The Croff House Bed and Breakfast

As many people know winter is our slower season at The Croff House.  While it means we don’t have the abundance of guests that we normally welcome during the rest of the year it doesn’t mean that our work stops.  On the contrary we do our best to complete those projects we normally would address during the rest of the year but which would otherwise disturb our guests.  One such project is the repairing, refinishing and recarpeting of the main staircase.

The main staircase being repaired

The repairing involves shoring up each stair tread to reduce the old house “creaking” as guests walk up and down the stairs.  This sound has become more prominent over the last few years and, while the sound maybe somewhat charming, we don’t want it to create too much noise.  Once repaired the stairs may make some sound but dramatically less.  Additionally the  repairs will also address the “give” on some of the treads, making the stairs more sturdy.

The refinishing involves the sanding, stripping and staining of the treads and the painting of the risers (the front portion of each step).  The refinished treads (the top of each step) will be stained to match the floors and the risers will be painted black to match the underside staircase wall.

We aren’t sure when the stair carpeting was installed but the pile is crushed and there are various and sundry minor stains (including “oops” during the painting of the inn).  So it’s time to replace it.  Working with a local carpeting store we’ve selected a burgundy runner that both contrast nicely with the new finish on the staircase and work well with the existing color scheme of the hallways.

The project should be completed by the end of February and will hopefully create a wonderful first impression for our guests.

Whether you love social media or think it is the future of the downfall of our society it is here to stay.

People are using sites such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate their every move.  Personally that seems like overkill.  Do you REALLY need (or want to know what I’m buying at the grocery store?).  The more these sites offer new applications for both individuals and businesses the more people will use them, and not just to stay in touch with long lost friends either.  As innkeepers we realize the direction and role social media is currently playing and will continue to play in the peoples’ daily lives.  Our focus, however, is to use one site and use it well to communicate only information that we believe is relevant to our guests and that site is Facebook.

What’s more we want our Facebook page to be “usable”.  In other words when you “like” us on Facebook not only will you find important information such as last minute deals and seasonal specials but also new recipe finds and information about what’s coming up on the Hudson cultural calendar and the latest news on new restaurant openings and reviews.  Our newest feature, our Property Info. tab, will allow fans to find out more about the inn, view our rooms, and book directly from our Facebook page through our online booking engine.  For us it’s very exciting – another way for us to attract more guests to Hudson and The Croff House.

So as technology continues to evolve and social media plays its role therein we hope to be able to continue to adapt with it to provide our Facebook fans with an interface that is both up-to-date and relevant to them.

During the Spring months we look ahead to our “busy season” with excitement and just a bit of anxiety, sort of like a runner at the starting line.  Then the gun goes off and the craziness begins.  Now don’t get me wrong, that’s what we got into innkeepeing for: welcoming hundreds of guests both new and old and helping them discover all that Hudson and Columbia County have to offer.  The energy we derive from running the inn comes directly from our guests.  If they are having a good time, so are we.  If there is a problem it’s ours to solve.  If they have a question, it’s ours to answer.

Each morning we never know what feedback lays in store: How was dinner?  What did you do yesterday?  What’s on the agenda today?  Days go by.  Guests check in.  Guests check out.  Then we do it all over again.  Not having the time to experience all there is to do and see in town and the county we very frequently rely on our guests to tell us what discoveries are out there to pass on to the next visitor.  Time marches on.  Wedding celebrations take over the whole town.  Annual events mark the progression of Summer: Flag Day, Hudson Pride, Fourth of July, Hudson’s Waterfront Music Festival, Labor Day weekend, and HOH’s Harvest Ball.

Then Fall Foliage arrives.  Scores of guests want to know “how are the leaves?” or “when’s the best time to come up?”.  Each year the answer varies.  This year wasn’t so great – lots of rain, temperatures up – then down, then more rain.  Nothing we can control, and guests still have a good time.  Halloween looms on the horizon and with it the proverbial finish line (although we never really finish – just slow down a little).  ”Winterwalk”,  Hudson’s kickoff to the holidays held the first Saturday in December, brings thousands of visitors in from all over.  A slice of Americana this annual event marks an important point in the town’s cultural calendar – the beginning of a sort of semi-hibernation, but like us at the inn, things never truly end just the pace eases up.  Then the New Year arrives and with it the prospect of what is in store.

