The Best Spa Hotels and Wellness Retreats to Book in Vermont

The Green Mountains form the backdrop to this well-named spa getaway in Stowe. Choose rustic-chic suites with cozy wood, rugs and gas fires, or if you’re visiting with your family, select a spacious resort home that can sleep up to seven. Après ski activities range from gym classes to massages and reiki at the spa. At dinnertime, fuel up on New American takes on pasta and steaks.

This is not the Woodstock of peace-loving rockers – that’s in the state of New York – but the Vermont version, a small leafy village of peace-loving Rockefellers. Laurance and Mary Rockefeller bought this 18th-century inn in 1967 and set about reconstructing it to reflect New England Federal architectural traditions. A gleaming golden eagle above the entrance greets guests, while the quaint rooms take a more sedate, pastel-colored approach. This homey mansion-style hotel also offers a range of culinary experiences, including a wine and cheese tasting evening hosted by the executive chef. All this, and you’re a mere 4mi (6km) from Suicide Six Ski Area to boot.

With over 700 acres (283ha) of lavender-scented meadows, this sprawling mountain resort in Chittenden is a countryside playground with a fun range of outdoor activities. In summer, spend the day on horseback, kayaking or fishing on the lake; in winter, the altitude lends itself to a day spent sledding, skating or skiing. Best of all, if you plan your visit to coincide with snowy days, you’ll be treated to complimentary trail passes and ski rental. Whatever the season, cozy up in woodsy lodges and cabins with leather armchairs and layers of richly colored rugs and throws.

Period furnishings give this hotel, in the central Vermont town of Proctorsville, a sense of grandeur. You’ll find mahogany paneling in the dining room, an intricately tiled fireplace in the library and hardwood floors and four-poster beds in the 10 guest rooms. This being New England, the menu is brimming with freshly caught seafood. The lobster bisque and the Prince Edward Island mussels, steamed and sautéed with chardonnay, scallions and curry fennel butter, are must-haves.

A refreshing après-ski tipple may be the norm at most ski resorts, but few go as far as this Stowe resort overlooking Mount Mansfield. The signature treatments at Spruce Peak use beer to cleanse, condition and shine your hair, while apple cider is included in the body scrubs. Fear not – you will also be offered a local brew to enjoy in a more traditional manner after your 80-minute pampering session. You’ll love the cozy rooms with Vermont landscapes on the walls, velvet chairs to sit on and fires to warm you up. Take time to absorb a spot of culture by visiting the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, 6mi (10km) away.

Among the intriguing treatments offered at the Mount Snow Grand Summit Resort is a Rockin’ Massage, which includes hot-rock therapy set to a head-banging soundtrack featuring artists such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. If you prefer to take a different tone, the masseurs are as receptive to requests as a wedding DJ. You can also learn to ski and snowboard, or try your hand at snow tubing, guided hikes and Japanese flower arranging. Relax in olde worlde rooms with access to an outside pool and a rustic stone firepit overlooking the snow-capped peaks of southern Vermont.