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By Stephen Dareinc
Rappahannock Nows Staff Writer
The Inn at Little Washington, the titanic flagship of the Town of Washington's economy and that of Rappahannock County, has reportedly run into financial trouble, , At a meeting last month, Inn owner and chef Patrick O’Connell told top members of his staff, “We have hit an iceberg, and we have some water coming into the ship.”
O’Connell was referring to a 30 percent shortfall in revenue for June compared to the previous June. The numbers were so bad. he said, they represented The Inn’s “worst June in 32 years ”
This is not just another business in town, in the county, the Commonwealth of Virginia, or the United States This is the numberone hotel restaurant in the world
Last year, The Inn was voted “Best Hotel Dining in the World,” bv Travel & Leisure magazine readers, and O'Connell has received awards for being the best chef in America
The Rappahannock News reviewed the town's meals and lodging tax receipts for the past two years, and these numbers as well as O’Connell's remarks at The Inn meeting, were confirmed by reliable sources close to the inn.
O’Connell did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The tax records — provided byLaura Dodd, assistant to the mayor — show that meals and lodging tax receipts were down nearly 30 percent in June 2009 from June 2008. The town declined to give statistics
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