Elmwood Hospitality Group Redefines West Hartford's Hotel Scene

Nadia Fontaine's first hotel purchase, a fading roadside motel on the edge of West Hartford Center, came with a leaking roof, outdated wiring, and a nightly rate so low that Fontaine says the previous owner "was basically paying people to stay there." She bought it anyway in 2013, using savings from a decade managing front-desk operations at a larger hotel chain. "Everyone in the industry told me it was a teardown, not a renovation," Fontaine said. "I saw a location three blocks from the busiest retail corridor in town."

That gamble became the founding property of Elmwood Hospitality Group, which now operates three boutique hotels and a standalone event venue across West Hartford and neighboring towns. Fontaine's company employs 140 people and has become closely associated with the town's growing reputation as a dining and shopping destination, hosting everything from wedding parties to corporate retreats for companies headquartered in greater Hartford.

Betting on Boutique Over Chain

Fontaine deliberately positioned Elmwood's properties as independent alternatives to the branded chain hotels that dominate much of the region's hospitality market, investing in locally sourced furnishings and partnerships with nearby restaurants rather than standardized corporate branding. "Chains offer consistency," she said. "We offer a sense that you're actually somewhere, not just anywhere with a lobby that looks the same in every city."

That strategy required Fontaine to build relationships with local vendors and artisans from scratch, a process she says took years longer than simply licensing a franchise brand would have. Marcus Delaney, the general manager of Elmwood's flagship property, said the payoff has been guest loyalty that chain hotels struggle to replicate. "People come back because they remember specific details, the artwork in the lobby, the coffee shop we partnered with down the street," Delaney said. "That's harder to build, but it's stickier once you have it."

Surviving a Pandemic-Era Collapse

Elmwood's hospitality business nearly collapsed during a sharp downturn in regional travel demand several years ago, forcing Fontaine to furlough much of her staff and renegotiate loan terms with her bank. She credits the company's survival to a rapid pivot toward hosting smaller local events, including business meetings and community gatherings, when large-scale travel had all but stopped. "We kept the lights on hosting baby showers and board meetings," she said. "It wasn't glamorous, but it kept the doors open until travel came back."

Expanding West Hartford's Visitor Economy

Fontaine has become an active voice in West Hartford's business community, serving on a local economic development committee focused on expanding the town's appeal to weekend visitors from across the region. Elmwood recently completed renovations on its third property, a formerly vacant office building converted into a 34-room boutique hotel with a rooftop event space that has quickly become a popular wedding venue.

"I still think about that leaking roof sometimes," Fontaine said, standing in the renovated lobby of her first property. "It reminds me that most of what people call impossible is really just underinvested." She says Elmwood is now exploring a fourth property, though she remains committed to keeping the company's footprint concentrated in the town where it started. "West Hartford made this business possible," she said. "I'm not interested in outgrowing my gratitude for that."