International Women’s Day happens annually on March 8th to celebrate women and the movement toward gender equality. This year’s theme is Balance for Better and focuses on the phrase “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change.”
The Hawthorne Hotel was built in 1925, so over the course of 94 years you can imagine the path to equality and the innovation that has taken place to stay in our era but have a modern twist. Luckily we have a powerhouse team of women who are some of the smartest and most innovative people in the industry. That is not to say that our wonderful team of men haven’t assisted with our growth. The Hawthorne Hotel team is a proud group of equals who strive daily to improve on our quality, customer service, and overall product. But today, it is about the women!
Meet Our Fearless Leader
Claire Kallelis is our General Manager and has worked at the Hawthorne for 30 years! Claire started out as a server and has worked her way up to be the face and leader of the Hawthorne Hotel. She has seen our growth firsthand. Claire is all about the progress of the hotel, often motivating the team with the phrase “we were present then, and we are present now!”
Present Then, Present Now
The Hawthorne Hotel hosted its first Grand Ballroom wedding in July of 1925, and continues to host 100+ weddings each year while holding high rankings on popular wedding websites such as The Knot and Wedding Wire. The Hawthorne Hotel has been host to many events ranging from wedding showers, baby showers, reunions, anniversary parties, birthday parties, etc. Historic charm and elegance is what brings groups and families back year after year.
Meet Our New Executive Chef
A newer member that adds to the powerhouse team of women at the Hawthorne Hotel is Vanessa Still, the Executive Chef. Since joining the team in 2017, Vanessa has shown the true meaning of innovation. From creative dishes for our famous Halloween Ball to our Tavern on the Green and Nathaniel’s restaurants, Vanessa creates mouth-watering dishes that appeal to all ages. Her talent and fresh ideas give our restaurants the modern twist they need in order to be successful, while competing with over sixty restaurants and bars in the downtown Salem area.
Here is a photo of Chef Vanessa’s “Beefsteak Tomato Salad with Pork Belly,” courtesy of Salem Food Digest.
Our Improvements and Who is Behind Them
Over the years, the Hawthorne has made major improvements in order to preserve the historic building and keep up with the local competition.
Some highlights over the past 10 years include:
- *Bathroom renovations in all 89 guest rooms in the main hotel
- *Fresh paint and wallpaper in each guest room
- *New headboards, drapes, and windows in each guest room
- *Fresh paint in the Grand Ballroom
- *New drapes for our Palladian windows in the Grand Ballroom
- *Fresh paint in the lobby
This is just to name a few and the updates keep on coming! The Hawthorne plans to install new carpet in the Grand Ballroom this year and new carpet in the lobby within the next two years. All of these major updates were with the help and guidance of our Executive Housekeeper, Megan Campbell. Megan is an instrumental part of the Hawthorne team and has been at the property for 15 years. Megan has a deep understanding of what our image is and how to preserve that, while moving forward to update our guest rooms, lobby and meeting spaces. Aside from the necessary updates, Megan’s team strives for perfection in the day-to-day operations, keeping the guest rooms spotless.
Our Powerhouse of Women
The Hawthorne Hotel has embraced its innovative changes through the years.
Being a powerhouse of women leaders and gender equality, the Hawthorne Hotel is unstoppable in its “balance for better!”
In honor of International Women’s Day ♀️ the Hawthorne Hotel is running a “Girl’s Getaway” package! Rates start as low as $149 and include a $10 voucher to the Tavern on the Green. Travel dates start on March 7 and run through the end of the month! Call 978-744-4080 and mention this package to book.
Grab your BFFs and plan a fun trip to Salem!