STOWE AREA ASSOCIATION
51 Main St., Box 1320
Stowe, VT 05672
(802) 253-7321
www.gostowe.com

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jo Sabel Courtney, (802) 253-7321 extension 219, josc@gostowe.com

AMY JORDAN NAMED INNKEEPER OF THE YEAR BY SELECT REGISTRY

MARSHALL, MI—Innkeeper Amy Jordan, owner—with her husband Hap—of the Stone Hill Inn in Stowe, VT, has been presented with the “Hallmark of Hospitality Innkeeper of the Year Award” by Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

The Innkeeper of the Year Award honors owner-innkeepers who have contributed in significant ways to the Association, the industry, and the community. “This award is about the individuals’ accomplishments in the community, be it a small town, a popular tourist area, or a group of professionals. Amy Jordan has done a lot for her area, and for this Association,” said Phyllis Murray, Select Registry Board President.

Murray said that the award was largely based on testimony provided by Jordan’s peers. “This award is not about the winner’s property…its style, grandeur, age or décor. The nominees considered were all contributing members of our Association and have been leaders in the industry,” said Murray, innkeeper at the Montford Inn, Norman, OK.

“Amy Jordan is an outstanding example of an innkeeper who provides exceptional hospitality to her guests, while remaining active and invested in her community and our Association,” notes Keith Kehlbeck, Executive Director of Select Registry. “Her active participation in a wide variety of Association projects and her accomplishments as an innkeeper and as a member of the Stowe community demonstrates how important civic awareness and innkeeping excellence are to her.”

Jordan graduated with honors from James Madison University's College of Business and began working for Marriott hotels, where she received five Bill Tiefel Awards for excellence in guest service. She also co-owned a restaurant in Virginia Beach before marrying Hap Jordan, who comes from a restaurant cooking background, in 1996. The two decided to combine their skills in the hospitality industry and began searching for the perfect location for their “dream inn.”

They were looking for a year-round tourist destination in a mountain community that offered a desirable quality of life. Eventually they decided Stowe, Vermont was the ideal location, as it has everything they wanted right in one town--skiing, fall foliage, cultural events, shopping, great restaurants, and more. However, no inn on or off the market seemed to fit their needs, so they decided to build an inn from scratch. The permitting process was painstaking and expensive but worth it in order to have a property that truly reflected their tastes and that would meet the needs of the guests they hoped to serve. One and a half years later, they had permits in hand and began construction. In December 1998, Stone Hill Inn welcomed its first guests. Since then, the Inn has been praised by the New York Times, USA Today, Boston Globe, Montreal Gazette, SKI, Yankee, and others. Stone Hill Inn was named one of the Twelve Best B&B's in North America by Forbes.com.

The Jordans have been proud to be members of Select Registry since 2002. Amy is an active member of the Stowe Area Association, sitting on its Internet Committee and serving as Chair of the Marketing Committee. She also serves on the Board of Trustees and its Executive Committee. She is a past member of the steering committee for the Vermont Country Inn and Bed and Breakfast Council. Her activities for Select Registry have included serving on the Internet Committee, organizing an open house reception for the North American Travel Journalists Association, and pioneering a regional food passport promotion called “Fun For Foodies.”
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