and fourth will replace existing base lodges with 45,000 square feet of new lodge space.

For more information or to schedule a tour, visit www.Cranmore.com and click on lodging.

The Glen House

Historic is a term often used when referring to Pinkham Notch and the Mt Washington Auto Road.  After all, it was the first manmade attraction to debut in the USA.  Once again, history repeats itself here as the fifth iteration of the historic Glen House Hotel is under construction.  The first Glen House was opened in 1852, and then three subsequent hotels were destroyed by fire, along with the former Great Glen Trails Ski Lodge, on whose site the present Glen House is being built.  The family-owned Mount Washington Summit Road Company (MWSRC) which has owned and operated the Mt. Washington Auto Road since 1906, intends to have the fifth version of the hotel open as early as Spring, 2018.

Construction on the 68-room hotel is on schedule after a few weather interruptions last spring. According to Auto Road General Manager, Howie Wemyss, “The hotel will be “dried in” for winter, meaning the roof will be on and water tight allowing all the inside work to proceed as planned through the winter.  We should have a website up within a month and reservations will be available starting after the first of the year.”

Located on the west side of Route 16 in Green’s Grant on a site owned by the MWSRC, the Glen House Hotel will feature a mix of king and double queen rooms, with many adjoining rooms and/or fully accessible rooms. Close to half of the rooms will include balconies on both the Mt Washington side as well as the Mt Carter/Moriah side.  A full restaurant, open to the public and hotel guests, will offer 66 seats in the restaurant, 46 seats in the lounge and 40 seats under covered outdoor dining on a west facing deck for warmer months. In addition, a meeting room, an indoor pool, and activities offered by Great Glen Trails and the Mt Washington Auto Road will be offered from this ski-in/ski out hotel.

In keeping with the strict environmental stewardship of the MWSRC, the Glen House will be highly energy efficient and near carbon neutral. The company has proven to be a leader in applying innovative, green-energy practices to all aspects of its business, and the new Glen House will be no exception. A state-of-the-art geothermal system will provide heating and cooling for the hotel, and two offsite energy-generating projects will harness hydro and solar power. LED lighting adds to the sustainability here too. The hotel will be International Dark Sky compliant on the exterior, and premium insulation will be utilized from the basement floors to the Hunter roof panels.  For more information, click here.

Huttopia White Mountains

There’s a new addition to the “glamping” scene in Albany, NH.  A popular Canadian tradition, the first Huttopia in the USA opened this summer in Mt Washington Valley, combining a lakeside setting with the amenities of camping and resorts all in one. There’s even a retrofitted airstream that serves as a restaurant, bar and coffee shop throughout the day. The menu is decidedly French Canadian, a shout-out to the Huttopia inventors.  Perfect for families, nature lovers and those traveling with pets (yes, it’s pet friendly too!), guests here choose between your standard campsite to canvas tents equipped with bathrooms to wood-built chalets. All accommodations sleep between two to six, some furnished with beds or cots, towels, sheets and even mini-fridges.  You pick the level of camping or glamping that suits your party.  Add in a playground, heated pool, planned activities, ping pong, or discover the new European craze, Mölkky. There’s definitely something here for everyone.  Huttopia is open from June 30 through October.  For more information and reservations, click here.

From historic to new, Mt Washington Valley is filled with enough discoveries to keep you coming back for years and years.  Visit www.MtWashingtonValley.org to learn about all the options for your next New Hampshire vacation, or call 800-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH) to talk to a vacation planner.  For more information on additional New Hampshire getaways, visit www.VisitNH.gov.

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Photo:Schematic drawing of the Glen House, now under construction. Photo provided by Mt Washington Auto Road.