Understated Luxury at the Woodstock Inn and Resort

When I think of a picture perfect Vermont town, Woodstock immediately comes to mind. Main Street is lined with charming shops, galleries, restaurants and boutiques. Among them you will find F. H. Gillingham & Sons, the general store that opened in 1886 and is still owned and operated by the same family.  This idyllic setting is home to the Woodstock Inn, a Preferred Hotel and Resort, where my family spent a weekend in late January 2014 so that we could ski at Saskadena Six, a few miles away.

Stay

The Inn is just an hour and a half south of Burlington, making it a perfect weekend getaway for us. This AAA four-diamond Resort delivers all the luxury that it promises. The huge wood-burning fireplace in the lobby immediately welcomes you in, almost begging you to sit and stay for a while.  We loved playing games in the adjacent cozy library.  Stop by in the morning for free cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate and perhaps a game of chess.

Our room, a Woodstock Double, was spacious enough to accommodate our family of four. In addition to the 2 double beds with fluffy down comforters, there was a queen size pullout couch.   Our large marble bathroom with soaker tub and two sinks was plenty big enough for all of us to share. With 4 sets of ski pants and jackets, I appreciated all of the hooks lining the back of the closet. It was really nice to have a convenient place to put everything.  It is amazing how fast one hotel room fills up with four peoples ski stuff! All of us definitely appreciated the free wi-fi as well.

If you are looking for a bit more room for your family (and privacy for Mom and Dad) you could upgrade to a Tavern Suite which has a king sized bed and separate sitting room with queen sized pullout sofa.

Dinning

We choose to have dinner at the Red Rooster, the more upscale of the Inn’s two restaurants.  However it is not so formal that children are not welcome, in fact quite the opposite.  There is a wonderful children’s menu and plenty of high chairs. You will want to make reservations if you plan to eat here. We reserved a table right by the center fountain. With younger kids you might opt for one of the large curved booths a little further back. The food was phenomenal.  Our kids loved starting with the Cabot Cheddar Fondue. Our server couldn’t have been more gracious and accommodating.  We have a child with a food allergy and she was patient and happy to make changes to his dish so that he could eat his meal confidentially. The Red Rooster is also where you will find the most tremendous buffet breakfast in the morning.  We filled up before heading out for a day at the mountain.

Play

Perhaps the most luxurious treat of the weekend for me was a trip to the Spa. After a long day of skiing my husband and I relaxed together in the in the co-ed Scandinavian sauna. Then after having our individual body treatments we met back up in the Great Room with the wood-burning fireplace for a bit.  I was feeling so tranquil; I almost forgot we were on vacation with the kids!

We didn’t get a chance to checkout the Fitness Center. That is where where you will find the full size indoor pool, exercise room and tennis courts. Families should know that facility is not on-site, rather a short shuttle ride away. We never made it there because we were too busy skiing of course! Who wouldn’t be? This winter when you stay at the Inn, children 14 and under ski free 7 days a week at Saskadena Six and adults ski free Monday – Friday.