Glen House hotel to be built at the Mt. Washington Auto Road

Pinkham Notch, NH—The Mt. Washington Auto Road announces plans to construct the Glen House hotel at the base of Mt. Washington. Continuing the historic tradition of hospitality and recreation in Pinkham Notch, the hotel is the fifth rendition of the Glen House, the first being completed in 1852. The company, family owned since 1901, plans to open the Glen House in June of 2011 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Mt. Washington Auto Road.

The Glen House will be a full service hotel with approximately 80 rooms, which will include traditional rooms and one-bedroom suites. The hotel will be located on the hillside to the north of the existing Auto Road Lodge and will offer stunning views of the Presidential Mountains and the Great Gulf. The view and experience of being in the mountains will be the focal point of the hotel, and it will be featured in the architecture of the hotel. The lobby, great room and dining room will all be open to the mountains. And, no mountain hotel would be complete without a large terrace and veranda. The Glen House will also offer an indoor pool & spa as well as conference facilities that will compliment existing facilities already located in the Auto Road Lodge.

The Mt. Washington Auto Road has partnered with Acomb Ostendorf & Associates of Orlando, Florida and Portland, Maine for the planning and development of the project with significant input from Olympia Hotel Management of Portland, Maine. Survey work is schedule to begin in July of 2009. The duration of construction will be approximately 15 months. Moving forward, the company will be working with design and general contracting firms from New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

The history of hotels in the Glen began in 1852 with the construction of the first Glen House. The railroad had paid for the construction of the road through Pinkham Notch to Gorham, and shortly thereafter a bridle path from the Glen to the summit of Mt. Washington was completed. A year later, the charter was granted to build the Carriage Road up Mt. Washington. Even though it took 8 years for the road to be completed, the lure of Mt. Washington had made the Glen House a popular destination. The first Glen House burned in 1884 but was rebuilt on an even grander scale, including the longest veranda in the world. Tragically, this hotel lasted only eight years before fire struck again. Two subsequent smaller Glen Houses served guests in winter and summer into the 1960’s. Although conceptual in design at this stage, it is expected that the Glen House will embody the look and feel of a New England mountain lodge and be in keeping with the existing facilities, which include accents that look to the past. The Glen House will also look to the future as it will be “green designed and built” per LEED standards.

The Glen House will become an integral part of the offerings at the base of Mt. Washington. Along with the connection with the Mt. Washington Auto Road, which will offer packages for individual travelers and groups, Great Glen Trails will enhance the experience of lodging at the Glen House. A walking path will be constructed to the existing facilities in summer, and ski trails will connect Great Glen Trails and the Glen House in winter. And upon completion, the Glen House will create 30-40 new full time jobs.