I am a concierge at a classic old resort on the coast of Georgia, which attracts many guests and members from the northeast. I'd like to know what other great old hotels and resorts the readers enjoy going to. Thank you!
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
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Although I am from West Virginia and have visited the Greenbrier, I've never stayed there. I've never stayed at the Homestead, either. I have, however, spent a week at the Boca Raton Club and Resort in Boca Raton, Florida.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate to stay there as part of a company conference and training session. It was decidedly old-fashioned but in a good way. The styling is from the 1920s. It was an especially enjoyable stay, even if it was something of a working vacation. The meetings were actually at a nearby IBM facility. That was a while ago, though, and I believe the name at the time was the Boca Raton Hotel and Club.
The Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, MA
ReplyDeleteThe Peabody Hotel, Memphis, TN
The Homestead in Bath Co VA and the Greenbriar in West Va...both are wonderful examples of Old World leisure elegance!
ReplyDeleteShelburne Farms in Shelburne, VT and The Breakers in Palm Beach.
ReplyDeleteThe Drake Hotel, Chicago (RIP Cape Cod Room)
ReplyDeleteSkytop Lodge, Skytop, PA
Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI
I proposed to my now wife at Skytop during the Christmas season, it's a beautifully classic resort. The libary lounge is amazing.
DeleteThe Grove Park Inn...before the corporate takeover.
ReplyDeleteWe were fortunate to stay in the original part with windows that opened and raised floors in the bathrooms to accommodate plumbing. Through the years, we’ve stayed in the “new” section and that location has changed several times and the accommodations were a bit ordinary. I’ll add however, there is just something that keeps us going back.
DeleteThe Ahwahnee, Yosemite NP
ReplyDeleteI had totally forgotten the grand old lodges in the national parks, particularly the ones in the west. Skyland, in Shenandoah National Park, is very nice but really not quite as nice as the larger ones in the west but the views are good, especially from the dining room. They're all on the rustic side but are still wonderful places.
DeleteChico Hot Springs, Pray MT
ReplyDeleteBedford Springs, Bedford, PA
William Penn, Pittsburgh, PA
Ocean House, Watch Hill, RI
While not properly hotels, i enjoy the old school charm of places like The Union Club in Boston. I’ve stayed a number of times around Halloween and have had views of the Granary Burying Ground. I think they have relaxed the dress code, but at least there’s a bit of one.
ReplyDeleteThe Ritz in Paris, the Plaza in New York, and the older, shabbier iteration of the Ritz-Carlton in Boston.
ReplyDeleteHave had the pleasure of staying in these hotels over the course of many, many years --
ReplyDeleteThe Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, FL
The Equinox in Manchester, VT
The Monteleone in New Orleans, LA
William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA
Casa Marina in Key West, FL
Grand Hotel du Palais Royal in Paris
Hotel Londra in Venice
Ritz Carlton in NYC
Also will be visiting Chicago soon to see my daughter and we will be staying at the Chicago Athletic Association -- supposed to be pretty nice too
Trapp Family Lodge and Stowehof Inn. Both Stowe, Vermont .
ReplyDeleteBack in the late 70's, my wife and I approached Maria von Trapp at a large gathering in NYC and introduced ourselves as living nearby in Vermont. Her response, "so what." You can draw your own conclusions.
DeleteMGC
Exactly...
DeleteBrowns Hotel, London. Agatha Christie's favorite hotel!
ReplyDeleteHere are a few we've enjoyed over the years - The Amstel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, The Bristol, Paris, France, The Savoy, London, England, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV,
ReplyDeleteThe Belvedere, Baltimore, MD, The Carlyle, NYC, and The Breakers, Palm Beach, FL
My all-time favorites: Boca Raton Resort, The Greenbrier, The Jefferson in Richmond, VA, Gasparilla Inn, The Royal Horseguards in London. Further afield: Sir Bani Yas Island in Abu Dhabi; Paradise Eco Lodge in Sri Lanka, and the Four Seasons Gresham Palace in Budapest.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Brown's Hotel, London! Ritz, London, Meurice, Paris, Negresco, Nice and Dolder, Zurich have consistently been excellent past 60 years in my experience. There other fine hotels as well. The primary change is not the hotels, it is the people who stay there.
ReplyDeleteAgree about Brown's Hotel, The Greenbrier, but my all time favorite back in the mid 1980s was the Asticou Inn, Northeast Harbor, Maine. It has slid downhill so completely in quality and that old fashioned personal touch that its current condition breaks my heart. Has anyone else had this experience?
DeleteAgree with all of these (at least the ones we've been fortunate enough to visit) and add The Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH, the Hotel Del Coronado, in Coronado, CA, and the The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (which is a bucket list item for the Mackinac Island Race).
