CARIBOU, Maine — A historic Aroostook County inn is becoming the region’s fourth national chain lodging establishment and the second in Caribou in just a year.
Scott and Laurie LaFleur of Caribou took over the Caribou Inn & Convention Center in 2022, promising a complete renovation and eventual rebranding with a national chain.
Two years later, the couple’s vision is quickly becoming a reality.
With new signs arriving next week, the inn will officially become Best Western Caribou Inn Caribou & Convention Center. Aside from Best Western being one of the world’s largest hotel chains, the LaFleurs said that the brand allows them to bring modern touches while staying true to Aroostook hospitality.
“Most of Best Western’s hotels are family owned, so they bring the same values that we have. We talked with a few other brands, but we liked how Best Western allowed us to cater the design to the local area,” Scott LaFleur said.
Best Western Caribou Inn joins three other national chain hotels in Aroostook County: Quality Inn, which opened in Caribou’s former Crown Park Inn last October, the Hampton Inn, and SureStay by Best Western, the latter two located in Presque Isle. Local tourism experts anticipate that another national chain hotel will help grow an expanding industry.
Last year, Aroostook County saw a 17.5 percent jump in tourism, the highest percentage-based increase among Maine’s 16 counties. That also led to a 20.2 percent spike in nights people spent in the region and a 52.1 percent occupancy rate for area lodging establishments, a 3.9 percent increase from 2022, according to regional data.
Hotels play a crucial role in the tourism economy, and adding another national brand has the potential to attract a greater variety of visitors, said Jacob Pelkey, tourism developer at Aroostook County Tourism.
For instance, people who often travel for work might choose a particular hotel brand for its reward points system, Pelkey noted. Best Western Caribou Inn is also situated next to Caribou’s ATV and snowmobile trails, which connect to the county-wide trail system.
“Being close to the trails is central,” Pelkey said. “Most people visiting Aroostook come by car, and they’re looking to experience more than Caribou.”
Caribou Inn first opened in 1988 as the Caribou Motor Inn, and became the Caribou Inn & Convention Center in 1994. Local resident Kevin Simmons owned both the Caribou and Presque Isle Inn & Convention Centers until his death in 2021. The Presque Isle Inn now has new owners and is no longer affiliated with the Caribou Inn.
The LaFleurs are natives of Nova Scotia and came to Aroostook after Scott bought and turned the former Budget Traveler Inn in Presque Isle into Maine’s first SureStay by Best Western. Scott has since sold SureStay and he and Laurie live in Caribou with their three children. They are expecting their fourth child in February.
When guests walk into the revamped Caribou Inn, the LaFleurs want them to feel at home away from home but with the luxuries they would expect on vacation. Locals familiar with the inn and convention center will still see decorative touches that tie in with the region’s culture and landscapes.
The LaFleurs completely renovated all guest rooms, turning eight into apartment-style, two-bedroom suites and two into larger honeymoon suites. They declined to reveal the cost of the renovations.
They upgraded plumbing and electrical and added new furniture, windows, blinds, drapes, carpeted flooring, stand-up showers and bathroom fixtures. Six of the regular guest rooms are pet friendly with vinyl flooring. The suites include mini kitchens and full living rooms.
Even little touches, like choosing carpeted floors for the rooms instead of vinyl like many national chains, reflects something about Aroostook County, said the LaFleurs. In cold County winters, carpeted floors add both literal and emotional warmth.
“Everything is about the comfort of home but with modern conveniences like stand-up showers and 50-inch TVs,” Laurie LaFleur said.
It took over a year to transform all the rooms, but many reopened throughout the renovations, which were completed recently. So far guests have had positive comments, Scott LaFleur said.
The upgraded 3,600-square-foot ballroom is once again becoming a popular space for corporate events, weddings, baby showers and other gatherings since reopening in March. The 10,000-square-foot indoor courtyard is still being renovated but will be ready to host a Boston-based theater group for a dinner theater event. The courtyard will feature a new bar, seating areas, flooring, ceiling, heating and cooling systems.
Two of the Inn and Convention Center’s most popular public spaces — The Greenhouse Restaurant and Albie’s Restaurant — will soon unveil big changes.
The LaFleurs are renaming Albie’s, which was named after Simmons’ dog, to Buck’s, a nature-themed tribute to Aroostook wildlife and companion to Caribou’s name. A large mural features deer roaming the woods, another tribute to Aroostook’s vast wilderness.
Buck’s bar and lounge is currently closed but by the end of the year will reopen with a new menu and extended selection of tap beer, wine and liquor.
The Greenhouse Restaurant will also get a new menu, name and look in early 2025. The LaFleurs declined to reveal the new name or menu details but said that the restaurant will remain open daily for breakfast and dinner during the remodel. They plan to announce more details within the next several months.
Caribou Inn currently employs 35 people but the LaFleurs are looking to hire more for the revamped restaurant. They recently brought on a new food and beverage director.
“We hope that the inn and convention center can be more connected with the community,” Laurie LaFleur said. “We want to be the hub for people to get together.”
Other renovated areas include the guest-only fitness gym, lobby and front desk areas.
As guests walk past the renovated lobby and go down the halls, they will soon see framed photographs of Aroostook wildlife, scenery and other scenes taken by local photographers. It’s another small touch that the LaFleurs said will add local flavor to the newly rebranded hotel.
They are especially glad that when locals and guests drive past the inn on Route 1, the roadside and building signage will have Caribou Inn & Convention Center along with Best Western.
“It was important for us to keep some of that legacy,” Scott LaFleur said. “When people come here, we want everything to be a positive reflection of Caribou and Aroostook County as a whole.”
