The Best Inns and Hotels in New England for Every Type of Traveler
Main photo: Stowe Topnotch. Other photo: Saratoga Arms Hotel.
Optimists will tell you that Spring is just around the corner in what I call New England+—the traditional six New England states, plus New York. But realists (and people who actually live there) will tell you: it’s ages away. And yet even for those who feel ambivalent about the white stuff, the best time to visit is during winter’s last wild howl.
Yes, the fall is beautiful in New England, but the off-season has its perks. There are fewer fellow tourists, which means reservations at restaurants are easy to come by, and a range of out-of-the-box outdoor and indoor activities have been ginned up by savvy innkeepers to attract your business.
There are a range of inns across New England, but we threw in a few from New York too—because while the Empire State north of Yonkers is New England in spirit, Dutch colonialists circa mid-1600s and history nerds will tell you that the term New England refers to the group of states—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island—first settled by the Dutch.
New England writ large remained a Dutch colony until the Brits came and stole their candy. (Which, of course, was stolen in the first place from Indigenous Americans). It took several additional decades of bloodshed and contretemps before the British snagged New Netherlands, which they re-christened New York.
End of history lesson, onto the quest for the perfect winter inn!
Reconnect Romantically: The Saratoga Arms Hotel in New York
The Saratoga Arms Hotel is located in the heart of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a town that was founded and enriched by Gilded Age barons like Cornelius Vanderbilt. The restored 1870 Second Empire inn offers incredibly personal and personable service: from a stocked pantry of free gourmet snacks and drinks, to historical ephemera from President Ulysses S. Grant’s days in the White House (the late founder Noel Smith was a descendent), a decadent breakfast, and grand staircases, fireplaces and claw foot tubs in rooms, the Inn would be a draw on its own for those in search of a little spark in their relationship.
In need of a full reset? Consider taking part in a Reconnection Retreat. For an additional $1,699, you will get a personalized retreat designed to ripen your capacity for pleasure and deepen your connection. Caroline Russell Smith, the Arms’ in-house sex and relationship therapist, has training in tantra, mindfulness, trauma and couples therapy. The package includes a virtual intention-setting session, an in-person reconnection session with Caroline, a bottle of welcome Champagne, an intimacy kit, a $200 credit for the nearby Complexions Spa, gourmet lunches and a special gift to take home. It’s available on select weekends in February and March only, so book ahead.
General manager Rachel Boggan explains that the family-run, historic hotel sets out to provide truly personalized experiences for everyone.
“A lot of people pulled back on amenities and high-touch service during COVID, but we doubled down,” Boggan says. “We send you a survey to find out what size bathrobe you want, we find out if you need any snacks or drinks ready for you when you arrive and we always bring guests to their room personally. And we are always happy to help guests with reservations or advice on what to do and see.”
A Gilded Experience: Wheatleigh Hotel in Massachusetts
If you’ve ever wanted to live inside of an Edith Wharton novel, set your GPS for Lenox, Mass., in the Berkshires. The Wheatleigh Hotel is an Italianate palazzo, completed in 1893; originally a home, now it serves as one of the smallest Leading Hotels of the World. Enter through an iron gate, past a dramatic fountain, and into a different century.
The grand entrance is full-on Palazzo vibes, with a fireplace to match, Tiffany and Co. stained-glass windows, a sumptuous game room, and crown moldings that would make Prince Charles blush. Guests craving a taste of the suite life can stroll up the grand staircase to luxuriate in one of 19 guest rooms featuring soaring ceilings, appointed with a curated array of antique furniture and fine art, and a roomy balcony, but all of the trappings of a contemporary luxe life: large soaking tubs, state-of-the-art showers, Roku-enabled TV, a Bose sound system. The grounds—with tennis courts, a heated outdoor pool, expansive patio with a fire pit, miles of wooded trails and plush lawns to wander, a moss-covered sculpture garden—complete the picture.
But you’re here for a truly Gilded Age experience, courtesy of the James Beard award-winning chef, RJ Cooper.
The former Iron Chef has created a culinary safari at Sage & Sparrow through seasonal textures and tastes. The menu rotates frequently, and offers between 10 and 14 courses in a private space with just eight tables and views of the rolling meadows and curated lawns and courtyards, carved out from the land in the 19th century by Frederick Law Olmstead of Central Park fame.
The seasonally inspired menu, created to pay homage to New England’s farmers, foragers and fisherman, is paired with wines from a well-stocked cellar. At a recent dinner, I experienced unexpected pairings that took me to places my palate had never been, but now would love to explore again—Cipollini gelato, with Ossetra caviar-caramel; wild crones and chanterelle in a sauce of duck collagen; a whipped potato in a white chocolate dressing topped with white sturgeon caviar; Hokkaido scallops in a pool of buttermilk with edible flowers and dill.
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