By JOHN KOZIOL

Staff Writer

LACONIA — Pat Cassidy and Mike Recht have a simple goal for their new bed and breakfast: they want visitors to feel that "it’s their home," private, comfortable and a place where they can always return.

On Valentine’s Day weekend, the couple formally opened the doors of the Lighthouse Inn B & B at 913 Scenic Road, and, courtesy of one of their guests, they had an epiphany moment as to the kind of the place it should be.

The guest, said Cassidy, awoke on Valentine’s Day morning, got himself a cup of coffee and then went into the inn’s kitchen to customize a bouquet of flowers for his amour.

She added that the ease with which the guest felt he could do that indicated to her and to Recht that they were on the right track for the Lighthouse Inn.

Built in 1934 as a private residence by Byron Hedblom, the man who brought the M/S Mount Washington to Lake Winnipesaukee from Lake Champlain, the inn is situated on 5.5 acres of rolling land and is just a short walk away from the Big Lake, and a short drive from the many attractions in the Lakes Region.

Four of the inn’s five guest rooms, each with a private bath, are located in a westerly wing, while the fifth is tucked away toward the northern end of the house.

All roads, however, lead to the great room, a vast, open, airy space which is part breakfast nook, part dining room, part living room— complete with fire place, television and Internet hookup — and all comfort.

The big bay window in the great room looks down toward the lake and one of three lighthouses that dot the property. The window is modeled after the wheelhouse of the Mount Washington.

"You could tell, when he (Hedblom) built it, that he was into hospitality," said Cassidy, who noted that Hedblom and his family have told her and Recht that they’re happy with the conversion of their former home into an inn.

First-time inn operators, Cassidy, who is a hypno-therapist in Concord, and Recht, who is a soon-to be retired writer for the Associated Press, had visited many B & B’s in the time they’ve been together before they realized they would like to run one, too.

Recht, who does the cooking at the Inn — in their complementary "country breakfast," guests have their choice of a variety of cereals, fresh-baked items, coffee, juices and a hot entree — said he fully hoped and expected to end up in the hospitality business.

But "nothing could have happened without Pat," he said, who did "90 percent" of the work to get the inn up and running.

"You have to be with the right person to be in business," said Cassidy, who thinks she has that with Recht.

"This is a kind of dream come true, most importantly it’s having a partner that’s fun to work with. We have a perfect balance," said Cassidy, because with his years as a journalist, Recht learned how to talk to many different kinds of people and is therefore "a perfect schmoozer" as well as a cook, "and I like to bake."

"Our goal is really the personal attention. We don’t want to be a hotel," or even the traditional B & B which predominantly caters to couples, Cassidy said, adding that the Lighthouse is a place that is equally welcoming and accommodating for singles, couples and even small groups.

Cassidy said a B & B should offer a sense of both privacy and community and that the Lighthouse has both.

"It’s a special place," said Recht. "Anyone who comes here is just going to have a little different experience, be a little more pampered" than at the typical B & B.

"I think we just want people to have the feeling that it’s their home," said Cassidy.

The Lighthouse Inn B & B is open year-round with room rates starting at $100; guests receive a discount on future visits.

The inn offers a variety of price specials and "personal touches," including in-room massage.

For more information about the Lighthouse Inn B & B, call 366-5432, or toll free, (877) 543-5432, or visit http://www.lighthouseinnbb.com/.