The Daniel Invokes the Halloween Spirit

At Boston East India Hotels property The Daniel we love Halloween and enjoy nothing more than getting in the spirit of the spooky fall holiday. On Oct. 29, we are welcoming all to join us in the Halloween festivities for an evening of tales of the local Brunswick community at Coast Bar + Bistro from 6 p.m. onwards.

Aside from great friends, food and drink, the evening will feature spooky or historical stories about the Town of Brunswick, as well as the historical property of The Daniel, which was previously the Captain Daniel Stone Inn.

We will also have a best costume contest so don’t forget to wear you Halloween costume!

Read all about the event HERE 

The Daniel and its past as the Captain Daniel Stone Inn may not be The Overlook Hotel from The Shining but it certain has a rich and interesting history — and we know that many in the community can regal listeners with some interesting tales of yore.

The Daniel is based on a historic building that was erected in 1809 and sits on nearly two acres of land near the Androscoggin River.

The property and site both have a rich history. The site housed a log cabin built in 1628 by Thomas Purchase, the first European settler in Brunswick. Originally called by its Native American name, Pejepscot, meaning a river with long rocky rapids, Brunswick became a trading post between the Native Americans, Thomas Purchase and other English settlers. The property itself was originally built in Federal style in 1819 and has served in many roles during its nearly two hundred year history. It became a full-service hotel in the 1980s and operated as the Captain Daniel Stone Inn until 2013. 

The Federal-style home attached to The Daniel was built for Captain Daniel Stone and his family in 1819. Captain Daniel Stone became a successful merchant after he retired from the U.S. Navy in the early 1800s. He and his wife, Nancy Hinckley, had two children, Narcissa and Daniel. The captain also served as a Brunswick Representative to the State Legislature.

Captain Daniel Stone’s daughter, Miss Narcissa Stone, became a prominent figure in the community after she inherited considerable land and property from her father upon his death in 1825. She held on to her inheritance tenaciously, improving the land and developing nearby property. The Stone Family Estate, on which The Daniel now stands, was known as Narcissa’s Hill to the townspeople for the better part of the 19^th century. Narcissa passed away at the age of 76, in 1877, after having led a full life and becoming an important part of Brunswick’s history.

Any historic building in an old part of the country, such as Brunswick, will surely have a few spooky stories and The Daniel is no different.

Prior owners of the Captain Daniel Stone Inn liked to intrigue guests with tales of possible ghost sightings and haunting. And rumor has it there was even a whispered about ghost journal to compile tales of the unexplained.

The most popular spooky tale was sightings of a young man — dressed in historical attire from centuries gone by and looking similar to old paintings once displayed in the hotel — suddenly appearing to guests and then vanishing into thin air.

Another hushed-tone legend has it that when the property was excavated for hotel construction at least one gravestone was found and sections of the hotel and parking lot sit on top of an ancient burial ground. Some say the gravestone was used as part of historical-themed displays in Captain Daniel Stone Inn, inviting a link to the netherworld.

It has also been whispered behind non-believers backs that there are rooms in the hotel that former staff would never dare enter and only the bravest and unknowing guests ever set foot in.

The property’s tales are not unique in the area.

Around Brunswick there are a number of ghost stories that chill locals and give goose bumps to listeners.

The Daniel’s favorites:

• The old high school in Brunswick is said to be haunted by a former student who died while rehearsing a play on the balcony during school hours.
• There are five stone markers on River Road in Brunswick that are rumored to be associated with ancient Native Americans but are of unknown origin and haunted with sounds of voices and unrecognizable singing.

Check out some of the supposed haunted places and legends from Brunswick on Haunted Places or Ghosts of America.

Are these spooky tales of The Daniel, The Captain Daniel Stone Inn and other haunting myths around Brunswick true or not? Come on out to Coast Bar + Bistro on Oct. 29 and you be the judge!

