Inn at Woodstock Hill lodging
review
The Inn at Woodstock Hill: Classic New England Atmosphere in Beautiful
Northeastern Connecticut
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Many vacation spots purport to offer true relaxation, but
upon closer inspection impede the promise with myriad outlet stores,
souvenir shops, heavy traffic akin to the kind you were trying to
ecsape, and trendy restaurants offering lots of attitude and very
little food.
The Inn at Woodstock Hill, in Northeastern Connecticut's pristine town
of Woodstock, avoids these modern day tourist trappings by just being
itself. And, in turn, you can be yourself. Beautifully situated in the
gentle rolling hills of a town center with no traffic, gas stations and
few stores, The Inn at Woodstock Hill is like meeting that special,
once-in-a-lifetime love--once you meet this romantic vacation destiny,
you're sure to return again and again. Around the corner from the
bustling downtown complete with a produce stand, a church and colonial
homes (the town's idea of a strip mall are rows of apple orchards), the
placid Inn at Woodstock Hill could convince the most stressed out
business executive to slow down, breathe in the untouched air, and
marvel at the old and wise tall trees.
First, consider the nice, warm people who make the Inn at Woodstock
Hill such a special place. They just don't tell you to have a nice
time, but actually are part of that experience with nice conversation
and a graciousness only known in a previous New England era. They make
you feel like a part of their lives, and that is truly rare in this
one-hour, fast food, drive-through society in which we live.
The Inn, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands
majestically on Plain Hill. Built in 1816, the Inn largely consists of
a Federal/Georgian style mansion with a carriage house and two barns.
Later additions were built in the last half of the 19th century. In
1927, a caretaker's cottage, with three guestrooms, was built.
Everything you see here is truly beautiful, the prototype for an
elegant country inn. As you drive up the circular entrance drive, you
see the manicured gardens and know that you are in for a special treat.
Upon entering the remarkably renovated inn, the warmth of classical
archways draw you deeper into the heart of the stately establishment,
to the reception desk. Surrounded by floral wall and window treatments
and scattered, but well-placed thriving plants reminiscent of your
grandmother's house, you are suddenly feeling more relaxed and begin
eyeing the comfortable-looking seating in the sitting rooms, lined by
shelves of old classics (and also a children's literature section) and
newer releases.
The Inn at Woodstock Hill offers 22 beautiful rooms. We recently had
the honor of staying in a room with a strikingly charming 20 foot high
ceiling, antique and period reproductions and a four poster canopy king
sized bed. Big windows provided wonderful views of the open land and
hills beautifully framing the backyard. We later realized that modern
amenities also existed such as cable television, videos, a telephone
and computer jack, but none of that interested us much. We were
strictly interested in doing nothing, which is ultimately everything.
So comfortable was our nap that we almost forgot about our dinner
reservations downstairs at what turned out to be a truly remarkable
restaurant. We walked down the elegant red carpeted, curved staircase
(which was wrapped in tulle, with just the right amount of ivy and
floral accents to make you feel as if you were royalty floating down to
meet your subjects) straight to a charming little dining room with
candlelight, a fireplace and old world furnishings. This was the
smaller dining room which was long on warmth, ambience and an
incredibly fine menu. We devoured some crab cakes, as good as anything
we've had in Maryland. The caesar salad mixed fresh dark greens with a
"just right" dressing. After finishing some wonderfully warm homemade
bread, we then fell in love with the irresistibly tender and tasty Long
Island duckling with a brandied lingonberry glaze. The New York sirloin
steak had perhaps a little too much pepper, but that was no problem, as
the quality of the steak rivaled the best steak houses in New England.
For dessert, we sampled a fallen chocolate cake, which we had instantly
fallen for. Not in recent memory had we tasted such a rich, yet airy
chocolate, with just the right amount of raspberry sauce, ultimately
designed to finish within seconds because of its incredible taste.
After dinner, we walked off some of the food by experiencing the other
rooms at the Inn. The main living room has yet more stunning period
furnishings, a roaring fireplace, classic hardwood floors and large,
open windows to view those rolling hills beyond scenic Route 169. The
main dining room is like a larger version of the smaller dining room,
but probably more reminiscent of an old world hotel dining room.
Candlelight, soft music, polished silver, beautiful crystal and fine
linen are just a few of the touches, which complement the superb food.
Before retiring for the evening, we chatted for a while with a manager
who told us of the virtues of the Woodstock area, also known as part of
the "Quiet Corner" of Connecticut. He, as well, as other Inn personnel
are either happy transplants or lifelong residents. It was touching to
hear someone speak from the heart on the place they have chosen to
live, instead of uttering cookie cutter promotional talk. Just like the
leisurely look of the Inn, the personnel talks in a most relaxed and
friendly tone. You never feel an aura of pretentiousness, which could
be the case at such an elegant, historical setting.
We slept so well that night in one of the most comfortable beds known
to us, ultimately creating the perfect environment to catch up.
Refreshed the next morning, we walked down that memorable staircase one
more time to have a fine continental breakfast, with fresh fruit,
muffins and bread serving as quality offerings.
We then rested a little more in our room, hesitatingly signed out, and
promised to come back soon. Traveling home on scenic Route 169 -- one
of the most beautiful bucolic drives in New England -- gave us some
great last memories of this underrated region, but in our minds, we
wanted to turn around and head back to the Inn at Woodstock Hill. Just
hours after leaving the Inn, we missed it greatly, indeed like meeting
that special someone for the first time, and then eagerly awaiting that
second date. We can hardly wait for that second date, with an eye to
commit ourselves, forever, to frequenting this classic New England inn.
Book a room at the Inn at Woodstock Hill through Booking.com
The Inn at Woodstock Hill, 94 Plaine Hill Road
Woodstock, CT 06281-2912
Phone: (860) 928-0528
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