The Inn at the Old Lantern Welcomes Its First Guests
By Rowan Beck,
January 26, 2012, pages 1 and 6.....

After roughly three years of planning, permitting and construction, the Inn at the Old Lantern is finally open. Owners Lisa and Roland Gaujac are pleased to announce that their first guests will arrive this weekend. The Old Lantern is hosting a wedding for approximately 250 guests, and several will be staying at the Inn. The first brides will be staying in February.
Lisa and Roland began the permitting process formally in 2009. In May of 2011 they received permits to break ground. By October the Inn was complete and they were able to move into their new home, an apartment attached to the Inn. But it wasn’t until January 13, 2012, that they received the final Certificate of Occupancy from Charlotte’s Zoning Administrator Tom Mansfield, making it possible to open the Inn for guests. Lisa said she was thrilled that the permit process was completed and gratified that so many in the community have been overwhelmingly supportive.
The Inn was a natural offshoot of the Old Lantern. Lisa and Roland purchased the property in 2006 as a place for weddings and events, keeping with the tradition of it being an event hall, and it seemed only natural that the bride could remain on site with her wedding party. The Inn consists of eight charming rooms varying in size, and prices are comparable to other hotels in the area, ranging from $150 to $250 for the bridal suite. There is a two-night minimum and a discount if the entire Inn is booked.
Smaller and cozier than the Old Lantern, the Inn is an attractive location for brunch, cocktail party or rehearsal dinner for the bridal party. Its Great Room has a comfortable seating area with leather couches, and plush upholstered chairs, surrounding a recessed fireplace with a small bar tucked into the corner. The dark hardwood floors are softened by the cream colored walls, where Melissa Eyre, of Able and Lovely, displays her photography of Charlotte’s landscapes framed in barn board that guests may purchase. Several large windows allow the morning sun to pour in over the breakfast nook, where they will serve a continental breakfast of coffee, yogurt, toast, granola, and a few other items. They also provide the perfect spot to watch a picturesque Vermont sunset. Lisa and Roland have created the feeling of entering a home.
It is more convenient for brides to remain on site with their bridal parties than staying outside of Charlotte and renting cars or using cabs to go back and forth to Burlington, which can cost as much as $68 if not prearranged. Another local option for the wedding party that Lisa suggests is the Inn at Charlotte, which has four rooms.
As of now, Lisa has 45 weddings booked for 2012 and one for 2013. “My daughter Celine will be getting married here October 5, 2013,” Lisa said happily as she and Roland showed off the kitchen of their apartment. The Gaujacs did much of the interior finish work in the Inn, including painting, tiling and upholstery. Her brother-in-law did the faux painting in the bridal suite. “I think I’m on a first name basis with everyone at Loews!” Lisa said with a laugh. There are still odds and ends to finish, but they are ready for and looking forward to their first guests.
For 50 years the Old Lantern has been an entertainment hall. Earl Burns brought three barns down from Jericho in 1962 creating the Old Lantern. He opened the doors every Friday and Saturday night for square dances, community events and fundraisers, weddings, even CCS graduations. On some weekends he waxed the wood floors and allowed roller-skating. He ran a campground behind the Old Lantern on Barber Hill, near where the new Inn is located.
The Old Lantern has been known for music events, hosting bands like Little Feet, The Brian Setzer Orchestra and Taj Ma Hal. The Gaujacs hope to host more music events in the future, but licensing is very expensive. The cost for a music license from BMI would be $6,000 per year. BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) is a performing rights organization that collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to its members whose works have been performed.
Lisa and Roland have been very generous to the town and local foundations by donating the space and a few appetizers by Chef Roland. They have hosted the Halloween Bash for Mahana Magic, Comedy on the Brain benefitting brain tumor research, the Catholic Church’s Christmas Eve Mass, the Fire and Ice Ball benefitting Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services (CVFRS) and the Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast.
The second annual CVFRS Fire and Ice Ball on February 3 is the next local event that the Gaujacs are hosting at the Old Lantern. They are donating the space and Chef Roland will prepare the chicken and beef that is being provided by The Shelburne Meat Market. After that, Lisa and Roland are planning to squeeze in a much needed vacation before the wedding season heats up. They are planning an open house for the spring for all to attend.