Partnership with Clean the World at the Heart of Boston East India Hotel's Mission

At Boston East India Hotels, we care first and foremost about our guests and providing a curated hospitality experience that is second to none. However, we are also dedicated to sustainability and the world we live in. We do not toss around words like green, eco-friendly and sustainability lightly, nor do we half-heartedly attempt to make a difference in the world today — case in point, our partnership with Clean the World at The Daniel.

Clean the World is a nonprofit organization that is committed to reducing the waste created by discarded soap and shampoo products, as well as helping to prevent the millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses around the world.

The organization does this by collecting, recycling and distributing discarded soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions and gels from hotels. The guest room hygiene items are recycled by Clean the World’s recycling operations centers in Orlando, Las Vegas and Toronto, and distributed, for humanitarian purposes, to children and families in communities around the globe.

Clean the World partners with some of the world’s largest nonprofit organizations and NGO’s, including World Vision, World Food Program and Harvest Time International, as well as numerous U.S. partners to help distribute soap and shampoo.

As simple as it might sound, soap saves lives and we are proud to be part of Clean the World’s Bed and Breakfast Partners and help the organization save lives around the globe.

Medical research has shown that hand washing with soap significantly reduces the impact of two fatal diseases: acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease. These are the top two killers of children less than 5-years-old. By distributing recycled soap to those who need it the most Clean the World’s efforts can have a massive impact in the global hygiene revolution.

We also love that Clean the World has a tremendous track record of success.

Started in 2009, Clean the World has collected and distributed more than 18 million bars of soap to more than 65 countries worldwide including Zimbabwe, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Swaziland, Mali, Mongolia, Uganda, Honduras and Romania. The organization has operations in 50 states across the United States and 10 provinces in Canada. Its main recycling operations center in Orlando has the capacity to produce over 80,000 bars a day.

Clean the World’s recycled soap has been tested by TriTech Laboratories, a Florida state-certified testing facility, and given a 100 percent clean bill of health. TriTech infects soap to run through the standard Clean the World recycling process and checks to see what happens. The tests have found that all pathogens are successfully removed by the organization’s recycling process.

Clean the World has also become a natural disaster first responder — in January 2010, as part of our Haiti Earthquake relief efforts, it collected and distributed over 150 tons of hygiene products, medical supplies, water and other essentials to Haiti.

The green and eco-friendly benefits of working with Clean the World are also substantial. Since it was founded, the organization has eliminated more than 1.4 million pounds of hotel waste from polluting local landfills.

At The Daniel, partnering with Clean the World will help produce an estimated 250 pounds of recycle bars of soap annually, which equates to about 1,400 recycled soap bars distributed to children and families in need. The efforts will produce an estimated 200 pounds of recycled bottled amenities, which equals about 1,400 recycle bottled amenities distributed to children and families and need.

Annually, about 275 people are provided with soap from materials that are recycled from The Daniel.

Clean the World estimates that since the organization began its efforts more than 17 million children have died of diseases preventable with proper hygiene. With 18 million bars of soap distributed over that same time, it is clear that the organization’s mission to wipeout hygiene-related fatalities is an achievable goal — as a doubling of its efforts over the same time period moving forward could do it.

While The Daniel is just one of Clean the World’s 1,600 hospitality partners through North America — including giants such as The Walt Disney World Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, IHG, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Best Western International, Joie de Vivre Hotels, Hilton and Hyatt — we are glad to play our part in the massive impact this effort is having.

We also want our guests to know that when they visit any Boston East India Hotels property they are also part of this effort to impact the health and well-being of so many around the globe. We know many of our guest do their part at home to contribute to the sustainability of our planet and improve the health of all in it, but when they stay with us they are continuing to do their part even when they are on the road!

The Daniel at the Heart of Maine's Foliage Season

Camden Harbor, Maine (Photo by Cornexo)

Fall in New England is famous for many things, but above all else, is the yearly pilgrimage of the “leaf peepers” as they are known by some. It is the time of year when the color and beauty of New England foliage draws travelers from all over to see nature in its most vibrant state.

