Middlebury Inn

This historic hotel has
been welcoming visitors since 1827 and has a place on the National Register of
Historic Places that draws mostly couples and a few families. The property comprises three buildings: the original inn, neighboring Porter Mansion (built
in 1825), and a motel-style annex constructed in the 1960s. The original
buildings embody the classic red-brick colonial architecture that’s
quintessentially New England, though the annex is a squat, wooden building with
all guest rooms entered from the outside. Interiors in the main buildings,
including the lobby and library, blend colonial and Victorian elements, with
antique hardwood furniture, overstuffed couches, and classic armchairs gathered
throughout a series of connecting rooms with hardwood floors and oriental
carpets. Morgan’s Tavern, the on-site restaurant and bar, attracts a mix of
hotel guests, tourists, and locals, and embraces the same elegant, antique ambience.

Located across from a
park in downtown Middlebury, Vermont, the hotel is perfectly situated for
strolls throughout the picturesque little town. There are plenty of local
restaurants and cafes within a five- to 10-minute walk of the hotel. Vermont is
known for its microbreweries, and Otter Creek Brewing Company is one of the
most popular in the area, a five-minute drive out of town. Middlebury College,
one of the nation’s oldest liberal arts colleges and home to a great little art
museum, is also a five-minute drive from the hotel. There are plenty of hikes
and outdoor activities in the area as well, including the Breadloaf section of
the Appalachian Trail (the trailhead is just 10 miles out of town) and Branbury
State Park on the shores of Dunmore Lake, a 20-minute drive from the hotel. Killington
Mountain ski area is just over an hour away by car and the closest major airport
is in Burlington, Vermont, also about an hour’s drive.

Rooms come in a wide
array of configurations across the three buildings here, and though the
buildings look different from the outside, room quality and decor are
essentially the same throughout. Certain details are finer in the older
buildings, and the decorative fireplaces in some guest rooms in the Porter
Mansion building lend them an elegant touch. Overall, though, the dark wood or
white furniture has antique lines and is set about brown or green patterned
carpets that have seen fresher days. Off-white or cream walls are hung with
still lifes, portraits, or landscape paintings, and many of the relatively
spacious guest rooms have generous seating areas, from attractive striped
couches in Luxury King Rooms to retro leather chairs in Deluxe Rooms. We
noticed a good deal of wear and tear on furniture, especially the desks, and
details like window-unit air conditioners and outdated mini-fridges aren’t the
most appealing. All rooms also include flat-screen TVs and bathrobes. Bathrooms
are clean, though the more attractive vintage bathrooms are in the older buildings.
All bathrooms have tiled floors and bathtub/shower combos as well as high-end
Gilchrist & Soames bath products. 

For being such a historic
property, the hotel offers plenty of modern features, including Waterfalls Day
Spa, which offers an array of spa and beauty treatments, though price tags can
be expensive. On-site Morgan’s Tavern serves excellent breakfast, lunch, and
dinner with an emphasis on farm-to-table cooking, though no meals are included
with a stay here. Guests are entitled to free morning coffee and afternoon tea,
though, and the hotel offers many types of booking packages that include local
tours of breweries and historic sightseeing. The hotel has an on-site business
center as well as space for meetings and events, and Wi-Fi is free throughout
the property. Though there is no on-site fitness center, the hotel has an arrangement
with a local gym for free guest access, and pet-friendly rooms are available.
There is also a gift shop in the hotel’s lobby that sells local items and the
front desk is staffed 24 hours a day, while on-site parking is free for guests.