ReplyDeleteThe Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama
ReplyDeleteAny suggestions specifically for Bermuda and especially for families?
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I just stayed at the St Regis that opened a month or two ago, it's beautiful and on a relatively quiet but great part of the island (St. George's). Easy to walk to town and great private beach.
DeleteAfter the Bermuda Races of 2014 and 2016, we found that renting was great and beat staying at a hotel. We rented through Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty on Par-La-Ville Street in Hamilton (Vacation Rentals) and through Air BNB and found outstanding, peaceful accommodations.
DeleteWe loved the Hamilton Princess and saw lots of families. They provide transport out to their beach club.
DeleteCambridge Beaches is lovely for families!
DeleteThe White Hart Inn, Salisbury Conn. Exquisite. Gracious. Quiet.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been since the nineties but the Algonquin Resort in St Andrews was amazing. The Sunday Brunch included grilled lobster and an amazing buffet to die for. The bagpipes playing in the background was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteDuke's in London...was Diana's favorite hideaway.
ReplyDeleteThe Equinox (now a Four Seasons) in Manchester, VT, built in 1853. Fell into disrepair, restored and reopened in 1985. Wentworth by the Sea in Newcastle, NH, built in 1874, fell into disrepair in the 1980s, restored and reopened in 2003. Green Gables Inn in Monterey, built in 1888, restored, located across the shore road from Monterey Bay. Mount Washington Hotel, in Bretton Woods, NH, built in 1902. Views of Monterey Bay and the White Mountains from the latter two are spectacular.
ReplyDeleteGreat list
DeleteGreat question and I'll add an Upstate NY recommendation. For those who like a rustic touch, The Whiteface Lodge and Lake Placid Lodge in Lake Placid.
ReplyDeleteBest,
DMD
Also The Point.
DeleteI'll add another upstate New York recommendation: the Sagamore on Lake George.
DeleteMy favorite is Congress Hall in Cape May, NJ
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I spend a week every spring at The Breakers in Palm Beach.
ReplyDeleteHighly recommended.
Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. They also operate the Pikes Peak Cog Railway.
ReplyDeleteThe Jefferson in Richmond, VA and The Breakers in Palm Beach ... we want to try the Jekyll Island Club and Cloister at Sea Island soon
ReplyDeleteThe Inn at Spanish Bay at Pebble Beach - love the bagpiper at sunset
ReplyDeleteThe Sanctuary at Kiawah Island
Chatham Bars Inns on Cape Cod
Bardesonno in Yountville, Calif.
Hana Inn in Maui (not sure it is still called that)
And also, the Mauna Kea Beach Resort on the Big Island, Hawaii - mid-century modern classic established by Rockefeller.
ReplyDeleteA really nice place to stay in Charleston, SC, is The Vendue. Charming, distinctive, and respectful of its history and architecture. The rooftop bar is great - what a view!
ReplyDeleteI stayed at The Vendue in the '90s and adored it. I'm glad to hear it is still around and well.
DeleteI grew up going to Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan (over 20 years of annual stays). We lived a short drive away and it was a natural summer spot for our family. While I have extremely fond memories of the hotel when I was under age 18, around 2000, the hotel 'changed' in some way. We haven't been back as a family in years because of things like relaxed dress code, the appearance/increase of ill-behaved clientele, and lax service standards. The hotel was family owned for many, many years but has now been sold to a large management company. I personally would not recommend it at this time. Thank you to everyone for suggestions, I'm looking forward to finding something to replace the dear old Grand of yesteryear (Rest In Peace)!
ReplyDeleteThe Hay Adams Washington DC
ReplyDeleteAll-time favorite ~ Buckland Manor in the Cotswolds, UK. Then Brown's Hotel in London; The Shelbourne in Dublin, and Palazzo Avino in Ravello, IT. I also love The Lodge at Sea Island, St. Simons Island, GA, but it's not a classic since it's only 10+ years old.
ReplyDeleteThe Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island,MI; The Drake, Chicago; The Ritz, Paris; Hôtel Le Cottage Bise - Talloires Lac Annecy, France; The Dorchester, London.
ReplyDeleteThe Inn at Otter Crest
ReplyDeleteThe Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia has the ambiance, class and historical vibe of 100+ years. Their High Tea is unforgettable.
ReplyDeleteI'll second that; as well as any of the old CN hotels sprinkled across Canada - huge history and incredible ambiance. ...heard that the bar at the Empress underwent renos some years back - apparently a single-interest someone didn't like the stuffed animals dating back to the 19th century. Pity...
