Back in 1993, Janice Sage won a historic bed-and-breakfast in Maine through an essay-writing contest. Now she is giving away her charming seven-room property, the Center Lovell Inn and Restaurant, to the person who sends in the best 200-word essay about why they want to own and operate it. The inn, which dates to 1805, is worth an estimated $900K, an amount that Sage hopes to recoup through the $125 application fee to take part in the unusual contest (she expects 7,500 entrants). There are a few strings attached: the next owner will have to keep the inn painted white with green or black shutters, and it must remain open to guests for at least a year. A winner will be decided by May 30, 2015, and the property transfer will happen within 30 days.
Here's our entry to the contest:
"Why I would like to own and operate a country inn"
We, the employees of a national architecture, design and real estate and interiors site, spend hours each day writing about beautiful properties from our perch near Manhattan's Times Square. We are bloggers, chained to our fluorescent-lit desks, and almost every time we hit the sidewalk, dirty water from window-mounted air conditioners drips onto our beleaguered heads. Being able to blog from cleaner, more scenic surroundings, such as the historic dining room of a 210-year-old inn across from Lake Kezar in western Maine, would deepen our appreciation of the built environment in countless ways.
We realize you are probably looking for people with prior experience in the hospitality industry, who can warmly greet overnight guests and daytime ramblers with milk and cookies, and know how to make an antique wooden bed with perfect hotel corners. We have no familiarity with any of these tasks, but are willing and eager to take on the challenges of operating a country inn, as long as visitors only arrive between posts, don't interrupt our 15-minute lunch breaks, and come bearing high-resolution photos of creative renovations and celebrity real estate purchases. What we can offer in return is great promotion for the inn, and very polished website copy.
Ps. Does your charming inn have a good WiFi connection?
Thanks very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Curbed
· Want a Maine inn? You're just an essay contest away [Boston Globe]
· All Hotels posts [Curbed National]
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