New Williams Inn Appoints Leadership Team

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Left, Kevin Hurley has been appointed as the general manager of the new Williams Inn, and Kevin DeMarco as the inn's executive chef. Inset: Darcy Lyle has been named the inn's director of sales.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Waterford Hotel Group has announced three appointments at The Williams Inn. Kevin Hurley has been appointed as the inn's general manager, Kevin DeMarco as the inn's executive chef and Darcy Lyle as the inn's director of sales.

The new Williams Inn, located at the corner of Latham and Spring streets in Williamstown, will open on Aug. 15. Owned by Williams College, the inn will replace the current Williams Inn, which will continue to operate through July 31.

Inspired by the architecture of local area farms, the new 58,000-square-foot inn is built of stone and wood, with interior design that is reminiscent of a contemporary New England farmhouse. The inn will feature 64 guest rooms, a fitness center, a full-service restaurant and bar, and a combined 3,200-square-foot meeting and event space that includes a 2,800-square-foot ballroom and an additional 400-square-foot space directly adjacent to the ballroom. Event space reservations are being accepted starting Sept. 1.

The property’s exterior features a 3,500-square-foot greenspace that can be tented for outdoor functions.

The inn will house a 62-seat restaurant, The Barn, featuring a menu filled with locally sourced American classics. The Barn will offer patrons breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as two private dining spaces. During prime weather months, outdoor seating will be available on the rear of the property.


With more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality, Hurley has dedicated his career to the hospitality industry by taking on various roles at several hotels and resorts in the United States in addition to his native Canada. Prior to joining The Williams Inn, Hurley worked as an assistant general manager at the Kimpton
Taconic Hotel located in Manchester, Vt. Additionally, he has held posts at Omni Hotels and Resorts, the storied Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Mass., and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Hurley completed his undergraduate studies at Bishops University in Sherbrook, Quebec and later went on to earn a master certificate in hospitality management from Cornell University. He lives in Greenwich, N.Y., with his wife Amanda and sons William and Louis-Edmond.

A graduate of the famed Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., DeMarco has honed his culinary skills up and down the East Coast over the past 13 years. He joins The Williams Inn team from the Newport Restaurant Group, Newport, R.I. His last post was as chef tournant at the historic and celebrated Castle Hill Inn, a Relais & Châteaux property. DeMarco also worked at Grande's Bella Cucina in Palm Beach, Fla., and Public Kitchen & Bar in Providence, R.I. DeMarco is a SWE certified specialist of wine and spirits.

Lyle brings a wealth of knowledge to The Williams Inn with 28 years of experience in the hospitality and sales industry. Prior to joining The Williams Inn, Lyle worked in sales at the Clark Art Institute. Additionally, she has held positions in operations and sales at numerous hotels throughout the upstate New York region, as well as the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association. Lyle attended Herkimer Community College, where she received a degree in tourist facilities and management promotion. While in school, she interned with
Disney, where she found her passion for the hospitality and tourism industry. Lyle resides
with her husband Allen and daughter Samantha in Hoosick Falls, N.Y.

 


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Williamstown Finance Sees Pressure on Property Tax Bills

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A stagnant local economy promises to put increasing upward pressure on local tax bills.
 
That was the takeaway from a late October meeting of the town's Finance Committee, which sat down with the town assessor and town manager to look at long-term trends in budgeting as the town puts together a fiscal year 2026 spending plan which the Fin Comm will review this winter.
 
Williamstown's lack of "new growth," the term for increases to the town's tax base through either new construction or significant renovations to existing homes and businesses, has been a talking point for the Finance Committee for years.
 
Last Tuesday, Assessor Chris Lamarre told the committee that, absent a couple of outliers, the property tax base has grown at a pace of just more than 1 percent per year for the last 10 years.
 
Meanwhile, the tax levy — the amount raised through property taxes to pay for town and school operations — has grown by 3.6 percent per year for the last 20 years.
 
That means an increasing tax burden is distributed among the same taxpayers, driving up tax bills.
 
A memo prepared by Melissa Cragg, then the chair of the Fin Comm, last January reported that the average single-family tax bill in Williamstown, $7,739, was second only to Great Barrington's ($8,492) in Berkshire County. And Williamstown residents pay more toward property taxes as a percentage of income (19.82 percent) than anyone in the county.
 
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