Mar 2, 2010 | Trip type: Business, Solo travel

Wilson Lake Inn is my favorite place to stay in Maine. In the course of a busy week, traveling for business around the state, the inn is a welcome respite from my usual hectic pace. Walking across the beautifully manicured grounds to the water's edge, then sitting and watching the sunset - or sunrise - is one of life's little joys for me.

The proprietors are among the friendliest and most accommodating of any I have ever met. They always ask what they can do to make my stay better (I haven't thought of anything yet), and are happy to engage in conversation with a visitor far from home.

The rooms are spacious and clean, and the beds are comfortable. The rooms in which I've stayed have all had tables and chairs, refrigerators and microwaves. Also, the heat is supplied by hot water baseboards, not the wall-mounted heaters found in most hotels that dry the air while providing heat. This makes the rooms all the more comfortable in colder weather.

Only a mile down the road is a wonderful Italian restaurant, the Calzolaio Pasta Company. Flashing a Wilson Lake Inn room key there will earn diners a 10% discount, and the food and service are simply wonderful.

An idyllic, natural setting, and great food nearby - one could hardly ask more from any lodging establishment. I have visited the Wilson Lake Inn several times now, and make it a point to stay there whenever business brings me to the area.

I would not hesitate to recommend the Wilson Lake Inn to anyone traveling through Maine, or anyone looking for a quiet, natural retreat. I can't wait to visit during the summer, and borrow one of their canoes!

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Mar 2, 2010 | Trip type: Couples

Everything about our stay at the Inn was great. Even though it snowed every evening, we awakened to Tom and Susan clearing off the parking and hot, freshly brewed coffee in the lobby. The beds were comfortable and the rooms were spacious. We will definitely return - and as Susan siad when we left, "Come when it is green and warmer!"

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Feb 8, 2010 | Trip type: Business

Our high school wrestlers were attending a state qualifying meet in nearby Jay. We chose to come to the area the night before. I contacted Sue at the Inn and she was wonderful!! The rates were great and she was able to accommodate all of our needs.
When we arrived, we were surprised to see the size of the suites. One chaperon remarked 'it is bigger than my first apartment.' The suites had a kitchen that was large enough for a comfortable family to enjoy meals. The bedrooms were large and comfortable and the sitting area was great for the students to gather and play games before retiring. I would definitely come back again. In fact I am thinking of a weekend getaway for myself and my partner.

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Jan 26, 2010 | Trip type: Friends getaway

Jan 17, 2010 | Trip type: Family

Our cross country ski team competes in a race in Rumford, ME every year. It is worth the 17 mile drive to Wilton to stay at the Wilson Lake Inn. The upstairs rooms are really spacious and all of the rooms are very clean. It is a lovely and quiet setting on Wilson Lake. And Tom and Susan, the innkeepers are helpful and friendly, and very willing to accomodate special requests. Our group returns year after year.

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2010 March Survey Guest comments

 

I come to Wilson Lake Inn to stay on business, pleasure & bring my family and have recommended to friends and come up with them as well. What’s really nice is that there are basic rooms (two beds), rooms with mini kitchens and recliners, and there are also suites with 2 bedrooms and full kitchens and living rooms. I have stayed in all of these depending on my needs and have never been disappointed. On business, this is a wonderful place when traveling anywhere near RT2 in central Maine. For pleasure this is a secret getaway for summer fun on a pristine mountain lake for swimming, boating or fishing directly from the property. In winter, there are the Northeast's 2 top ski areas (Sugarloaf and Sunday River) within about an hour drive and a number of great other local ski areas closer. Also enjoy local snowshoeing, ice skating, and snow tubing. I have done it all and can say you will not regret a business or vacation stay here. 5 star rating.

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We enjoy your flower beds ... and the opportunity to be able to relax next to the lake.

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Beautiful setting, crystal clear lake, pleasant office staff,quaint and comfortable, what more can we say?

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You doing great!

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We have always enjoyed staying with you, and find it a great value and good location

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A wonderful experience - thank you for your hospitality ! We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and appreciate you accommodating all of our special requests for our family reunion !
Jenny Swain

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We would stay with you again, everything was nice, no hassles, just what we needed for a base of operations for a weekend Nordic ski event. Thanks.

