Missing European travel? New Hampshireâs grand hotels might be the perfect solution
There are no official, comprehensive lists of the countryâs remaining grand hotels, but the Granite State has the largest remaining collection in New England and one of the largest in the country.
By Hillary Richard Globe correspondent,Updated April 7, 2021, 2 hours ago
Email to a Friend
The Omni Mount Washington.Jeffrey Newcomer
Elaborate architecture, white glove service, historic moments, unrivaled attention to detail â these are the classic luxuries of a bygone era that travelers eagerly seek out in Europe. These Old World traditions arrived in the United States more than a century ago as grand hotels sprung up around New England. Today, that grandiosity is alive and well in New Hampshireâs grand hotels.
The Omni Mount Washington Resort: ‘An Enchanted Cottage at the Edge of the Wilderness’
In the late afternoon light, the woods of the White Mountain National Forest appear quiet at first, muted by a blanket of soft, fresh snow. All I hear is my own breath and the swish of my cross-country skis as I push my way through the tracks.
My husband is ahead of me, trudging up the hill on his skis, where the cross-country path divides into two separate trails. I catch up to him, panting. It’s only 6 degrees out, but I am uncomfortably warm, and wishing I hadn’t worn such a thick coat.
New expansion checks in to iconic Omni Mount Washington Moira McCarthy
The Omni Mount Washington Resort’s bright red roof, grand hotel ambiance and iconic setting in Bretton Woods, N.H., make it a New England classic.
For more than 100 years, its main hotel (long known as the Mount Washington Hotel) has welcomed guests who love the juxtaposition of rugged mountain life and elegant living. For 21 years, they’ve done that year-round, giving guests easy access to their Nordic skiing, winter hiking and, of course, Bretton Woods Ski Area.
This year, they debut a new expansion. Like an inn within the inn, the Omni Mount Washington’s new 69-room Presidential Wing offers a modern twist on the elegance that has long been a resort staple.
Set on 2,500 pastoral acres just outside the classic New England village of Stowe, this charming, Austrian-style chalet has been welcoming visitors since 1950. Owned and operated by the von Trapp family, whose story has been immortalized by the beloved film The Sound of Music, the Trapp Family Lodge is home to 96 rooms and suites, 18 luxurious villas, and 100 hillside guesthouses.
Nordic skiers and snowshoe aficionados will delight in exploring the resort s extensive trail network, which includes more than 40 miles of groomed trails and an additional 60 miles of forested backcountry. Winter adventures, including horse-drawn sleigh rides, set out from Trapp s outdoor center, where you can rent equipment, sign up for lessons, or shop for cozy winter gear. Meanwhile, what may just be the East Coast s best alpine skiing and riding can be found right up the Mountain Road at Stowe Mountain Resort, home to 485-acres of terrain spread across Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak.
Way, way, way up, just below the Mount Rosebrook summit opposite New Hampshire’s mighty Presidential Mountains, a new building is now visible, glinting in the fall sunlight.
This, the Rosebrook Lodge, is the venerable Omni Mount Washington Resort’s brand-new 16,000-square-foot on-mountain, up-mountain dining and event space. It opened at the beginning of fall, tentatively, though, with limited service due to the pandemic restrictions.
Still, Rosebrook Lodge had at least a couple of weddings under its belt by Columbus Day Weekend, a very popular time for leaf peepers and pre-ski season travelers in this remote northeastern New Hampshire region.