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04/04/2023 11:17 AMOne of the town’s most beloved “residents” and most avid supporters is actually not from Madison, but it’s unlikely you’ll find a more passionate Madison-ite than Dorothy Ostrau. This New York native has been coming to town ever since the Madison Beach Hotel (MBH) opened in 2012, and she has become such a frequent guest that she is known as the “Number One Guest” at the hotel by staff and guests.
Dorothy, a resident of Larchmont, New York, began coming to Madison and MBH in 2012 following the death of her husband, Bert. Since his passing, Dorothy and her family members have become frequent guests at MBH, staying at least once a month for multiple days, often multiple times each month.
“My husband, Bert, died 11 years ago; he was such a loving and giving and amazing person. I was going through a terrible period, and during that time, someone told me about Madison. They said just go up to Madison and ‘chill out,’” says Dorothy. “I tell you, my life has completely changed. This hotel has become my life, my love! [General Manager] John Mathers became my brother, and his wife [Melissa Mathers] is like a sister to me. The staff here is really just incredible; they have treated me like a friend since the first time I stepped through the door.”
Dorothy was familiar with the Connecticut shoreline, as she and her late husband had visited the Saybrook Point Inn in Old Saybrook many years prior, but she wasn’t all that familiar with the Madison environs.
“After March 2012, when Bert passed, my daughter and I went to Saybrook and had a lovely time, but I thought it was time to try another place,” Dorothy explains. “We had gotten a couple of recommendations, but we found out about the hotel, and they were just finishing it up at that time in 2012. So, my daughter made a reservation here, and we had lunch here, and we just fell in love. It’s been history ever since. We come at least once a month, sometimes twice a month. Sometimes just for a day or two, other times for two weeks. We just really love it here. We stay right through the year, summer and winter.”
Dorothy says she fell in love with the hotel and its staff immediately and fell for the rest of town in quick succession. According to Dorothy, she loves pretty much everything about Madison.
“It is so charming. It’s so warm. It is so welcoming. It just says, ‘Come here.’ I love it. I love the shops. I love all the shopkeepers; they are all my friends now,” Dorothy laughs. “The restaurants, too. And it’s not really a far drive. I live in Larchmont, and it only takes us an hour or so for us to drive up here. We love the cinema too. When we first started coming, we would go there all the time. We just love the small-town feel. Especially coming from the city, this town has such a different feel. We love RJ Julia — really, we love every shop downtown.”
According to Dorothy, the stress and tension of city life melt away for her and her daughter Susan as they make the drive up. Susan jokes that Dorothy knows every sign and building along their route.
Sadly, the hotel became a grief refuge once again several years ago when Dorothy’s daughter, Lauren, tragically lost her life in an accident in Weston.
“That was just the worst. She died in an accident. But these folks were there for us. Melissa [Mathers] came down and was there at our house the next day,” Dorothy recalls. “Lauren just loved it here too, and everyone here loved her. The day we found out that she had passed, Melissa was there right away for us. That meant a lot to us.”
According to Susan, they book the same room every time, often reserving it across an entire year.
“I’ve only ever had one room here. It’s like home to me,” says Dorothy. “We do the July Fourth parties out on our little deck.”
However, Dorothy says she loves every aspect of the hotel, whether it’s concerts, birthdays, holidays, or other events. Staff accommodate Dorothy out of sheer love and respect for her, adapting a bed that allows for easier access and even hosting her surprise 90th birthday party, a memory that Dorothy says is a treasured moment for her.
“That birthday may be my most favorite memory here at the hotel. I’ve celebrated every birthday I’ve had here since I started coming to the hotel. For my 90th, they had the entire staff dress up to look like me, blond wigs, red lipstick, and big earrings,” Dorothy says, laughing. “It was just such a special thing for them to do. It really is an unbelievable place.”
Though Dorothy says she sometimes needs a boost up to the stool, she holds court nightly during her visits to the hotel bar. Dorothy has met and made lifelong friends from across the country at the hotel, and Madison’s biggest fan says she is always up for a conversation.
“Sometimes they have to push me up on the barstool, but once I’m on it, I’m ready for the evening.”
While Dorothy and Susan have looked diligently for a residence to rent or buy in town for several years, they always came back to how much they loved the hotel. Nothing they looked at felt as much like home as the hotel.
“At the hotel, we really have the best of both worlds. When we leave, we can just shut the door and don’t have to worry about rent or pipes freezing. There’s nothing we love more than to see the sunrise or watch the sunset here at the hotel. The only thing they need around Madison is a really good Jewish deli!” jokes Dorothy.