Before we know it we’re at the starting line again.  Right after that the gun goes off and we’re back at it.

We opened over two years ago (can you believe it?) and in that time last artwork we bought for the inn was a piece by Ray Tadeucci.  Well last weekend we attended the Rhinebeck Crafts Festival and found some great artwork, predominantly photography for several rooms.  In looking for things for the inn the trick for us was making sure that whatever we found a) worked with what was currently in place in the room(s) and b) keep the aesthetic we have already established.  Several rooms we knew needed attention more than others, so we focused on those rooms and are very pleased with what we found.

An autumnal tryptich din the Traver Guest Room.

We found this wonderful tryptich for the Traver Guest Room.  The photograph, printed on canvas, depicts a mountain range during foliage season, one of our favorite and most popular times at the inn.  The rusts, oranges, golds and deep greens works very well with the earth toned walls and neutral window treatments.   The piece almost gives you the impression that you’re looking out a window toward the mountains.

Three floral prints in the Edmonds Guest Room

For the Edmonds Guest Room we found three art-deco inspired floral prints.  The colors work really well in the room and the arrangement mirrors the recessed panels on the bed’s headboard.  Since the Edmonds Guest Room overlooks the rear garden we’ve chosen to continue the floral theme with these prints.

We have other artwork that is currently being framed and should be installed in the next few weeks.  Check out our Facebook Fanpage for up to date information.  While you’re there become a TCH fan!

Berries being prepared for jam.

We love this time of year when the local farm stands start selling their fresh fruits and vegetables.  The harbinger of what is to come are the local strawberries.

Red ripe and juicy these berries are the perfect ingredient in some of our guests’ favorite jams, which very frequently we use as toppings on our sweet entrees such as our Almond Buttermilk Pancakes and Cinnamon Sour Cream Waffles.  During the winter months we make do with strawberries from other areas of the country, often having to macerate them in order to bring out more of the strawberry flavor.  Not so with these beauties!  They are deep red, juicy and sweet and are fantastic just on their own on top of yogurt.

We also love this time of year because we get to refill the “curio” with a new batch of our homemade jams, fruit butters and chutneys.  Our popular S/B/C which is a delicious blend of strawberries, blueberries and cinnamon, returns as does our Triple Berry and Blueberry Vanilla.  A new recipe was created this season – 5 Willard Place, which is our own recipe of strawberry, nectarine, plum and a touch of vanilla.  We think our guests are really going to love this one!

Try 4 of our most popular jams!

We also realize that a lot of folks have a tough time choosing from our wide selection.  So we’ve put together a Taster sampler of 4 4-ounce jars of our most popular jams: Triple Berry (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry), 5 Willard Place (Strawberry, Plum, and Nectarine), Blueberry Vanilla, and our S/B/C Jam (Strawberry, Blueberry, and Cinnamon).  A great value and a great way to sample our jams.  To order please email us.

So next, sweet cherries!

So many guests have asked us for recipes, and just as many have asked us if we have or will have a cookbook for sale.  Our answer has been “we’re working on it”.

Now we weren’t trying to be evasive, but several questions arose when considering creating and compiling recipes for a cookbook: How many recipes should be included? What hints/tips would be most helpful?  What software is best for creating the cookbook? and so on.  Well, we’ve answered as many of the questions and gotten to the final stage of preparation to have the book printed.

We should start by saying that the book will include about 28 recipes covering everything from fruit and baked goods to entrees and cookies.  As a guest suggested maybe a more apt description would be a cookbook-let.  Whatever it’s called the recipes are the ones for which we have received the greatest positive feedback and/or guest requests.  While not the biggest cookbook ever printed we hope it will be user-friendly and reliable.  We’ll be announcing the book’s availability on our Facebook page, so if you haven’t liked The Croff House now is the time to do it.

