The Four Columns Inn is currently owned by the Newfane Hospitality Group and managed by the mother and daughter duo of Andrea Jourdan and Francesca Jourdan. The inn is located in the town of Newfane, Vermont. The original building, today referred to as the Four Columns Building, which ultimately became the Four Columns Inn, was constructed in 1832 by the state militia general Pardon T. Kimball. Today, the bed and breakfast establishment includes three buildings with 15 available rooms for rent. Additionally, the property is equipped with a restaurant and a tavern open to both the public and guests of the inn. The property overlooking the Smith Brook also contains various ponds and creeks, as well as a garden that produces some of the food for the restaurant. The Jourdans strive to create an atmosphere where visitors feel "comfortable." The Four Columns Inn has received various reviews, with the quality of both the food and service being the most commonly mentioned items in such reviews.
The Four Columns Inn is located near the center of the village of Newfane, Vermont. The property sits on 138 acres in total, a large portion of which is a mountain that neighbors the buildings. This mountain is a part of the overall property. The owners are working to develop hiking trails into the area for guests to use. Still, much of the 138 acres is currently inaccessible to the patrons of the property due to both its difficulty to access and because it is protected land, according to the manager.
There are three buildings with rooms on the property: the Main Building (with six rooms), the
Four Columns Building (with six rooms), and the Garden Annex (with three rooms) connected to
the aforementioned. In addition, the Main Building contains both a restaurant and tavern that
are connected to the reception/check-in area. Four rooms are on the first floor, and guests
must use a staircase to access all the others as there is no elevator on-site. The inn’s rooms are
not wheelchair-accessible or wheelchair-equipped. Additionally, the property has two pet-friendly rooms—Buttercup and Dandelion—in the Garden Annex.
Guests checking in with a pet will have an additional charge for having the animal (dogs and
cats are allowed) stay with them; they will find a dog bowl and cookies after checking in. Housekeeping is included in the guests' stay.
Rooms at the inn provide either a king or queen-size bed for the guests. There are no rooms
with twin beds. A few guestrooms—Sugar Maple, Buttercup, and Marjoram—have fridges at
no extra charge. Amenities such as hairdryers and irons with iron boards are provided to
patrons when requested. Another noteworthy detail is that the inn’s room rates are for double occupancy; however, a few of them—Sugar Maple, Buttercup, and Marjoram—can accommodate three guests. The innkeepers recommend two adults and a
child, as the folding ottoman transforms into a bed suitable for a small body. Guests can expect
an additional charge for a third person in a room.
Outside of the buildings, the property comprises a developing vegetable garden, various
animals, including ducks and chickens, a fire pit, three ponds, and a babbling brook, the Smith
Brook, which borders the grounds of the inn and the adjoining mountain.
Andrea's Table, the restaurant, is open to the public and inn guests for dinner service as early as
5:30 PM. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Reservations are preferred as the establishment
is closed on Tuesdays if there are none. The Tavern is open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 5:00
PM until closing, around 9:00 PM.
The inn’s complimentary continental breakfast, composed of Vermont gluten-free vegan granola, cereals, croissants, muffins, yogurts, and quiches, is served every day in the Tavern from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Gluten-free bread is available upon request. On certain slow days, Inn Guests might receive breakfast vouchers to redeem for a hot breakfast at the local general store, less than five minutes walk from the Inn.
Within the rooms available for guests to stay in, there are a variety of public amenities for inn
guests, including one EV charging station on-site. Upon checking in, guests with an electric
vehicle can request the location and bring their car to the area. Each of the rooms is outfitted
with air conditioning, a television, a phone, hypoallergenic bedding, and complimentary
bathroom products. The 15 rooms exhibit a variety of design styles; vintage skis and
snowshoes on the wall give Red Clover hints of a "rustic" mountain lodge, while other
accommodations are decorated with modern art. In addition to the in-room amenities, the Four
Columns Inn provides free Wi-Fi access. There are also Swedish and deep tissue massages
available for guests by appointment; these must be scheduled by phone or email at least
three weeks before the scheduled stay at the inn.