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I always feel there is room for improvement! Your scenic area is absolutely beautiful. I would suggest that you provide your guests with more "modern fixtures" (if possible)..
Ps. I loved it!!! SH!!!!!
Mark

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I forgot to mention above that the gardens, and the fact that your inn was participating in a garden tour, was a major factor in my making a reservation. If I remember correctly, the inn is family owned and operated. Both my husband and I were struck by how friendly and helpful all the staff were.
The only thing which would have made our stay even better is if a continental breakfast could be served.

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We were on vacation to the New England area when we stayed with you for one night. We enjoyed our stay and had a couple of really good meals in town. As I recall there was a problem with the bathroom but I fail to remember what it was. I used the washer and dryer and was pleased. We found your motel on the internet and pricing paid a good part of why we chose your motel.

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We stayed during the Blueberry Festival and I ran in the 10 km race. My wife and I took your canoe out on the lake and watched the loons near sunset. We appreciated the nice laundry. The kitchen in our room saved some time for us. We really enjoyed your gardens! I posted a few pictures on TripAdvisor.com
Everyone in your office was very helpful and answered all my questions.

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lake with dock big plus also nice grounds and quiet off main rd also owners very nice and know area vary well ps take the plane ride it can pick you up at inn if you want or drive the scenic rd to the plane I did it was great

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Enjoyed the larger rooms more so then the small. Always friendly and accomodating.
Beautiful location.

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keep up the good work. We always felt like we were treated as family & you cannot put a price on that. We have such fond memories of your wonderful inn & that we are grateful for. Susan, I still work @ white flower farm -let me know if you need anything!!! Soon the daffs will be in bloom!!!! Hope you both are well. Jeanne Lovely

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I think part of the charm of Wilson Lake Inn is it's small and friendly atmosphere. It would be a shame to turn it into a replica of one of the chain hotels.
We had some friends (whom we had suggested Wilson Lake to)make a return visit recently. They said the price had gone up. While we wouldn't mind paying a bit more, if the price becomes comparable to the new hotel (? Holiday Inn)we would most likely stay there as it's closer to the university.

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We enjoyed our short stay very much and were very impressed by your friendliness and helpfulness. We felt very "at home".
While an on-site breakfast would have been a convenience, your recommendation of the Front Porch Cafe was great.
We will definitely be staying at your Inn again.
Mark and Luise O'Neill
Springfield NS

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Nothing in particular, we enjoyed the privacy and quietness of the surroundings.
We wish you continuing success.
Lillian Shaw

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Although my wife and I have only visited a couple times, Susan and Tom have always taken great care of us. They seem to think of everything that we might need and mention it before we can ask. I guess the best way to put it is that the Inn is a "comfortable" place to visit.

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very nice stay, great service, helpful owners
return again.
doug mcdonald

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Your establishment is in a very good location for my needs. You and your staff have continued to provide a very satisfactory service during my stays. I am sure that you also provide the same service for all of your guests. Per my visits to your location I see very little change is needed. Please continue to provide the service that you and your staff are known for.
Thanks Gary P Chaffee

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I enjoy staying at your inn when I'm in town on business.

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We stayed at your Inn for travel purposes coming from Nova Scotia back to Ontario. The next time we go east, we would definately stay with you, hopefully it will be in the summer so we can enjoy your outdoor area more.
Carl

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We loved our stay there and hope to visit again. Your friendliness made us feel very welcome. We enjoyed our sunset cruise of the lake.

We loved the lake view & found it very relaxing to sit there

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We stayed with you when our granddaughter got married and so did 2 of our children and families. We were very pleased with your accommodations. We found your employees and owners very helpful and even took pictures and put them on a disk for us. We really appreciated this and help make the occasion even more special. If in the future we need a place to stay you will be our first choice.

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It would be nice to build up some points for the many visits I have made. I must be due for a free night at some point:)
We would be happy to pay for some nice muffins or other light breakfast items if available.

