Neal Baron:
Neal is the Evening Innkeeper here at the Echo Lake Inn. He is responsible for the evening guest services and satisfaction. In addition, he is the onsite event coordinator, ensuring that your wedding day, family reunion or group gathering is executed with the highest level of professionalism and warmth that guarantees lasting memories.
Neal grew up in Northern Westchester County in New York where he was instilled with strong family values and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout during his time there. His love of Vermont began at an early age through many visits to his family’s summer home just north of Woodstock.
In his twenties, Neal decided to make a lifestyle change and became a permanent resident of Vermont. He spent five years working as a dining room manager at a small bed and breakfast with a high-end restaurant in southern Vermont. After leaving the bed and breakfast, he was sent to the Echo Lake Inn by various people from the Ludlow area. Upon seeing the inn for the first time covered in snow and decorated for the holiday season, Neal immediately fell in love with it and has only grown to love the Inn more since.
For the past five years, Neal has been responsible for the evening and event operations of the inn. He shares his excitement for mixology to the guests’ delight on a nightly basis. Neal has a passion for hospitality and has been extremely successful in his goal to help the guests find the comfort, peace and relaxation that he himself has found here.
Anne Marie Comeau:
Heading into her 10th year at the Echo Lake Inn, Anne Marie came to the inn from Chicago via Plymouth, MA.
Anne Marie was born in Boston and her parents were from Whitman, MA. Due to a job transfer for her father, she grew up in the Hudson River Valley in NY. She attended the State University in Oneonta and graduated with a BS in Biology. She then moved to Philadelphia, PA where she managed several health food stores before moving to Chicago to run the natural apothecary for an integrative medical office.
It was then time to move home to New England to be near family. While working on a gut- rehab of their house in Plymouth, VT, Anne Marie saw an ad for a job as an innkeeper at the Echo Lake Inn. Despite having no experience in the hospitality industry, the previous owner took a chance and hired her. That was almost 10 years ago and she has never looked back.
Today her average day includes cooking breakfast for all the inn guests, maintaining the gardens, handling all guests calls and reservations, all online availability and anything else that comes her way during a normal day. She is also the bartender for all the weddings. Her favorite parts of the job are cooking breakfast and helping the guests plan their perfect day in Vermont, whether it is hiking a favorite trail or finding the perfect place to eat besides the Echo Lake Inn.
