The Beachwood has been owned and operated by the Cloutier family since 1951. The original hotel was named The Montreal House and had been constructed in the late 1800's. The hotel had a large lobby with a steakhouse restaurant and nightly sing-alongs by the grand piano were common. Reginald Cloutier and Julienne Touchette purchased the property after speculating that the new Maine Turnpike would help to return Old Orchard to the popularity it had enjoyed before the great fires destroyed much of the town earlier in the century.
Reginald and Juliette made several improvements to the property, which included converting the horse stables into motel units and adding a story to one of the hotel towers. Unfortunately much of the hotel was destroyed by fire (arson) in 1976. At that time Alice Cloutier (Reginald's wife) and Julien decided to convert the property into a motel structure. The damaged hotel was demolished and a new lobby with 3 motel units above was created. They also installed a pool and lawn where the old hotel once stood.
Shortly after the fire, Alice's daughter Pauline Keefe purchased half of the property from Julienne. Several years later, Raymond & Lorraine Cloutier purchased the other half from Alice. After their first year together, the families added 14 units and reconfigured the owners’ quarters to accommodate both families (normally 11-13 family members in the summer!). Ray and Lorraine partnered with Pauline until her passing in 1996. Together they took many steps to modernize the property, upgrading rooms, enlarging the pool, adding telephones, air conditioning, new fencing, siding and many room amenities. Ray and Lorraine acquired Pauline's share of the business in 1996.
John and Shannon Cloutier purchased the property from Ray and Lorraine in 2007. Together they have worked to transform it thru extensive renovations and a transition to a more sustainable operating structure. So while you may not find us behind the front desk 24x7 anymore, rest assured that we are deeply engaged in the business and work very hard to ensure that you receive the exceptional service that you deserve.
A key focus has been placed on environmentally sound business practices. We have a comprehensive recycling program, a solar system for hot water, and state of the art heat and air conditioning that is very efficient. We also use technology to help manage the business and add a level of consistency to the service provided. Today we are able to provide many of the amenities that you would expect from a top tier hotel.
In 2017, we introduced "33 West", which houses our new Lobby and Family Suites. We are very excited to incorporate this property into our resort. Do you have a bit of Beachwood history to share? Let us know about it. We love learning about our past and would be happy to incorporate your feedback.
Sincerely,
John & Shannon Cloutier (Hosts)
