[mcdude]

By ADAM DRAPCHO, LACONIA DAILY SUN
CENTER HARBOR — Center Harbor's largest lodging establishment will be treated to a much-needed overhaul this summer, and one of the region's best-known hospitality names will have a lakeside property, when the Center Harbor Inn reopens later this year. The inn, with buildings that were built in 1920 and 1969, has been purchased by Steele Hill Resorts.
Justin Cutillo, vice president of Steele Hill, and part of the family that owns the resort company, said he expects the much-needed renovation project to begin sometime later this month, and hopes to complete the project in August.
"The plan we have is to tear off the entire facade," said Cutillo. The plain white exterior will be replaced with an Adirondack-style facade, featuring Douglas fir and a gabled roof.
An article published in the July 24, 1969, edition of The Meredith News heralded the the open house of the newly constructed motel, then known as the The Meadows of Center Harbor, built by "Mr. and Mrs. Clifford LeRoy," who had recently relocated from California. The LeRoys purchased the property, which had two smaller buildings constructed in 1920, and added a large hotel building, which ranged from two stories nearest the road to four stories at the shoreline.
"Each luxuriously furnished and attractively decorated unit has a private balcony overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee. All are air-conditioned and have television and telephones," the article reported.
Nearly five decades of use had taken its toll on the luxury and attractiveness of the Center Harbor Inn. The carpets were worn, and the wooden decking for those private balconies had disconcerting holes in them. In recent years, rooms had been offered at a bargain rate, but deferred maintenance kept piling up until appearances hurt business. Cutillo said that the inn had occupancy rates around 30 percent last year.
The Cutillo family has been welcoming guests to Steele Hill Resorts since 1968. The 500-acre, well-known, hill-top Sanbornton property offers a scenic and quiet getaway, with condo-type accommodations, a pool, tennis and racquet ball courts, restaurant and golf course. The family become involved in the ownership of Summit Resort, in the Weirs, in 1989. But what the Cutillos didn't have was a lakeside experience, which is why, Justin said, the family three years ago began negotiating with the previous owners of the Center Harbor Inn. They finally settled on a price of $1.8 million, and the Cutillos expect to pay about that much again in renovation expenses.
Though the property is in need of renovation, Cutillo said it has unique qualities that make it worth the investment. The location is near a handful of excellent restaurants, sought-out hikes, and one of the M/S Mount Washington's regular stops. The inn is right next to Center Harbor's beach and lakeside park, and across the road from the town's band stand, which hosts weekly concerts throughout the summer. Cutillo was impressed with the many events that the Center Harbor Community Development Association has developed over the years.
The property is also just up the road from Meredith, and Cutillo hopes to serve as a comparable alternative to visitors who can't get a room there. He said that the previous bargain pricing will end, and that the rooms will carry charges more reflecting of its location and recent renovation.
"Our intention is to offer upscale hotel accommodations at rates competitive with other similar lodging options in the area," said Cutillo.
While guests at Steele Hill enjoy the chance to get away for peace and quiet, Cutillo thinks the Center Harbor Inn will attract visitors with a different mindset.
"People who want to get out and explore," he said. "We want to bring people to Center Harbor that are excited to go out to eat, excited to spend money in the galleries and stores around the area."
Perhaps the most compelling attribute of the Center Harbor Inn is its relationship with the lake. The hotel is built right up to a sandy, 175-foot beach, and has a dock with slips for 16 boats, and space for ten more boats in a mooring field.
"You would never be able to build this close to the lake these days," he said. "The spot itself, if you sit here and look at it, it's quintessential Winnipesaukee. It really doesn't get any better than this

pictured....old inn and new renovations