Hip Apartments in Vermont You’ll Want to Call Home

Backed by dense pine forests and overlooking one of the state’s largest lakes, the surrounds of Lake Bomoseen Lodge certainly score highly for natural beauty. Its condo and cottage accommodation is spread around several colonial-style buildings and offers home-from-home touches, such as full kitchens and snug lounges areas. Shorefront rooms provide dreamily uninterrupted views over the lake. Take to the water with free-to-borrow kayaks, canoes or paddleboards; on return, choose from a dizzying selection of craft ales in the Taproom.

The Vermont House’s immaculately whitewashed clapboard façade couldn’t fit more perfectly among the ridiculously quaint village setting of Wilmington. A travelers’ inn since opening in the 1850s, it’s been fully modernized throughout, while retaining a cozily traditional vibe. Reclaimed wood combines with sumptuous fabrics in the two-bedroom suite, which adds home comforts such as a kitchen, a living room and several bathrooms. After a day of exploring, warm up in the bar beside a crackling fire with a tipple from the lengthy wine list.

The Mad River Valley is one of Vermont’s most popular tourist destinations, and the Warren Lodge sits right alongside the scenic waterway that gives the area its curious name. This family-run hotel offers a wide range of lodgings, from cozy pine-clad condos to bright contemporary apartments. All come fully equipped for self-catering, with comfy lounges to flop into after a day on the nearby ski slopes, exploring the numerous biking trails or taking a dip in one of the abundant wild-swimming spots in the area.

Sister property of the Warren Lodge and run by the same family, the Mad River Lodge offers similarly group-friendly accommodation set amid unspoiled nature. Family units combine rustic pine with funky modern furnishings, while each of the two bedrooms comes with a queen-size bed. An open-plan kitchen-dining-lounge room makes for a great place to cook, eat and recuperate after a day enjoying the range of outdoor activities the area offers in spades.

Built in the Italianate Revival style, made popular post-Civil War, the block housing the Bristol Suites certainly stands out as the town’s most overtly elegant piece of architecture. Inside, the individually styled suites take a more homey approach, with an eclectic collection of comfy furniture and vintage curios setting a folksy tone. Cooking facilities provide for self-catering, while the town-center setting puts it within easy strolling distance of Bristol’s characterful restaurants. Just a few doors down, the Bobcat Cafe and Brewery is a local highlight.

If you’re after a secluded-but-swanky stay, completely enveloped in the leafy Vermont landscape, the Reading Farms Estate offers just that. As well as having belonged to the same family for over a hundred years, this elegant 18th-century property has hosted the likes of Coco Chanel and Laurance Rockefeller over its distinguished history. Its tastefully converted barn provides self-contained lodgings for groups or large families, as well as luxury indulgences such as herbal Avena products and a large indoor hot tub.

Set on a sloping hillside, nestled deep in the forest, this modern update of a traditional mountain lodge combines leafy seclusion with lovely views. Plenty of knotty pine and local stone give the interiors a cozy, traditional feel, together with both an open log fire and a wood-burning stove to keep toes toasty in winter. It’s a great base for exploring the Camel’s Hump State Park nearby, with all the creature comforts ready and waiting when you return from a day of pounding the trails.

For a mountain experience that’s rather more sophisticated than most, Topnotch Resort pairs smart and contemporary lodgings with an impressive list of onsite facilities. Set in over 120 acres (49ha) of grounds, the hotel’s accommodation sits higher up on the hillside to provide broad valley views. Suites also offer all the comforts you’d expect from an upscale hotel, plus free locally roasted coffee and Vermont spring water. Indoor and outdoor pools and a spa also make for a genuinely year-round resort.