Mid-Coast Maine has its fair share of options to see colorful foliage and at our hotel The Daniel the staff is more than happy to help any fall enthusiasts find their way to visions of New England at its fall finest.

The foliage traditionally peaks around mid-October in the Mid-Coast region so you still have time to plan that perfect trip.

Maine’s state parks are some of the best places to target for leaf peeping.

Camden Hills State Park provides spectacular views of fall foliage and travelers can do so from the road to the top Mt. Battie, as well as from hiking trails on Mt. Megunticook and Bald Rock Mountain. 

The Donnell Pond Public Reserved Land in Hancock County near Sullivan and Franklin offers ambitious foliage enthusiasts hiking trails up Schoodic Mountain and Black Mountain that provide vistas on surrounding woodland, lakes and Acadia National Park across Frenchman's Bay.

For most, foliage viewing is traditionally an activity on the road and viewed through the auto window and Mid-Coast Maine has no shortage of options for a scenic foliage highway.

The Daniel recommends:

• Tourism Driving Tour: Windjammers & Water Views
  Start in Brunswick and head north along the coast to Camden, then inland to Unity and south through Union and Damariscotta State Park.
• Tourism Driving Tour: Acadia Harbors & Heights
  Begins in Bangor and then travel along the coast from Acadia National Park south, with many scenic lighthouse, water and wildlife viewing opportunities.
• Million Dollar View (Route 1)
  This stretch of U. S. Route 1 offers travelers unsurpassed views of the Chiputneticook chain of lakes including East Grand, Brackett and Deering.
• The Bold Coast Scenic Byway
  The 125-miles long Bold Coast route extends from the coastal fishing community of Milbridge eastward along the coast to Lubec, the easternmost town in the United States, and then scoops around Cobscook Bay to Eastport.
• Blackwoods Byway
  The towns of Cherryfield and Franklin, which serve as gateways to this byway, offer many good examples of 18^th century and 19^th century architecture, as well as the chance to experience rural small town life. 
• Schoodic National Scenic Byway
  This route passes through the only mainland section of Acadia National Park and beautiful Schoodic Point.
• Acadia Byway All-American Road
  Following Route 3, this byway follows Route 3 into Bar Harbor, and then follows the park loop road thereafter.

If leaves aren’t your thing there are plenty of other things to do as well.

The Coast Bar +Bistro has a killer lineup of music throughout October.

On Oct. 3 is James Good Eye offering up a unique blend of alternative and rock, inspired by Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Emmylou Harris, among others.

On Oct. 9, is Aaron Nadeau, a rising young artists from Maine who combines masterful guitar with his own blend of poetic lyrics.

On Oct., 10 is Andrew Yankowsky, a singer/songwriter from Portland, Maine, who specializes in a unique vocal style and a mix of folk, rock, reggae and jam music.

What we do expect at The Daniel is a busy fall season and the numbers back us up.

According to a recent consumer survey by AAA, the fall is a popular time to travel and that — depending on the region — as many as three of four people plan to take at least one, overnight trip of more than 50 miles in the next three months. AAA has also reported that as many as 45 percent of the public reports they prefer “off-season” based on the potential for savings versus peak travel periods.

Mark Jenkins, a spokesman for AAA, said that people like to travel in the fall because they can find great deals, a lot of this stemming to school being back in session, allowing for hotels and other attractions not being as crowded and lower rates. He added that fall travel prices can be at some of the lowest rates you can find all year.

New research from Enterprise Rent-A-Car suggests that brief road trips and long weekends — of which the fall is a popular time for — may actually be the most desired vacations of all, even more than the traditional vacation of summer weeks at the beach. Enterprise found that two-thirds of Americans prefer to take a one-day or weekend-road trip as opposed to the one-third who prefer to take a least a week-long trip.

Whatever your fancy, Boston East India Hotels and The Daniel are ready to be the center of your fall getaway!