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We work for a charity organization, so we must always watch our expenses. Your prices are about all we can afford, and then for one night only. We might stay longer, and have a writing or study retreat, if breakfast were included or you had affordable kitchen facilities, Or a discount for those who work for a charity organization : )
Thanks - we appreciate you very much
Hank and Cathy Pott
Montreal Canada

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Always pleasurable and the staff/owners very accommodating. often arrive after a 750 mile trip late at night and they always make sure we can get in to our rooms and address the paperwork later.
The only negative is the room directly over the office has a great deal of noise from the stairs, light for the outside lights and is wicked noisy when the wind is up.
Caught a nice brown right off the dock...taught my youngest to canoe there.

 

It's wonderful place to stay. Since 2002 whenever I visit our customer (Verso/IP), I always stay in Whispering Pine Motel (I really like this name, I don't know why but it seems make me "peace") - now, Wilson Lake Inn. The owner and their staffs are friendly. Thanks for everything. Arief.

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Enjoyed my stay very much. Even though I was traveling on business, it felt more like a vacation! My only wish-list item would be access to some sort of fitness facility, i.e. a treadmill or elliptical.

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Enjoy staying at the Inn. Like the landscaping and lake. Very close to our son which gives us more time to spend with him and grandchildren.  Very friendly staff. Enjoy conversation and information freely given. Always make us feel welcome and belong there.
Keep up the good work.

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Hi there
Haven't actually stayed myself aT THE iNN BUT HAVE BEEN THERE AND ENJOYED THE FACILITY AND OUTDOOR GARDENS. the Facility has been consistently upgraded with very good standards in mind. I recommend it to relatives when they come to the area

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Your place is perfect for our drive from Ontario to Nova Scotia, where we take our vacation, so we like to stay there on our way east, and back home. Oh, and I love your cats, even if one of them scared the heck out of me last year. :-)

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There is something special about your inn. The grounds are always very nice and I always pick up a tip on gardening. The folks who clean the room are always pleasent.Plz continue to keep the place affordable for families. See you in the summer, David & Jeri Batchelder

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**I hope that you continue to strive to run your inn as well as you do. I know that the competition especially from the Comfort Inn must have impacted your business. Maybe you could grow the use of Kayaking on the Lake, would that attract the people who like to be outdoors instead of working out inside? Offering a light breakfast may be a good idea, then guests can skip eating out for breakfast. I wish you well. I do not like to see a well-run, small business which cares about its clients, falter because of a larger competetitor! Good luck to you.

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Very lovely place; the landscaping is a real plus, as is the natural beauty of being near a lake. I have recommended the Inn to everyone I can who attend the event which brings me to the area each summer.

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The problem with Wilson Lake Inn, for Business Professionals is that it is privately owned small Inn without perks. The big chains have all kinds of rewards to their customers, wehat they can use for personal travel also.
Location is OK for that area and the place is nice, is it enough for frequent traveler - I do not know?

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There's very little one can say against Wilson Lake Inn.
We'd like to see Town Council install a walking path alongside the roadway from its western end (US Route 2) to meet up with the sidewalk at the former shoe factory.
Room lighting is somewhat weak, (we can only speak to Unit 121), particularly if you're into reading in bed.
It took us a wee bit of searching to locate the Inn on our first visit. We quickly learned, had we proceeded just a little further along Route 2, the sign couldn't haven't been more prominent. Arriving from the East, the signage is confusing. Any chance of erecting a 4 x 8 billboard to read "Wilson Lake Inn - (2, 3 or 4) miles ahead", and dump those elongated State blue ones, which add to the confusion?
Nonetheless, our best description is that once you reach the Inn it's like arriving "home" - welcoming, warm, and you're just glad to get there.
Happy 2010 season!
Dorothy & Michael Brislain

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For 28 years, I have been a business traveler and needed to stay in hotels and motels several weeks per year. My stays at the Wilson Lake Inn have been my best hotel experiences. The rooms, grounds, and especially the staff are truly exceptional. The staff have mailed back to me left behind items and supported special room accommodations needed. If you need a customer testimonial let me know. The Wilson Inn is superb - can't wait to return!

