PRESS RELEASE
August 6, 2007
Trustees of Reservations
Announces New Innkeeper at the Inn at Castle Hill
Beverly, MA -- August 6, 2007 -- The Trustees of Reservations today announced the official appointment of Bob Chok as innkeeper of the Inn at Castle Hill, located on the spectacular 2,100-acre Crane Estate in Ipwich, Massachusetts. Bob has been transferred to the Inn from another Trustees’ property, The Guest House at Field Farm, located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he served as innkeeper since April 2003.
With more than 17 years experience in the field of hospitality, Bob brings his knowledge and expertise in the art of innkeeping to the Inn at Castle Hill, where he now oversees day-to-day business operations, staffing, service, customer relations, and marketing.
“We are so fortunate to have Bob join our team here at the Inn at Castle Hill,” says Richard Ryan, Trustees Vice President of Finance and Administration. “The Inn is a premier destination of choice for those looking for a peaceful, scenic, beachside getaway, and Bob’s effortless management style and commitment to customer service will be a valuable asset. We will be looking to Bob’s leadership expertise as we look for more opportunities to enhance the overall customer experience at the Inn.”
Before joining The Trustees of Reservations in 2003, Bob ran the Fern Grove Inn in Sonoma County, California. He began his innkeeping career in 1990, after working as a banking executive for 15 years at the Chase Manhattan Bank.
The Inn at Castle Hill, a gracious, turn-of-the-century shingle-style structure, offers 10 lovely guestrooms, a wraparound veranda with panoramic ocean views, a continental breakfast, afternoon tea, and plenty of opportunities for relaxation and recreation. The interior combines original architectural details with the simple but elegant decor of a seaside retreat. The guestrooms, decorated by interior designers from the greater Boston area, offer luxurious bedding, window seating, fireplaces, and antique furniture. Original artwork by local artists is displayed throughout, featuring beautiful landscapes and scenes that connect the interior with the beauty of the surrounding Crane Estate.
Originally built in 1850 as an Italianate farmhouse and later renovated as a summer “cottage,” the Inn is within close proximity to Trustees-owned Crane Wildlife Refuge, Crane Beach, and Castle Hill, all part of the breathtaking Crane Estate, formerly owned by plumbing magnate and philanthropist, Richard Crane. A National Historic Landmark, Castle Hill features 165 acres of natural and designed landscape, the Inn, a Tavern, and the Great House, which boasts beautiful architecture, arts and antiques, as well as breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. For more information, visit www.theinnatcastlehill.com or www.craneestate.org.
The Inn at Castle Hill is one of 96 properties owned by The Trustees of Reservations. All proceeds support the organization’s land conservation and historic preservation efforts throughout the state.
About the Trustees’ Mission: Past & Present
Since its founding in 1891 by Charles Eliot, an open space visionary and protégé of the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, The Trustees’ mission has been to preserve, protect and care for properties of exceptional scenic, historic and ecological value in Massachusetts. While The Trustees’ mission remains the same, the way the organization plans to accomplish it has changed as the world has changed.
As open land is being developed and fragmented at a rapid pace around the state, The Trustees are working to mobilize and inspire a critical mass of people and partners who care about quality of life in their communities and are willing to work to protect them. The Trustees are undertaking an ambitious education and outreach effort to help more people understand how everyone can be “a Trustee” of the planet and make a lasting impact.
About The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees are more than 100,000 people like you, from every corner of Massachusetts, who share a deep set of similar values: a love of the land, of the outdoors and of the distinctive charms of New England, as well as a shared vision of celebrating and protecting them for everyone, forever.
With 96 reservations, comprising nearly 25,000 acres—all of which are open to the public—The Trustees of Reservations’ properties are tremendously diverse and include: mountains and hilltops; forests and woodlands; river valleys and waterfalls; islands, 70 miles of coastline, barrier beaches; marshes, bogs, swamps; open fields and meadows; farms, historic homesteads and now recently, through a permanent affiliation with Boston Natural Areas Network, community gardens and urban wilds throughout the city of Boston.
The Trustees employ 180 full-time and 350-400 seasonal staff with expertise in many areas, including ecology, education, historic resources, land protection, conservation, land management, and planning. To find out how you can interview Trustees’ experts on important topics and issues, volunteer or become a member, please call The Trustees of Reservations at 781.784.0567, visit at www.thetrustees.org, or email membership@ttor.org.