DeleteYour intrepid reader from north of the 49th parallel,
Banacek
Ahh,so many memories! I was one of the final guests at The Waldorf Astoria before it closed for renovations and converting to permanent residences. I also love The Grafton Inn in Grafton, Vt. For years after both sets of grandparents died young my husband, two children and I spent holidays away from home. Only the four of us left made it a bit sad, so we found going to Sagamore at Lake George, NY for Easter, The Red Jacket Beach on Cape Cod, Ma for summer, The Red Lion for Thanksgiving (Stockbridge, Ma) and The Inn in Grafton,Vt for Christmas filled the void. I become upset when I think of these places lowering standards just to fill rooms. My belief is there is a certain draw to places that maintain high standards. We stayed at Black Point Inn in Maine. It pretended to appeal to old money but they were far from convincing. The place was just plain run down. Management was rude and unhelpful with the pretense of distain. If only they’d known how obvious they were!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the Drake, Grand Hotel, and wonder if anyone has been to French Lick in Indiana? I enjoyed going as a child. I’ve never stayed at Hotel Thayer, West Point, but have dined there. It’s lovely. Finally, Mohonk Mountain House near New Paltz, NY is another for the list.
The Harraseeket Inn - Freeport, Maine
ReplyDeleteThe Equinox - Manchester, VT
Hope Club, Providence, RI
The Whitby Hotel, NYC
The Lowell, NYC
Reading over the comments, I am reminded of the many interesting places we've stayed on our travels. Few have been either grand or old but most were really very nice and memorable. Once such place was in Dunfermline, in the Kingdom of Fife, across the river from Edinburgh. The Pitbauchlie House (I can't pronounce it, either) was a modern hotel with a first-class dining room and a nice garden with the strangest evergreen tree I've ever seen. It was much nicer than the little hotel where we stayed in London, in Chelsea, which vibrated when the underground passed by. But it was convenient.
ReplyDeleteWe have been fortunate to stay at several of the hotels listed.
ReplyDeleteReading the comments reminded me of staying at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City in the late. 1970s with our three very young children. We dressed everyone in their finest for an early dinner at the main dining room on the first night. My wife and I had the impression that we were among the youngest to dine there never mind the children.
Our children were amazed at the number of “waiters” serving our table and things went well (only one dropped fork).
A highlight was when our three year old daughter asked for catsup and one of the waiters presented it in a silver serving bowl and said “votre Heinz mademoiselle”. Quebec was a great family vacation locale back then.
We have a boat, so we aren't big hotel-stayers. When we do travel, our favorite place is Boston, and we stay at the Langham. --Holly in PA
ReplyDeleteWoodstock Inn in VT.
ReplyDeleteHalf Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Sherry, NYC .
ReplyDeleteI don't have any loyalty to any one hotel or resort here in Europe because I like to try new places. I've done repeat stays at a handful of places I like. When I lived in Manhattan in my 30s, I did have a regular watering hole (Harry's Bar) and the only hotel I found worthy of frequenting was the Sherry-Netherland. In New Orleans, I liked the old Royal Orleans and the Windsor Court, both of which, 30+ years later, have most certainly have lost their old charm since being taken over by large conglomerates that have the same hotel templates in various cities.
ReplyDeleteOh, I remember now that what has been my favourite "classic" hotel to stay in over the last 7 years has been the Argyll Hotel on the isle of Iona in the Hebrides. It's still a small owner-operated, elegant but unpretentious affair with great food and views of the the Sound of Iona. The older I get, the more I appreciate inns and smaller towns and islands that allow for quiet reflection, as opposed to the more bombastic glossy hotels and resorts in larger cities, and at the Argyll, they really do take care of you.
ReplyDeleteThe Seelbach in Louisville. The Hay-Adams in DC.
ReplyDeleteCincinnati Netherland Plaza, The Landing on Harbour Island. I travel for work and love to stay in old proper hotels.
Love the Netherland Plaza! We were there when we returned to Cincinnati to introduce my future husband to my father in 1986. Great place to show him where I grew up. Timeless! I remember the hotel in the 60's when I was a child.
DeleteThe Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, MA
ReplyDeleteThe Equinox, Manchester, VT
The Mirror lake Inn, Lake Placid, NY
The Jefferson, Richmond, VA
Good Taste.... :-)
DeleteWaldorf Astoria in Jerusalem (historic building with Jerusalem stone so you get a definite sense of place)
ReplyDeleteWeisses Rössl in St. Wolfgang, Austria-- old classic hotel on the lake. Classic in the German-speaking world! I confess I have never slept there but the view when getting a drink from the bar is heaven on earth!
--EM
Interesting to see that as of my reading no one had mentioned the Cloister at Sea Island, which, I am guessing, is where the poster works. But very glad to see the Jefferson in Richmond mentioned repeatedly. Great memories there, as at the Homestead and the Greenbrier. But absolutely my favorite all time hotel is the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Fla. - before the post-2010 renovation. And, did anyone mention the Broadmoor?
ReplyDelete