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You have the advantage of a lovely setting. But I am a business person, so these are lost on me.
Your cost is somewhat higher than I pay at the Holiday Inn. But your rate is probably fair, and probably doesnt make sense for you to try to compete with my Hol Inn rate.
I suspect that your main competition is the new Comfort Inn in Farmington; but they have a rather high rate.
A well equipped fitness room is very attractive to me. The Holiday Inn in Bangor is blessed with a Gold's Gym next door that guests can use for free. The Waterville Holiday Inn has a moderate fitness room with mostly treadmills and recumbent bikes.

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I love staying at your inn, and should be back soon. One suggestion on your survey - you may want to add a "no opinion", "not applicable", or "did not use" option for at least some of the questions. For instance, I have yet to use your business services or guest computer. I rated it excellent, but I don't really have an informed opinion.

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Thank you for a wonderful, idyllic place to stay!
Best regards,
Dave Seder

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Keep up the good work. Staff is great and facility is excellent.

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Our first stay in Farmington was at Wilson Lake Inn. We had hoped it would be a wonderful experience based on the fact my daughter will be attending UMF for 4 years, and we will be frequent visitors to the area. Our first night there, we were rudely awoken just after midnight by extremely loud noises that continued into the early morning hours. I brought this to the attention of the desk person in the morning and she stated there had been others complaining. Upon check out the following morning, I had expected some type of reimbursement/perhaps a reduced stay rate for the next visit, for having lost a nights sleep. An apology was a good start, but there was nothing else offered. I travel a great deal for business, and this was a great disappointment in the way to create repeat travelers. Especially in a college town. The facility itself was adequate for our needs.

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The work you have done at the Inn is lovely and it is a much more enjoyable experience than before. Your gardens are special and it makes a return to my home town like a nice getaway. Will see you again I'm sure.

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We are from the CSU ski team, and we really appreciated all the effort you made in preparing the wonderful breakfasts for our team, and making us feel right at home - thank you!

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enjoy the peace and quiet, The hosts are always very pleasant, and we always enjoy staying there.
Hope to see you sometime after easter

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Was a great place to stay and the grounds were beautiful. Nothing against Hotels, but the Wilson Lake Inn felt much more like home. Everyone at the Inn were very friendly and made us feel welcome. We found several good places to eat locally, and day-trips allowed us to enjoy the beauty of the area.

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We return to WLI each year for a ski event although it is 17 miles from the event because WLI offers clean comfortable rooms. Having a breakfast is very important to us whenever we travel to ski events as it helps us get to the event without having to figure out breakfast. We plan to return to WLI each year. Thank you.

Please do not change anything. The beds in the updated 1st floor rooms are the BEST!

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Maybe some donuts, or danish in the morning with your coffee. Other than that, everything is perfect. Thank you.

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Keep differentiating yourself from chain hotels; those who love the predictability of a Comfort Inn will ignore you, but those of us who want a more personalized, distinctive experience will be glad to know there are options beyond the remaining horrid highway motel on Rte.4.

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How about advertising "budget weekend escape--to the undiscovered Maine" packages in Boston, with things like ski passes to Titcomb Mountain, dinner vouchers for Calzolaio, or gift certificates for free microbrews in Farmington,in summer for lobster from Moshers or the little place on Rte 4 where I buy mine, talk up fall and spring hiking and include maps for Mt. Blue and some of those great article Doug Dunlap writes for the Journal, 3 free visits to the UMF gym, massage from Nathalie Choquette (778-6049). If you can stand the ATV crowd, talk up the great trails that go from Jay to Farmington. You could also work with the lady from the hospital who finds housing for visiting doctors & discount 3-month stays.

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You have a beautiful location and the rooms were just ok. We were able to grab some coffee and a muffin in the morning but the beds were uncomfortable and the rooms were pretty much what you'd expect for the rate. They weren't overly fancy , they were adequate. The location suited our needs just fine, the grounds are cozy and the building has a lot of curb appeal. The weather was crappy, but I liked the dock and loaner canoe's. You also waived the 2 night requirement and rented to us for one night, which was great. People were great and friendly and the cats are cool. I hope you get some good use from my feedback and I'm more than likely to call for a reservation for this summers drop off at camp K.

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Redecoration and wireless internet has much improved attractiveness.