Noaris Nora
Google
I had been dreaming about enjoying a stay at a place on the lake, and immersing in the gorgeous and haunting call of loons in the early hours of the morning during my summer vacation. Since I had never been to New Hampshire, when I came across 'Squam Lake Inn' on the web, the name grabbed me and I thought my dream had come true. Assumptions tend to disappoint in major ways. The Inn's name is misleading. Quite the misnomer. Granted, when I spoke to Brendan (owner) on the phone, 3 days before my arrival, he did confirm that the Inn was not on, or even in close proximity to Squam Lake. He did say it would get very noisy with the constant parade of motorcycles. Brendan though did kindly upgrade me, at no extra charge, to a room with a king size bed when I explained I'd be traveling with my teenage son. I'm extremely grateful for this kindness on his part. The room, however, felt cramped and it seemed like a cruel joke when I saw its name - Loon... since there is no lake nor loon in sight at Squam Lake Inn.
We arrived at the Inn on Sunday (Father's Day), June 15, 2025. The front desk staff member was very welcoming. About an hour after settling in our room, my son and I headed to their restaurant, The Inn Kitchen. The food was tasty, with great service as well. After dinner, we got in our car and drove around to 'see' the lake (Squam). When we came back to the Inn, all parking spots were taken, and I was told to park anywhere I could find parking in areas outside and surrounding the Inn. Great disappointment! If I'm a patron not only of your Inn, but your restaurant as well, I expect to have parking available in the immediate area within the Inn's parking space, and not have to drive around in order to find a 'parking space' for the night. It seems that it being Father's Day and the restaurant full, there was no place to park for the patron (me). Squam Lake Inn is quaint and rustic with beautiful decor which I truly enjoy. But, its name is misleading with no lake in sight, and no parking priority given to the Inn's patrons either. Both being huge disappointments!
We stayed only for one night and not the other 4 nights originally reserved. The owners at Squam Lake Inn, however, were kind enough to refund us a great portion of our money. I do not foresee a future stay at Squam Lake Inn simply because it is not the sort of 'stay' that caters to my likes and needs. But, it may very well be, and seems to be, the perfect 'stay' place for many others.