Trish McCarthy Gives Hotel Boutique A Shoreline Touch

This story was written and reported by Mary McGinley: 

For Trish McCarthy, the boutique located right inside the lobby of the Madison Beach Hotel is nothing less than a labor of love. Trish receives guidance from the Madison Beach Hotel owners as far as what to stock in the hotel gift shop, but she also sees it as an opportunity to gauge what the guests are interested in, while incorporating her personal taste into each selection. Trish’s selections are designed to appeal to a broad demographic, including people from all ages. She does so by mixing her personal taste with input from her young daughter. Trish is the concierge at the front desk of the hotel, so she is in close contact with each guest daily and therefore can get a feel for what the guests want.

The boutique differs from your standard sundry shop found at most hotels. While it does carry toiletries and sundries for visitors who forget things, the selections are much broader than just that. Trish McCarthy goes above and beyond, and turns a normal sundry shop into a shopping experience for guests that provides a taste of Madison pride while supporting local businesses and artisans. She says that it’s become a sort of extension of the hotel that can stand on its own. Not only does it provide shopping and sundry necessities for guests staying at the hotel, but also for any visitor,  whether they are Madison locals or visitors from somewhere else. People from all over come to the Madison Beach Hotel to have lunch and to enjoy the beautiful scenery as well, so having the sundry boutique located right in the lobby is convenient for some quick browsing and shopping.

So, what does the shop have to offer? Countless items that are both practical and affordable. Trish says she is careful about making sure each item she stocks in the shop is both affordable and well made. She says, “it has to be good quality, I look at the stitching on everything, and make sure it’s a good price range.” Trish uses three different companies for the stylish tunics that she stocks in the shop. The shop also carries items from three local jewelers, who are Shoreline Artisans, Jen Conroy (Jen Conroy Designs), Denise Di Stefano (Artigi Designs), and Christine Chiocchio (Carved Bone Jewelry). By representing the local artistic talent, Trish provides guests and visitors with beautiful and unique jewelry that can be brought home, as gifts for loved ones. Other personalized items found in the shop are sweatshirts, bottle openers that are hand made and painted by an artisan in Mystic, colorful handbags and totes, and candles with the Madison Beach Hotel little bird logo. Beach toys for kids and assorted gift bags are also found in the shop, as well as dog toys for visitors bringing their pooches; since the hotel has four dog friendly rooms. Visitors can also alleviate those sweet tooth cravings with delicious treats from the Village Chocolatier.

As the Madison Beach Hotel continues to be a top destination for out of town visitors as well as locals looking for a great place to grab lunch with stunning scenery, the gift shop is nothing less than exceptional. One of Trish’s main goals is for the gift shop in the lobby to become an extension of Madison’s shopping scene. The gift shop should be thought of as more of an independent boutique. With summer finally here, now is a perfect time for everyone to check it out!