The Shires of Southwestern Vermont Destination Marketing Organization, in coordination with the Manchester Business Association, presented The Shires Holiday Inn Tours once again this holiday season.

Continuing a three decade's long tradition, The Shires' Holiday Inn Tours organized sixteen local lodging properties, including historic hotels, quaint inns and charming B & B’s, and encouraged them to open their doors to visitors from near and far during the holiday season. On Saturday, December 3rd and Saturday, December 10th over 330 visitors experienced the true meaning of hospitality as lodging properties throughout Bennington County showcased their unique properties in a festive holiday atmosphere.

Lodging properties opened their doors from 11am – 3pm each Saturday to welcome folks in for a tour. This popular event provided regional lodging partners the opportunity to showcase their properties, while those visiting enjoyed the festive holiday atmosphere, tasting local treats and sipping local beverages.

“Tis the season for giving and it couldn’t be a better time to help those in need, as each ticket sold makes an impact on food insecurity,” mentions the webpage for the event on ExploreTheShires.com. One hundred percent of the proceeds from ticket sales will once again be presented to the Manchester Community Food Cupboard, the Arlington Food Shelf and Bennington Meals on Wheels. Tickets were on sale throughout November and up to the last weekend. Individual tickets were $20 and two-person tickets were $30 online only.

“This year, through the generosity of our lodging partners, the Holiday Inn Tours raised a little over $5,000,” comments John Burnham, executive director of the Manchester Business Association and producer of the event. “It was a year of firsts and records being broken. It was the first time offering online ticket sales and sixteen lodging properties participating from Dorset to Bennington. Records were broken in the number of guests welcomed over two consecutive weekends and the most money raised exceeding $5,000 which will go to food cupboards and shelves across the region. We couldn’t have done any of this without the support of our local lodging partners.”

“We're excited to see this tradition continue and obviously the demand is still there,” remarks Matt Harrington, executive director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber who oversees The Shires of Southwestern Vermont Destination Marketing Organization now a 501c3 nonprofit under the Chamber. “The partnership with the Manchester Business Association has only strengthened the brand of the event and we are grateful for John who recently took over the production of the event. I believe this year will be the largest amount that we will donate to food insecurity programs during my time and obviously that makes this all worth it. We especially thank our lodging partners for opening their doors again for this great holiday cause.”

"The Holiday Inn Tours was a fun way to visit some of the establishments I'd never had a chance to see before and a great way to help support local food shelves at the same time,” said Steve Peters from Rutland, Vermont. “My wife and I plan to return to try some of the restaurants soon and we look forward to doing the tour again next year."

Nancy Weisenburger from Hebron, Connecticut added, “Touring the beautifully decorated inns was a great way to kick off the holiday season! We especially enjoyed meeting the Innkeepers and learning more about the history of the inns. The organizers deserve a thank you for organizing this event and raising money for the local food shelves.”

Rob Booth, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Equinox Resort reported, “The Holiday Inn Tours are a great tradition for Southwest Vermont. We are always excited to partner with the other inns to show off our picturesque mountain town. The holidays are so magical in Manchester. Couple this with the fact that we get to raise money for local charities, it’s really a win for the entire community!”

"The start of the Holiday Season begins with the Holiday Inn Tour! We welcomed over 100 visitors to our inn and we enjoy the festiveness of the season,” mentions Jack and Maryann Orlando of The Inn at Ormsby Hill.

Joe Polito, the new owner of South Shire commented, "The Shires Holiday Inn Tours are an excellent way to kick off the holidays and provide an opportunity for us to meet and connect with our neighbors. All the attendees expressed their appreciation for us opening our homes to them. The bonus is that it's a great cause that helps those in need during the season of giving!”

Locals got in on the tours as well. “We did four inns, The Barnstead, The Arlington Inn, West Mountain Inn and South Shire. All of the innkeepers were very welcoming, which made us want to return for a getaway or have breakfast, dinner or high tea,” remarked Ellen and Rick Havlak of Bennington.

The 16 properties who participating in the 2022 Holiday Inn Tours were South Shire Inn, Rockwell’s Retreat, The West Mountain Inn, The Arlington Inn, The Ira Allen House, The Inn at Ormsby Hill, Kimpton Taconic Hotel, The Barnstead Inn, Wilburton Destination Resort, The Equinox Golf Resort and Spa, The Reluctant Panther, Hampton Inn and Suites, Barrows House Inn, The Dorset Inn, Squire House B&B, and the Wilson House.

For more information visit: https://exploretheshires.com/shiresholidayinntours

The Shires Holiday Inn Tours Raise Over $5,000 For Local Food Programs