The Edmonds Guest Room being prepared for cleaning

The Chace Suite readied for "deep cleaning"

The bed is broken down and the drapes are in the wash

Guests often ask us when our quiet time is.  Our answer, which most innkeepers would probably give, is “we really don’t have one”.  By that we mean that even when there aren’t guests at the inn, there is still a lot of work to do.  We call it “deep cleaning”, which is defined as a once a year dis-assembly of the inn for a thorough, top-to-bottom cleaning of all guest rooms and common areas.

This year we are starting in our Edmonds Guest Room and Chace Suite (see photos).  We take everything apart, get out the cleaning supplies, vacuum, paint brushes and hand tools and get to work.  Each room takes about 4 hours and involves taking down the drapes and washing them as well as the duvet and cover, shams and bed skirt.  Dusting high and low and vacuuming every nook and cranny.  While we clean each room after every checkout, the “deep clean” is more involved and detailed.  We touch up paint, make any needed repairs, and wash all the windows as well.  Any non-routine maintenance we haven’t been able to address is also on our “to do” list.

When all is said and done we’ll have spent 48 hours scouring the inn.  So even though we might consider this our “quiet time” it’s anything but.

A tree in the front yard iced over.

So the day after we got almost six inches of snow we got an ice storm.  It started in the late morning and continued throughout the day, slowly building up to cover everything in 1/2′ of ice.  Not only was this treacherous to walk on, it also created the danger of power outages (which thankfully didn’t happen!).  When all was said and done the street took on both an eerie and somehow beautiful quality.  The snow was also covered in ice and somewhat resembled the snow on Duncan’s Snow Village pieces: perfectly smooth and glossy.

We set up the fireplace in the Library for our guests to enjoy, although we armed them with a flashlight just in case.  Fortunately, they didn’t need it.

This morning we woke to fresh snow falling, covering the ice which was covering the snow.  It’s been a long winter already.

To see more images of the ice storm visit our Facebook page.

There’s been a lot in the press lately about little critters making peoples’ vacations very unpleasant.  Those critters are bedbugs and now appear to be rampant throughout New York City hotels.

We wanted all of our guests, past, present and future to know that we have taken every precaution to protect the health and welfare of everyone staying with us at The Croff House.

All of our guest beds have been installed with a knit stretch mattress cover which will prevent any type of bedbug infestation.  We hold our sanitary standards in the highest regard and want to assure all our guests that their health and safety is at the forefront of our efforts at The Croff House.

We truly believe that when you are a guest at The Croff House you will have a “good night” and we won’t let “the bedbugs bite”.

We’ve had a busy and fun-filled summer thus far.  Like much of the rest of the country, Hudson is experiencing one of the hottest summers people can remember.  It makes us, and our guests, glad to have air conditioners throughout the inn. Even with the heat so many of our guests have been enjoying the shade of the covered back porch and the tranquil setting of the fountain patio.  There’s nothing like returning to The Croff House on a warm afternoon after a full day of sightseeing, shopping or touring the county to enjoy a frosty glass of lemonade or iced tea and relaxing.

Guests often ask us what our busiest time of year is, and we have a difficult time answering that because The Croff House seems busy year-round.  Winter provides the perfect backdrop for those looking for a romantic escape from daily life.  Spring brings guests looking for some fresh air after being cooped up.  Summer brings vacationers from all over the world coming to Hudson for a family wedding, visiting to Olana or one of the many historic sites in the area, or simply exploring the Hudson Valley.  Then there’s the Fall.

What a beautiful time of year in Hudson Autumn is.  The colors changing daily.  The air turning cooler, with crisp mornings and chilly evenings.  And the apples!  There are apples everywhere you look in so many varieties it’s hard to name them all.  Apples for baking.  Apples for canning.  Oh yes, apples for eating.  The smell of apples on some days perfumes the air.   At the inn we take advantage of the apple bounty and incorporate apples in our daily menus: spiced apples, apple french toast, and pancakes with apple butter to name a few.  There’s always a basket of fresh apples in the Living Room as well for random snacking.  Yes, Fall is a great time of year to visit The Croff House.

Maybe we’ll see you here?