Part of what makes us so special is the historical flavor. The opulence, the elegance. It's steeped in history. That fits the long-weekend mini vacation that is becoming increasingly common for busy people who try to get away for a few days at a time, in addition to a full vacation. Ostrander said time is the new currency, citing a recent study by tourism research guru Peter Yesawich, which said four out of 10 people surveyed would trade an increase in compensation for more time off.
People also have higher expectations.
The flip side of that is that people are still attempting to negotiate price, she said. An attempt to fulfill visitors' expectations about New England, with a nod to nostalgia, is why there are three Inns at Mill Falls, one with 50 rooms and two with 25, instead of one 100-room hotel. Rusty McLear said the Meredith inns aren't intended as a destination for visitors, but rather as a base of operations and a refuge. Especially for the European market, which envisions New England with church steeples and white clapboards. At the same time, McLear said, the inns are prepared to cater to the needs of business travelers with double port telephones to accommodate laptops, conference rooms and fax machine.