FIREDANCE COUNTRY INN, 2013 CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE WINNER

– Firedance Country Inn today announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Only the top-performing 10 percent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award. To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.

Shoulder Season Happenings

The weather's really improving here on PEI and the lawn and trees are finally getting some growth. It was a fairly warm winter but we had a snowstorm in early April that dumped around 10 cm of wet, white stuff. Heating oil's been over $1 per litre for much of the winter so we've been burning local hardwood and anthracite in our EKO-40 "boiler" (it doesn't boil anything). Ye is in China right now; she was graduated from UPEI in December and just got married! She will be back soon, though, along with my brother and sister -in law. English will once more be the second language here!

Business is off to a great start for the year and it will be busy for us this summer. Come on by for a visit; if you are an old customer make sure you get your discount! Hoping to see old friends this summer!

Winter News

WINTER 2012

Hi to all of our Firedance Inn friends! Winter has finally arrived with the first major snowfall of the season:

There’s a river out there, really! It’s been a mild season and we’ve enjoyed it. Cold times are offset with our super efficient wood/anthracite fired heat system. The hounds stay mostly inside. Our daughter, Ye, has finished UPEI with a degree in business administration and has returned to Shenyang, China, (where it’s significantly colder than here) to get married. She and her husband will be coming back in the spring. Meanwhile we’ve got a busy season planned. We’re geared up for the HockeyDay in Canada (this year in PEI for the first time) later this month and will be getting the steamboat out of storage in April. It was test fired in October and will get its water trial after a few more minor mods. With any luck Wei’s brother and sister-in-law will also be here by summer; I could use Guangxin’s help with the boat (he’s a plumber among other skills).
As always, Firedance alumni are welcomed back with a 10 or 15 percent discount so come on by for a visit! Hope to see you soon,

John & We

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

12/21/11: It's holiday time at Firedance and we're buttoned up for the cold weather. We're still getting guests and making friends, of course, as we're open year round. December's been warmer than most in the past and this is welcome as heating oil is over $1 per liter! We've got the gasifying wood "boiler" running with hardwood and anthracite so heating costs aren't too onerous. Fred and Jie just got their winter baths. Took a photo of them in a recent storm (attached). It doesn't take much wind for Fred the coonhound's ears to blow but it's near gale when Jie's go into flying position!

Hope that everyone has a great holiday season and a super new year. We've got a special for the Hockey Day in Canada for February (first time on PEI) so come by for a winter visit!!

Autumn Idyll

10/29/11 It's been a while for posting; our apologies! September and October were a lot busier than normal and things are just settling down now. Had several steam tests with the boat but never had a chance to put her in the water so that will be another project for next spring. We're going down to Maine and New Hampshire in a couple of weeks then will do some heavy cleaning inside (too cold to do much outside except hang Christmas lights!) We've updated our Facebook page with a new app have some GREAT rates for the winter (give us a call). Will try to post monthly during the off season. Fred and Jie expressed their relief with the end of summer by a little jam session - take a look at this video: http://youtu.be/yZbPgIkbdOM

Busy Times

8/22/11: Things have really been hopping this summer at Firedance! The various promotions we've run have been successful; it's taking a lot more innovation to sell space than in the past. Come on by for Fall Colors and the Island's Fall Flavours - we'd love to see you! (Photo is of Wei picking wild blueberries for our signature blueberry pancake breakfast).

Summer News

Firedance

Country

Inn News

SUMMER 2011

7/16/11

It’s a busy summer here at Firedance Country Inn, PEI, Canada. Lots of things are happening. Ye returned after almost 3 months in China, just in time for the rush season. She brought supplies of hot & sour soup mix and low cost generic medicine. An Inns of Distinction photographer came by recently to take professional shots of the inn:

2.

and we’re very happy with the way they turned out. You can see more of them on our website and some of the promotions were doing. Speaking of promotions we’re working with Booking.com and marketing some of our inventory with them: http://www.booking.com/hotel/ca/firedance-country-inn.html?sid=5836ed9a228ab506e119082c367f7a54 . Perhaps even more importantly, we’re offering an Escape Deal on LivingSocial during the week of 7/20-26 (http://escapes.livingsocial.com/deals). Our deal will extend from 9/25/11 until 6/15/12 and the price will be a real bargain. Perhaps you have friends or family that might want to come visit us this off season? Be sure to check out LivingSocial’s website next Wednesday if you’re interested.

Wei and I are doing well and the hounds are fine (and making lots of friends with this season’s guests). Most of the parts needed for the steamboat have arrived and plumbing them in will start late this month. With any luck there will be a big steam-up late this summer. The recent visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge gave the tourist industry a needed boost; coincidentally the weather is finally warming up! Hope this note finds everyone in good health; we’d love to see you on PEI again soon.

John & Wei