By Angela Houle
EAGLE TIMES CORRESPONDENT
In the aftermath of a catastrophic flooding, Claremont’s Common Man Inn is grappling with damage and working to overcome the challenges.
The floodwaters destroyed seven air-conditioning units serving its restaurant and event space. Additionally, three more units are offline due to water damage caused by the flooding Sugar River, CEO Vince Vella told the Eagle Times.
The Inn is informing diners of the lack of air conditioning, opened windows and placed numerous fans throughout the dining area.
“It’s a tall, large room, and hot air rises so it isn’t really that bad in there,” Vella said. “Outside seating also is available in the area that was unaffected by the water.”
Three suites suffered damage on the inn’s lower level, though the full extent is yet to be determined, Vella said. The vintage wood flooring must dry before repairs can be made. One of the outdoor dining decks sustained damage from the rushing waters eroding the support pillars’ underlying soil. As a precautionary measure, the area has been cordoned off.
He said the hotel staff became aware of the damage in the early morning hours of July 11 when a guest phoned Innkeeper Elisha Moody and alerted her to a quarter-inch to half-inch of water in their room.
Moody immediately assisted the guest into another room. One guest did choose to stay in their damaged suite but only occupied the top floor.
Director of Inns Katrina Clark said she was astonished by the flooding.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Clark said. “The river has gotten high, but not that high, and I came on board here at the beginning.”
Clark added that even seasoned professionals within the Common Man organization were taken aback by the magnitude of the event. She has been involved with the Claremont location since her hiring as a front desk agent in 2009 working her way through the ranks.
Vella reassured that the hotel is managing the situation and experiencing minimal disruption to guests.
“It’s pretty much business as usual; we’re down a couple of rooms, but everything is running as normal,” he said. “We are lucky. We have our own in-house maintenance team to coordinate and oversee the damage repair.”
The exact timeline and cost for repair is not known, Vella said. He said many factors will need to be considered first, including how the the inn decides to move forward quotes from outside contractors.
Vella added that management is exploring the idea of moving the AC units to a different location.
The next scheduled is Saturday.
“We may consider renting some outside AC units to pump cool air into the space while we wait for a more permanent solution,” Vella said.
While touring the lower level of the Bridge Suite, one of the damaged rooms, Vella recounted a comment made by the inn’s staff. He said staff said rushing waters of the Sugar River had surged past pieces of concrete outside the building, coming dangerously close to the bottom of the window. The lower levels of the damaged suites sit below bedrock. It’s unclear as to how the water got in.
Despite the damage and the unavailability of certain rooms, Moody said that the inn is still experiencing an 85 percent occupancy rate. The average occupancy rate is 75 percent.
Vella said the company has been proactive in reaching out to its insurance agent and ensuring that they are well-equipped to navigate the recovery process. The inn does have flood insurance coverage. Its agent is working on submitting paperwork to state and federal agencies.
“The issues will be fixed, it’s just a matter of who’s paying for it,” Vella said.
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