The Beacon Hotel Restaurant Brings Unique Flavor

By Jennifer L. Warren

BEACON –  Some say, “It takes a village.” In the case of the birth of The Beacon Hotel Restaurant, much of that village was composed of women, extremely determined, creatively talented and laser-focused ones.

Flashback to the fall of 2015: it all started with the friendship forged between Evey Trautman and Alla Kormilitsyna, both females with solid New York City ties in the restaurant business. Evey’s husband, Greg, was a restaurateur for two eateries in Brooklyn; meanwhile, Kormilitsyna, was an Upper West Side restoration specialist. When the Trautman’s relocated to and fell in love with the City of Beacon a few years ago, husband Greg had an immediate vision once he traversed the city’s charming, historic Main Street.

“My husband wanted to own a restaurant, and he saw this as a great addition to Beacon,” recollected Evey. “It was very important though that it not just be a restaurant, but a hotel as well.”

Enter Kormilitsyna. A former international banker, equipped with ten years of structure renovation experience, specializing in historic townhouses, Kormilitsyna, a construction manager, took one look at the 424 Main Street, 19th Century restored edifice, “Dibble House,” and immediately saw unlimited, untapped potential. The last building in the historic segment of Main Street that had not been renovated, it was ripe for the taking. Greg and Kormilitsyna decided to take that leap of faith, making the purchase together and becoming business partners. In November of 2015, the 7,000 square foot demolition process began; all was taken down, short of the outside facade portion. For Kormilitsyna, the “very large undertaking,” had to be meticulously carried out, something the woman in a predominantly male field, approached with her defining confidence, assertiveness, strength, and overall no-nonsense approach.

“Everything had to be done to comply with the Landmark Commission; for example, the facade had to be in line with the approved plans of the City Planning Board,” explained Kormilitsyna. “I think in my line of work, you have to have a vision, whether you are a male or a female; I have always worked well with all-male construction crews, and it’s just not something I pay attention to.” Reflecting further, she noted, “You really have to have a lot of focus and discipline; I just absolutely love the process of creation and seeing the end result, a long journey when you see how far you have come, but just so rewarding at the end.”

That end is getting closer. The 20 person capacity, long, open kitchen bar is in full operation. Additionally, the back dining room space, seating around 75 patrons, where authentic, creatively crafted dinner and brunch selections are served, is in full swing. A 20 seat outdoor patio dining area will also be unveiled once the weather cooperates. Meanwhile, the upstairs, 12 room Boutique Hotel space is slated to open its offerings to the public at the end of next month. Not only is it the people who have made The Beacon Hotel Restaurant stand apart from other similar spots, but it’s the homey, community-driven, hip/funky flair of the architecture and design itself that makes it memorable. Uniquely tailored in its interior and exterior packaging, the Hotel can be described as modern and fresh with its clean design.

Complete with charming turrets, beautiful bay windows and specialized, local product woodwork design, the Hotel is embedded with traces of love, care and reminders of the special City of Beacon itself. Another woman, “Clodagh,” owner of the Clodagh Design Team, is the brain child behind this one-of-a-kind, hypnotic decor and arrangement. Like the Trautman’s, she too is a Beacon resident (for the past 14 years) and ardent admirer of the quaint Hudson Valley gem. Completing a majority of her work in New York City buildings, Clodagh was inspired to bring her company’s talents to the Hotel in her home town.

“It’s a wonderfully tight community with a necklace of fabulous restaurants and music venues, making for a quiet night out on the town; I wanted to be a part of all that,” said Clodagh. “I wanted to contribute to the fabulous community, which is why we designed The Beacon Hotel and Restaurant.”

From the Beacon Flea Market artifacts, to photographs from her husband and Hotel neighbor’s studio, Daniel Aubry, to the two-sided fireplace-opening to the patio and party room-pieces of Clodaugh’s authentic genius are sprinkled throughout the Hotel. Adding to her potent touches, are other elusive Beacon treasures, including an awe-inspiring black and white picture of the Beacon Incline from the early 1900’s that can be spied enroute to the back dining room as well as a specially designated upstairs “Hiking Room,” catering to four guests, complete with two bunk beds, and ensuring that Beacon’s outdoor haven appeal is not excluded from the multiple, varied offerings.

In addition to the female influences of Evey Trautman, Kormilitsyna and Clodagh, several others from the gender have had an impact on the Hotel’s resurrection, including Kelly Ellenwood of Beacon Arts, as well as the nearby owners of eateries, Ella Bellas and Beacon Pantry and the publication, “A Lil Beacon Blog” and a host of other women-led not-for-profits.

In the end, in many ways, it’s a telling story of how women of multiple talents can achieve greatness together, pooling their talents, a pivotal facet-theme of Women’s History Month, soon coming to a close. It’s further the tale of ALL people from ALL walks of life bonding in unison toward a common goal: creating a place of community, togetherness, growth and opportunities for all who experience its vibe.

“We want it to ultimately be a place like a local “Cheers,” where everyone feels welcome,” smiled Evey Trautman. “We see it as a place where people can hang out from both Beacon and surrounding towns as well as tourists, and just feel comfortable and happy.”
To learn more about The Beacon Hotel Restaurant or to book a reservation, call: (845) 765-2208.