Cozy Inns of New England
While New England inns cannot lay claim to hospitality traditions that date back millennia, the New England Inns & Resorts Association did celebrate its 100th anniversary last year; some of its 300 members even have registries as old as America's Constitution.
Fortunately, many inns across the Northeast provide travelers a chance to experience American hospitality as it has existed for centuries, and to steep in history—to live like a Boston Brahmin for a night on Beacon Hill ( Charles Street Inn), to enjoy afternoon tea surrounded by turn-of-the-century canvases in a living museum (Cliffside Inn), and to splash around in a pool underneath one of Vermont’s five remaining round barns built by the Shakers, who believed the devil could hide in corners (Inn at Round Barn Farm).
"A classic New England inn is comfortable, but there’s also a unique warmth that comes from the region’s style of hospitality," says Jane Sandelman, who together with her husband, a self-described corporate refugee, bought the Inn at Weathersfield in Perkinsville, Vermont, in 2002. "You think about how many people have come through here since 1792 (when the building opened as a stagecoach stop), and it's pretty amazing. We're carrying on the tradition."
Beyond the history, it’s often the little things that keep guests coming back. "In the winter, we set people up with snowshoes, send them out on one of our trails, and have hot apple cider waiting for them by the fire when they get back. The city people especially think it’s pretty cool," says Sandelman.
Travelers will find inns scattered far and wide throughout New England, down country roads, on village greens, and even hidden in its cities—Boston; Newport, Rhode Island; Portland, Maine. Often, they are destinations in and of themselves (Old Inn on the Green in the Berkshire Mountains), places where the floorboards creak with history, where innkeepers welcome guests as they would friends into their homes, and where it’s possible to fall asleep to the tremolo of a loon (Manor on Golden Pond in New Hampshire).
While there’s no foolproof recipe blending comfort, character, and quirky details to make an inn "cozy," one thing is for sure: you know it when you're there.
Here are 10 special inns whose warm hospitality is guaranteed to take the season's chill out of the air.
Inn at WeathersfieldPerkinsville, Vermont
One of the most fantastic details of this historic southern Vermont property—it first opened as a stagecoach stop in 1792—is the original beehive oven in the front entryway, where partner, executive chef, and Slow Food advocate Jason Tostrup bakes bread daily. Guests will find wide-plank pine floors and massive fireplaces throughout the inn—as well as a keen focus on comfort. There are 12 nestlike rooms, all of which have featherbeds and private baths with nifty amenities like towel warmers; some feature antique claw-foot tubs. The main attraction, however, is the food. Tostrup tantalizes diners with savory dishes like Shepherd's Hill lamb confit with mushroom-flecked artisan grits and desserts such as warm goat cheese soufflé with truffle-honey sweet fennel crackers. Want to burn off the calories?Tramp around the inn's 21 wooded acres on snowshoes. The inn also arranges countryside tours by horse-drawn sleigh.
Insider Tip: Those wanting Tostrup's full culinary attention can book the Chef's Table in the impressive wine cellar.
Coziest Room to Book: The Hammond room, with its exposed timber-frame, features an antique four-poster pencil bed, fireplace, and a bath with an old-fashioned soaking tub.
More Information: Inn at Weathersfield.
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Inn at Round Barn FarmWaitsfield, Vermont
Thoughtfully converted from a 19th-century farmhouse and horse barn, this romantic inn sits on 245 bucolic acres in Vermont's Mad River Valley. The property's centerpiece—a Shaker-style round dairy barn built in 1910—is one of only five barns of its kind remaining in the state; beneath this piece of history is a 60-foot lap pool. Innkeepers Ann Marie DeFreest and Tim Piper tend to every detail, from candlelit dinners with ingredients from the inn's certified organic greenhouse-garden to always-stoked fires; there's also an antique pool table, well-stocked library, and plenty of freshly baked cookies for the taking. All 12 comfortable rooms have mountain and meadow views. During winter, guests can ski at nearby Sugarbush Mountain.
Insider Tip: Book one of the inn's special snowshoe dinners; trek to a cozy cabin in the woods for a gourmet meal by a fieldstone fireplace and return to your room guided only by the moonlight.
Coziest Room to Book: Tucked under wooden eaves, the Richardson Room comes with generous sitting area, whirlpool tub, fireplace, and skylight—you can gaze at the stars from the king-size bed.
More Information: Inn at Round Barn Farm.
