The winter after my mother and I moved to the United States, one of the first places we visited outside of New York City was Manchester, Vermont. The whole town was covered in perfect layers of snow; we skied at nearby Stratton mountain and drank hot chocolate in front of the fire. Growing up, I didn’t stay at hotels very much (I am more than making up for that now), but on this trip I had the treat of snuggling in at the Equinox Resort. I remember its cozy, but historic aura: the hotel opened in 1769 and hosted the Lincolns on their holidays as well as some of the founding fathers.
Recently I received word of Equinox’s $20 million makeover by New York-based interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield, bringing the property back on my radar. I haven’t made it up there yet, but apparently in addition to a complete overhaul of the rooms, the resort now has a Chop House restaurant (there are five restaurants on-site) and a 13,000 square foot spa with an indoor swimming pool. The photos of the place look lovely–modern, airy, and full of light–but Bradfield and his team kept the sense of scale that the architecture demands. The open-air fire pit looks like a cozy place to enjoy a drink after-hours without freezing.
With winter almost here, it is the perfect time for skiing, but if you plan a trip to Equinox some other season you can also go fly fishing, hiking, or golfing at the 18-hole course designed by Walter Travis and Rees Jones. There’s even a falconry school. A recent $999 deal I spotted online includes three nights at the hotel with $999 in credit to use at the spa; Equinox usually has some sort of great package deal. And only a four-hour drive from both New York and Boston, it’s the perfect long weekend getaway.
Recession Special: Stylish International House in New Orleans has a “three nights for the price of two” holiday special running until the end of the month.
