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The Newest Incarnation of The Glen House

Published Friday Oct 12, 2018


The Glen House today.


 A new 68-room hotel at the foot of Mt. Washington is in its fifth iteration since being erected in 1852. The Glen House is located  in Green's Grant (also known as Pinkham Notch) where both the Mt. Washington Auto Road and Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center are based.


The Glen House 1901-1924.


 The three-story Glen House is owned by the Mt. Washington Summit Road Company and managed by Olympia Hotel Management in Portland, Maine. Howie Wemyss, general manager for the Auto Road, Great Glen Trails and Gorham Land Company, says the hotel, which will open mid-September, will enhance the other attractions and vice versa. A grand opening is planned for October.

Wemyss says the design pays homage to the classic White Mountain hotels of the 1850s. “The exterior design was very specifically taken from the first Glen House,” he says. “You can see it in clapboards and painted trim. It has so many interesting and fascinating design elements."

As guests return for second and third visits, Wemyss says they’ll notice additional details—the light fixtures, the artwork, the bold fireplace, the bar and the two-story window wall, he says. More than half of the rooms will eventually have balconies with views of Great Gulf or the Carter-Moriah Range.


The lounge at The Glen House.


The Glen House restaurant, The Notch Grille, will serve casual American family cuisine. There will also be a bar and lounge, as well as an expansive outdoor dining area with a view of Mt. Washington. General Manager Thomas Spaulding says the bar and restaurant will be a draw. The Glen House will be dog-friendly and have a dedicated meeting space, a gym and an indoor swimming pool.

Wemyss says he feels strongly that the hotel should strive to be energy self-sufficient and carbon neutral.

“We are heavy on sustainability,” he says. “The company that owns Glen House has been here for 112 years. We’re not building this to turn over in 10 years.”

As examples, he points to the geo-thermal system that provides heating and cooling as well as two offsite hydro and solar power projects in the works. “We will be using a waterway that dates back to the 1800s to capture that energy and bring electricity into the hotel and within a year or two of opening would like to add a solar array.”

The Glen House is accepting reservations and Wemyss says they already have several small business groups booked for meetings and some motor coach stops.


A guest room at The Glen House.


The hotel was designed and built primarily by NH firms. The architects are BMA Architectural Group of Amherst, Stibler Associates of Manchester is the interior designer and Martini Northern of Portsmouth is the contractor. Subcontractors include Ray’s Electric of Berlin, Granite State Plumbing and Heating of Weare, Yeaton Associates of Littleton and GB Carrier Corp of North Conway.

Green’s Grant, according to the U.S. Census Bureau had one resident as of 2010. Wemyss says that’s correct, as one of his employee lives on the property. He says it used to be three residents until he and wife bought a home in a nearby town.

For more information, visit theglenhouse.com.

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