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Pomegranate Inn Portland, Maine
Just minutes from Portland's scenic Old Port in the Western Promenade neighborhood—renowned for its stately mid-19th-century homes designed by New England architect John Calvin Stevens—this stylish inn stands out from the city's more fusty accommodations. Owner Kim Swan took over 1884 Italianate in 2007, and has preserved the original owner's colorful mélange of floral wallpapers, Chinese figurines, and antique conversation pieces; the modern accents—Noguchi coffee tables and contemporary art—are an especially welcome breath of fresh air. Not surprisingly, each of the eight guest rooms has a personality of its own, but expect fine silk and matelassé linens, period antiques, private baths, and cut blooms in all. Most have gas fireplaces. Common rooms are equally as dramatic—the foyer is checkered with large black and white marble tiles, and the parlor is perfectly positioned to capture the morning sun, as well as being an ideal place to savor a breakfast of Maine blueberry pancakes. In the afternoon, the inn serves a real-deal Irish tea, which guests can enjoy fireside in winter or in the property's hidden city garden in warm weather.
Insider Tip: In order to bypass lines, ask the innkeeper to pre-purchase tickets to the I. M. Pei-designed Portland Museum of Art for you; before setting out, be sure to request a restaurant and gallery map of the city's impressive arts district.
Coziest Room to Book: The mismatched whimsy of Room No. 8-hand-painted mauve-colored walls with gold "bubbles," fireplace crafted from a rainbow of mosaic tiles—is balanced by more traditional details such as an Oriental rug and toile linens. It has an adjoining sitting room and private bath too.
More Information: Pomegranate Inn .
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Manor on Golden PondHolderness, New Hampshire
Katharine Hepburn and a doddering Henry Fonda may have made Golden Pond famous, but it's this New Hampshire Lakes District inn that keeps Squam Lake (the pond's real name) on the map. In the shadow of the White Mountains, on 14 acres enveloped by sentinel pines, the manor—which was a private home until the 1940's and an art colony for photographers in the 50's before it opened its doors to guests—is modeled after an English country estate. Beyond its Tudor architecture and carved oak corbels, many of the inn's antiques, as well as its traditional afternoon tea and dark-wood-paneled Three Cocks Pub, are straight from the other side of the (bigger) pond. The 23 tasteful rooms and two private cottages (19 of which are open in winter) feature chintz and country gingham fabrics, sleigh beds, working fireplaces, and fulsome baths stocked with L'Occitane products. Dinners are elaborate candlelit affairs; the kitchen swings in both directions, offering Chateaubriand for Two as well as special dishes for vegans. Extracurricular activities include the inn's cleverly named "Fork in the Road" cooking classes, and spa treatments with a local twist (think botanical mud wraps infused with pure NH maple syrup).
Insider Tip: Ask the concierge to book a scenic horse-drawn sleigh ride. Afterward you'll sip hot cocoa by a bonfire built by your sleigh driver.
Coziest Room to Book: Ask for the blue-and-white Churchill Room, complete with king bed and Jacuzzi tub, which, thanks to an ingenious sliding wall, can be hidden in the bath for privacy, or opened for a full-frontal view of the room's wood-burning fireplace.
More Information: Manor on Golden Pond.
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Charlotte InnMartha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
This refined island inn is actually a complex of ivy-draped 18th- and 19th-century houses secreted among lovingly tended gardens. Over the past three decades, owners Gerret and Paula Conover have finessed the interiors to English country perfection, making high art of the William Morris-meets-gentleman's-hunt-club aesthetic. The inn's relaxed, come-as-you-are attitude belies what could easily be perceived as museum-style stuffiness; the studied refuge is not without quirky touches. Estate antiques—marble-top dressers, silver sets, standing clocks—fill the 25 elegant rooms; each has goose-down comforters, Wi-Fi, and its own luxurious (and often palatial) bath. The French-inspired restaurant, the Catch at the Terrace, pays homage to the sea, and the Edgartown Art Gallery—also owned by the Conovers—is just adjacent; be sure to take a moment to wander the painting-filled common rooms of the former merchant whaler's home. All of this, combined with gracious service and a no-young children-allowed policy, makes the Charlotte Inn a great choice for those in search of a civilized and romantic island retreat.
Insider Tip: The on-site restaurant is open only Friday-Sunday in winter; the French Bistro or The Grill on Main—both a short walk from the inn—are excellent alternatives.
Coziest Room to Book: The private carriage-house suite with dark green lacquered walls has a working fireplace in the living room, king-size bed, French doors, and bath with mahogany vanity and antique brass fixtures, as well as its own private entrance.
