The Little Inn That Could

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In the nine years Vera and Glenn Northey have owned the Sea Turtle Inn on Cardinal Drive they have transformed it into a charming boutique destination where guests, many of them regulars, are warmly welcomed.

This story begins with a woman’s smile. Glenn Northey was at a South Beach restaurant in Miami when he looked up and saw a beautiful brunette smiling at him. Deciding to seize the moment he had the waitress deliver a drink to her table in hopes of meeting her. He did. Her name was Vera Seemann, he asked for her telephone number and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, 15 years later, it’s that same smile that captivates guests at the Sea Turtle Inn. Since the couple purchased the small hotel nine years ago they have transformed the two-story structure on Cardinal Drive by painting the exterior a soft shade of mustard. The crisp white trim and curved black railings are reminiscent of those seen throughout Europe. Vera, who grew up in a small Brazilian town filled with flowers, has seen to it that there is a profusion of colorful impatiens and bromeliads in planters lining the hotel’s brick walkways, spilling out of decorative window boxes and clustered in oversize pots around the pool.

The couple also created conversation areas framed by bougainvillea with wrought-iron furniture and  fountains and added a library that doubles as a gathering place for conversation, card games and parties. A croquet set sits in a corner next to a wicker settee and framed photo collages of guests decorate one wall. Close by is a laundry room with washer and dryer for use by guests, and on the patio is a grill, should they wish to cook outside.

Read the entire article in the November 2010 issue

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