The managers of the Four Columns Inn, strive to create a culture within the property where customers feel "comfortable, relaxed, and happy." In an effort to emulate this atmosphere, the Jourdans explain that they have instated specific policies and organized events. They strive to
do their best to be there for their guests when they are needed. People in their 40s, 50s and
60s are generally the age range of patrons staying at the inn, with the occasional younger crowd visiting.
According to Francesca, skiers enjoy staying at the inn during the wintertime due to the inn’s proximity to ski resorts,
including Mount Snow. In the summertime, avid golfers stay at the establishment; there are
four golf courses nearby. Another nearby attraction is the Marlboro Music Festival which happens
annually in Marlboro. The bed and breakfast has many parents staying overnight when college
sessions start in autumn. Landmark College in Putney is about 13 miles away, roughly a 20-minute drive. In October, the village of Newfane hosts the Newfane Heritage Festival, which the managers of
the inn encourage the bed and breakfast guests to attend. From May to October, visitors can
enjoy the flea market in Newfane, the oldest in the state of Vermont.
Four Columns Inn has several policies for guests to adhere to. For instance, the Inn is a non-smoking establishment, although guests may
walk around the property and dismiss the cigarette butts in provided waste bins. Check-in is
scheduled between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Guests must check out of their rooms by 11:00 AM with
flexibility depending on the availability of the space the morning that they are departing in
order to allow the following visitors to be able to get into their rooms on time. Guests must also
return the room key when checking out, or a fee may be processed otherwise. There is also a late check-in process that guests arriving past the check-in times are expected to follow upon arrival at
the property. This process entails an envelope that includes the room key, a property map to
locate the room, information for meals at local establishments open on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, and other relevant details that the
owners feel may be helpful to guests. One important mention is that, due to Vermont state law, guests cannot bring their own
alcohol. Thus, all alcohol consumed on-site must be purchased from the Four Columns Inn’s
inventory. Guests can consult the two-page beer and six-page wine lists upon request; they can
ask the front desk agent during business hours.
The managers host private events at the Inn itself, as well as inform their guests of events that are happening in the surrounding area. They also hold wine tastings periodically that visitors to the inn and other invitees may attend. In October, the town of Newfane hosts the Newfane Heritage Festival, which the managers of the Four Columns Inn encourage the bed and breakfast patrons to attend.
The most common item that the owners have received feedback on from previous guests to the inn is the quality of service that they receive during their stay at the property. One particular visitor to the Four Columns Inn described their experience during their stay as such: "Kind, attentive staff, delicious breakfast and tavern snacks, cute and comfortable room, and well-maintained property!"
The Four Columns Inn is open year-round, with it being potentially closed for a couple of weeks in
either March or April. Such closing announcements are made on the inn’s website. Autumn is the
busiest season for the inn because of the fall foliage each year.
Pardon T. Kimball, a general of the state militia who later became a senator in Vermont, initially
constructed the front building (the one with the four columns) in 1832. After some time, the
building was ultimately sold off. For over a hundred years, the property passed through the
hands of various owners. In the 1960s, René Chardain and his wife Pierrette bought the building,
and together they converted it into an inn and restaurant by 1969. He ultimately sold the
property in 1981. The inn passed through different owners until it landed in the hands of its
current owners, who bought the property in March 2022 and made renovations up until May
14, 2022, when they had a private reopening involving the descendants of René Chardain, the
original founder.
The third-floor room known today as Sugar Maple was the original flower conservatory built
during the Chardain’s years of ownership. The building in which it stands, the Four Columns
Building, still has the original staircase.
Living on the property was essential to celebrity chef Andrea Jourdan and her family, who was
in Florida before becoming inn managers. For them, the fifth owners of the Four Columns Inn
after René Chardain, it was necessary to provide quality customer service should a
problem arise in a room in the middle of the night. They feel it is important to assist guests personally with reservations
or information pertaining to local activities, to provide a house-made and freshly baked
breakfast, and especially to connect with new people from all over the world.
21 West Street
Newfane, Vermont 05345
United States
Contemporary
Newfane Hospitality Group
René Chardain