More Information: Charlotte Inn.
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Charles Street InnBoston, Massachusetts
This 1860 Beacon Hill inn—hidden on a cobbled street fittingly lined with gas street lamps—is an enchanting urban refuge. The town-house property was once a "show-home," where the monied Brahmin set could ogle 19th-century architectural styles. It remains Victorian through and through, brimming with furniture, fixtures, and original details that keep the past alive—plaster cornices and ceiling medallions, handsome walnut doors, brass chandeliers, and original rose-hued Italian marble fireplaces. Beyond the intimate reception area, and spread over five floors, are nine guest rooms named after such famous renaissance-era Bostonians as John Singer Sargent, Louisa May Alcott, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, with inspired décor to match. There's no on-site dining, but bountiful continental breakfasts are delivered to your door. If not holing up for the weekend, take the opportunity to amble around the tony Beacon Hill neighborhood, known for its historic corners, sniffy antique shops, and some of the best dining in the city.
Insider Tip: The inn is located on the four-block-long historic shopping district; don't miss Gary Drug Co. (59 Charles St.), an old-fashioned apothecary that's been selling top-of-the-line lotions and potions since 1935.
Coziest Room to Book: The Henry James Room takes comfort to regal heights; the king canopy bed dressed in the finest Frette linens faces a working fireplace with exquisite carved marble mantel, and the bath is big enough for a court of royal subjects. Gilded mirrors, intricate moldings, and sumptuous fabrics round out the royal accommodations.
More Information: Charles Street Inn.
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Cliffside InnNewport, Rhode Island
Roosted above the Atlantic Ocean overlooking Newport's Cliff Walk, this Victorian manor house and former home of painter Beatrice Turner channels the sort of joie de vivre stylings one might expect in an eccentric artist residence. The main house and its adjoining cottage are a living museum, chockablock with great antiques and romantic canvases painted in the early 20th century by Turner. Rooms—16 in all—are plush with grand beds, fireplaces, and private "bathing salons," where guests will find whirlpool tubs and steam showers, in addition to a menagerie of towel origami (yes, the inn really can turn a stack of washcloths into a warren of rabbits!). Other standout amenities include iPod docking stations, funky cotton kimono robes, and homemade chocolates left at turn-down. Elaborate teas—served fireside in the parlor, on the veranda, and in the garden in nice weather—are a highlight here, and reason enough to book a room; the afternoon affair is a dizzying flurry of finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, clotted cream, and handmade English marmalades and fruit butter curds. Beatrice would approve.
Insider Tip: The Vanderbilt Family "cottage," The Breakers, is Newport's most extravagant mansion; it's just a short stroll from the inn on the Cliff Walk.
Coziest Room to Book: Ask for the grand south-facing Governor's Suite, with four-poster king bed, sitting area, and antique armoire. Warm up in winter by the wood-burning fireplace, or in the afternoon sun on the suite's Victorian fainting couch.
More Information: Cliffside Inn.
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Boulders InnNew Preston, Connecticut
Named for the giant chunks of granite that form its imposing façade, this 1890 Dutch-style mansion stands out among Litchfield County, Connecticut's colonial clapboards. The informal grandeur of the place is impressive, and so is the setting under a canopy of maple trees on the shores of Lake Waramaug. The inn, which has been in operation since the early 1900's, was renovated top to bottom in 2003. The lobby seems almost airlifted from a snitzy Swiss ski chalet, with cathedral ceilings, giant stone fireplaces, and wonderful views of the lake—the second biggest in the state. The 20 guest rooms scattered throughout the main lodge, carriage house, and hillside cottages have a modern-meets-rustic charm, combining twiggy furniture and retro-style freestanding fireplaces with new fixtures, inside the baths and out. The inn's New American kitchen is helmed by localvore Paul Bernal, known for his award-winning wine list and such dishes as pan-roasted duck breast accented with caramelized quince. Guests wanting to spend time outdoors can explore the many marked trails that form a web over nearby Pinnacle Mountain.
Insider Tip: The inn gives repeat guests 10 percent off every future stay.
Coziest Room to Book: Tucked back into the woods, the spacious and private Fieldstone Cottage has a king bed, whirlpool tub for two, working stone fireplace, and views of the lake. Be sure to inquire about the inn's daily and midweek specials.
More Information: Boulders Inn.
