The Exeter Inn

The Exeter Inn is a historic inn located on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. The property combines lodging, dining, and event functions and is closely associated with the academy and the town of Exeter. Although it operates as a hospitality venue, the inn is owned by Phillips Exeter Academy and has been operated under a long-term lease by hotel companies, including Hay Creek Hotels. The current inn dates from 1932, when a Georgian-style complex was constructed with funding donated by the widow and daughter of William Boyce Thompson, a mining engineer and Phillips Exeter Academy alumnus. Its design reflects the architectural character of the academy campus. The property occupies land acquired for the academy in 1890 from academy alumnus William P. Chadwick by Edward F. Gale and that year's graduating class. The current building replaced an earlier Exeter Inn on Water Street, one of Exeter's oldest buildings, which was demolished in 1959. The inn's identity is shaped by its institutional setting. It serves academy-related visitors, parents, alumni, faculty, students' families, and general travelers seeking accommodation in the Seacoast New Hampshire area. Its location has also given it political visibility: it has periodically hosted or provided a stopover for candidates campaigning in New Hampshire's presidential primary, one of the most closely watched events in the United States electoral calendar. Operational control has changed over time. In 1997, Phillips Exeter Academy transferred a 75-year lease to Someplace(s) Different, a hotel operator. Hay Creek Hotels acquired that lease in June 2007 and subsequently undertook a reported $5 million renovation. The work upgraded guest rooms, the lobby, restaurant, and other amenities while preserving the property's historic character and relationship to the campus. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the inn temporarily closed to outside visitors and was repurposed as additional housing for Phillips Exeter Academy students. This temporarily shifted the property from its normal hospitality role toward institutional use. The Exeter Inn is otherwise presented as an operating inn whose principal offering is place-based lodging and hospitality rather than a broad consumer product portfolio.

The Exeter Inn is part of the built and institutional history of Exeter, New Hampshire, and Phillips Exeter Academy. Its site was incorporated into the academy's holdings in 1890, when land was purchased from academy alumnus William P. Chadwick by Edward F. Gale and the graduating class of that year. The location subsequently became associated with the academy's campus environment and its visitors. An earlier Exeter Inn stood on Water Street. That building was regarded as one of the oldest structures in Exeter before it was demolished in 1959. The present inn was built in 1932 as a Georgian-style complex. Its construction was financed by a gift from the widow and daughter of William Boyce Thompson, a mining engineer and Phillips Exeter Academy alumnus. The design was intentionally compatible with the architectural language of the academy, making the property an extension of the campus setting rather than an unrelated commercial hotel. For much of its history, the inn has served both ordinary hospitality customers and people connected with the academy. Its functions include overnight accommodation, food and beverage service, and spaces for gatherings and events. The property has also had a recurring connection with New Hampshire presidential politics. Candidates in the state's presidential primary have used the inn as an occasional stopover, giving the otherwise local property national political visibility during election seasons. The ownership and operating arrangements have not been identical. Phillips Exeter Academy owns the inn, while hotel operators have managed it through lease arrangements. In 1997, the academy transferred a 75-year lease to Someplace(s) Different. Hay Creek Hotels acquired that lease in June 2007. After taking over the lease, Hay Creek carried out a reported $5 million renovation that modernized the guest rooms, lobby, restaurant, and amenities while retaining the historic character of the complex. The COVID-19 pandemic produced the most significant recent change in use described in the available record. In 2020, The Exeter Inn temporarily closed to visitors and was converted into additional accommodation for academy students. This was a temporary institutional response to pandemic conditions rather than a permanent abandonment of the hospitality business. The inn is otherwise described as an active lodging property operating in Exeter under the ownership of Phillips Exeter Academy and the management or leasehold framework associated with Hay Creek Hotels.

• 2020

  Pandemic-related temporary conversion

  [1]Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org

  The inn temporarily closed to visitors and was converted into additional housing for Phillips Exeter Academy students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2007

  Hay Creek Hotels acquires the lease

  [1]Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org

  Hay Creek Hotels acquired the operating lease in June and subsequently carried out a major property renovation.

• 1997

  Long-term lease transferred to Someplace(s) Different

  [1]Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org

  Phillips Exeter Academy transferred a 75-year lease for the inn to hotel operator Someplace(s) Different.

• 1959

  Earlier Water Street inn is demolished

  [1]Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org

  The earlier Exeter Inn on Water Street, described as one of Exeter's oldest buildings, was demolished.

• 1932

  Current Exeter Inn complex is built

  [1]Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org

  The present Georgian-style inn was constructed with philanthropic funding from the widow and daughter of William Boyce Thompson, a mining engineer and academy alumnus.

• 1890

  Academy-related land acquisition

  [1]Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org

  Land later associated with The Exeter Inn was purchased for Phillips Exeter Academy from alumnus William P. Chadwick by Edward F. Gale and that year's graduating class.

A historic, institutionally affiliated New Hampshire inn offering lodging, dining, and events in an academy-campus setting.

• Lodging · 1932

  Guest accommodations

  The inn's core offering is overnight accommodation in a historic Georgian-style property located on the Phillips Exeter Academy campus. Its setting supports visitors to the academy as well as travelers staying in Exeter and the wider New Hampshire Seacoast region.

• Food and beverage

  Restaurant and dining

  The property includes restaurant and dining facilities serving hotel guests, academy-connected visitors, and other patrons. The restaurant was among the areas upgraded during the renovation undertaken after Hay Creek Hotels acquired the lease.

• Hospitality services

  Events and meetings

  The inn provides a venue associated with gatherings and events, benefiting from its campus-adjacent location and historic architecture. Its event role complements accommodation and food service rather than representing a separately branded product line.

• 2020

  Temporary conversion to student housingStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal hotel operations and created additional housing requirements for Phillips Exeter Academy.

  Action taken

  The inn temporarily closed to visitors and was repurposed as additional housing for academy students.

  Aftermath

  The property served an institutional housing function during the pandemic period instead of operating solely as a public inn.

  Source

• 2007

  Hay Creek Hotels acquires The Exeter Inn leaseM&A

  Background

  The property continued to be academy-owned but required a hospitality operator under its long-term lease structure.

  Action taken

  Hay Creek Hotels acquired the lease in June 2007 and invested in a substantial renovation.

  Aftermath

  Guest rooms, the lobby, restaurant, and amenities were upgraded, renewing the inn's lodging and event infrastructure.

  Renovation investment. $5 million (Following the 2007 lease acquisition)

  Source

• 1997

  Phillips Exeter Academy transfers a long-term operating leaseStrategy

  Background

  The academy retained ownership of the inn while changing the operating arrangement for the hospitality property.

  Action taken

  A 75-year lease was transferred to hotel operator Someplace(s) Different.

  Aftermath

  The lease later became the operating interest acquired by Hay Creek Hotels in 2007.

  Source

• 2020

  The Exeter Inn temporarily closes and houses Phillips Exeter Academy students[1]Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Regulation

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the inn temporarily stopped accepting visitors and was converted into additional housing for Phillips Exeter Academy students.

• 2007

  Hay Creek Hotels acquires lease for The Exeter Inn[1]Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Other

  Hay Creek Hotels acquired the long-term operating lease for The Exeter Inn from the previous hotel operator and later undertook a major renovation of the property.

• The Exeter Inn undergoes major renovation[1]Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Following Hay Creek Hotels' acquisition of the lease, the inn received a reported $5 million renovation affecting guest rooms, the lobby, restaurant, and amenities.

1. 1Exeter Innen.wikipedia.org