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Squire Tar Box InnWiscasset, Maine
Hidden on an island just south of picturesque Wiscasset, away from Vacationland's tourist crowds, this relaxed Maine inn is a world unto itself—and that's a good thing. Originally built in 1763 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the peaceful property overlooks a wonderland of fields, stone walls, and saltwater marsh flats. When innkeepers Mario and Roni DePietro took over in 2002, they took special care to preserve the home's period character, so many of the original timbers, moldings, and fireplaces remain in the formal main house; the more rustic carriage barn dates from 1820. The 11 guest rooms are exactly what one would expect—and want—in an historic New England inn, with handmade quilts, featherbeds, and colonial antiques; each has a private bath. Swiss-born Mario, who began his culinary career as the pastry chef at the Four Seasons in New York City, takes mealtime seriously. Expect homemade breads and fresh eggs from the inn's own chickens at breakfast, and lavish fireside dinners featuring such Swiss favorites as cheesy raclette and seafood dishes like golden-crusted Maine haddock in lobster sauce. The vegetables here are about as local as you can get—the DePietro's son, Kyle, tends the certified organic garden.
Insider Tip: In season, the inn provides a rowboat and mountain bikes to guests, and there are two public nature preserves on the island—both great year-round for birding and moose spotting.
Coziest Room to Book: Room 3, in the carriage barn, features wonderful old details like wide-plank floorboards, braided rugs, colorful quilts, and a wood-burning fireplace—perfect for a winter afternoon.
Special Note: The inn will re-open to the public in April.
More Information: Squire Tar Box Inn.
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Hancock InnHancock, New Hampshire
This quaint New Hampshire village property in the shadow of Mount Monadnock is the Granite State's oldest operating inn—it took its first reservation in 1789. A pleasing throwback to colonial days, it features many of the same details that existed when cattle drivers, rum runners, and Revolutionary War soldiers sauntered into reception: antiques, hand-painted murals, wooden rocking chairs, and oversize fireplaces. But the historic inn is not without its modern-day amenities, like cable TV, private baths, and Jacuzzis. There's a resident parrot named "George" who lives in the front parlor, while the handsome wood-worn tavern, which is stocked with puzzles and board games, and the candlelit dining room both riff on the romance of the day. The inn has an award-winning wine list, but its four-course prix fixe meal is the true star; the house specialty, a slow-cooked Shaker-style pot roast with cranberry sauce and garlic mashed potatoes, has remained on the menu for more than a quarter century for good reason.
Insider Tip: Leave time to wander "downtown" Hancock—every single building on the village's main street is on the National Register of Historic Places. Paul Revere's No. 236 bell in the town's steepled meetinghouse still chimes every hour on the hour.
Coziest Room to Book: The peaceful and artful Rufus Porter Suite is named after New England's most celebrated muralist; the suite's bedroom features an original, painted in 1825. There's also a gas fireplace, sitting area, and wonderful corner views over the backyard.
More Information: Hancock Inn.
From article Cozy Inns of New England
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Old Inn on the GreenNew Marlborough, Massachusetts
Executive chef Peter Platt and his partner, Meredith Kennard, took over as owners of this pleasantly rustic Berkshires inn—formerly a stagecoach relay—in 2005; together they've created one of the finest dining destinations in the area, and arguably the Northeast. Platt, who spent 17 years overseeing the kitchen at nearby Wheatleigh, specializes in innovative American cooking with a heavy French accent. His sublime meals celebrate the season and the region—what could be better than a warm salad of Hudson Valley squab with foie gras flan and huckleberry sauce, or a napoleon made with just-picked peaches and crème fraîche, or even a simple plate of local Berkshire blue cheese served just a few miles from where it was aged?The enchanting dining room is true to the period, with wrought-iron chandeliers, stenciled walls, patinaed Windsor chairs, and tavern tables. After dark, it's lighted entirely by candles (and fires in winter). The inn has 11 spare but comfortable guest rooms—five above the tap and dining rooms, and an additional six (roomier) options in the Thayer House. Scattered through the surrounding Berkshire Hills are wonderful antique stores and friendly ski mountains. In summer, the area plays host to world-class cultural happenings like Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow, and Bard College's renowned Summerscape dance, music, and theater festival at the stunning Frank Gehry-designed Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
Insider Tip: The inn offers an incredible midweek deal: a three-course prix fixe dinner Wednesdays and Thursdays for only $25.
Coziest Room to Book: Request Room 204, on the second floor of the Thayer House; it has gorgeous Palladian-style windows overlooking the village green and fields beyond, queen bed, working wood-burning fireplace, and a large claw-foot tub.
More Information: