We held my daughter's wedding at the Waybury today, and everything was wonderful - the advance…read moreplanning with us, the suite we stayed in, the gorgeous cake (made to order per my daughter's specs), the service, the atmosphere (near the beautiful gardens under the big tent), and the food itself - it was just perfect, as was working with the nicest people in the world! I would highly recommend the Waybury Inn for any special event.

I totally stayed here because of "Newhart," and yes, I'm a few decades less than 70 years old. I…read morehad never been to Vermont, and when I had the opportunity to go, I found the Waybury Inn when looking to see if it were possible to stay in the Stratford Inn. It was! You can book online in their website is over the phone. I guess you can use travel sites too, but I like booking direct. I chose the Woodland Room. It had a dancing bear, plaid theme. It was great. Breakfast was very good. People were helpful with suggestions of what to do in the area. I was driving to Maine, so I had limited time. They have some things of interest for fans of Newhart that they'll show you. Bob Newhart is great.

Just returned from a weekend wedding here and we had a great time! EVERYTHING was…read moreterrific...Especially the staff. Everyone was friendly, accommodating, professional, etc. The rooms are mediocre but we knew coming in this isn't the Ritz Carleton. Overall very solid experience.

This review is for the inn only. The restaurant at this point in July 2022 wasn't open on Tuesday…read morenights (the only night we stayed). Also, just FYI, most of the restaurants in town are closed Mondays, Tuesdays and some on Wednesdays as well. Or the deli is open till 7pm but you can't order sandwiches past 2pm. ‍ We were only in the area for a day but weird closing times or days were highly prevalent. But I digress, Mad River Inn has lush gardens and thoughtful landscaping throughout the expansive property. It seems like a wonderful place to hold a rustic themed wedding as they have an outdoor chapel with seating and a dedicated indoor hall. The inn, tap room and restaurant are all very tastefully decorated in modern farmhouse style, with a lot of greige (gray-beige) paint that was very popular a while ago. Thoughtful touches are every where. Our check in person was very nice and helpful. We loved our room for our family of three where we could spread out and not be all in the same room all the time. The twin beds were wonderfully soft (my personal favorite) but the queen bed was definitely not as lush. I slept in one of the four twin beds as my husband snores. The bedding was soft and inviting. AC was great as it was a very hot humid day/night. The complimentary breakfast the next morning was next level good served by a very friendly, very accommodating chef. Homemade granola, breads, bagels, pastries etc but also a cooked to order breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and home fries. Juice coffee etc of course as well. So I would actually give this place 5 stars but took off some for not having a dining room open for guests every day and the fact that our whole family mentioned the constant low level banging noise we heard below us as we were all trying to sleep. As there were no guest rooms below us we surmised that it was probably a washer and dryer making the noises. Husband said an easy fix to this is an arrester on the dryer that can be added to lessen the banging. Or skip doing laundry past 10pm. Still would highly recommend. Wish we could have tried the restaurant for dinner.

Today we had the pleasure of spending the day at Seyon Lodge State Park for our friends wedding…read more This state park located in Groton VT was a beautiful spot to hold this gorgeous event. The views of the pond and mountains were breathtaking and the staff working on the property as well as there bed and breakfast were incredible. They helped us with all of our needs and made sure to make this event even more special. In the end we had a blast here! The views were gorgeous, the grounds were phenomenal and the staff here was great. We look forward to coming here in the future to travel their hiking trails as well as marvel at their views again. On little piece of advice, this place has no cell service, so be prepared to enjoy their incredible views with limited technological interruptions.

My wife, daughter, and I visited Seyon Lodge in early July 2014 for 5 nights, and we really loved…read moreit. There are so many positives! 1. The food was really incredibly tasty and fresh. We especially liked the wood-fired pizza, and the lemon brownies were great too. They also were very accommodating to our 8-year old daughter's picky tastes. I also liked how the salad veggies were picked from the garden in the back of the lodge. 2. The staff were very friendly and accomodating. I have to give a shout out to all the ones we met: Tiffany and Chris (innkeepers), Kate and Nan (working mornings and breakfast), and Adam (dinner shift). They were all so kind and thoughtful, and they really made us feel at home. 3. The grounds were peaceful and beautiful, and the pond was really quite a sight to behold. We enjoyed getting out on the rowboat, and the trails around the Lodge were awesome for nature watching. The remoteness of the Lodge was unique to us, since we're from overcrowed Florida. 4. The proximity to other state parks in Groton State Forest was nice, and we especially enjoyed swimming at Boulder Beach. The town of Groton was charming too, and the ice cream and mead tasting at Arteseno was well worth a stop. 5. Our room was very cozy and comfortable, and it was nice to sleep with the windows open in the summer (did I mention we live in Florida?). We also really enjoyed the common area, and were able to keep in touch with outside world with their free wi-fi, which worked very well. The board games and books in the common room kept our daughter busy too. 5. Finally, the other guests we met at the Lodge were very nice, and we felt enriched by meeting them. Mike, Jackie, Josie, and Langston were very charming, and it was nice too to meet Florian, visiting all the way from Germany. The only weird thing about Seyon is why it was relatively empty the week we were there, but I guess it's still way off the beaten path and still being discovered. But you really should check it out and enjoy it like we did. I hope to go back again soon.

Really fun resort with good food, beautiful scenery, friendly staff, and some great water sports…read moreavailable. We were there for a few days as part of a work-sponsored service project in the area, and while some of the stuff there is a bit dated, it was a really great time. The lake is beautiful for swimming and other water sports, and they have a lot of stuff available to borrow - kayaks, canoes, paddle boards. I understand the bikes are also available to borrow, though I didn't partake this time. Food was good - some really good options for the breakfast and dinner buffets, and the outdoor pizza place was good as well. I tried a mocktail or two that were pretty good, and they had a bunch of local brews on tap and in cans, which some of our crew sampled and seemed to enjoy. The lodge itself was nice to hang around as well - really liked the big central area, including some recreational stuff like puzzles, board games, pool, ping pong, and the fitness center had some good stuff there too. Sitting outside looking at the lake and mountains was really nice too, or standing on the dock in the morning. Oh, and the free concert series was really cool - I discovered a new artist to listen to while there! Overall a really beautiful spot that I would absolutely visit again!

Spectacular ice skating on a 4 mile loop around a beautiful Vermont lake, a truly unique…read moreexperience, comfortable and friendly accommodations. The skate trail is as wide as a two lane road. Tons of space for every level of skater. There is a rentals shop with hockey skates, figure skates, trail skates, and "support" accessories for those just learning or not super stable on skates. The trail is cleared daily, but when there is a snow storm it takes longer. The ice conditions are totally weather dependent. We've been here 3 times, one time the ice was smooth and very easy to skates on, one time we couldn't skate at all because the weather earlier in the week created slush, which then froze, and was so bumpy skating wasn't possible, and then it rained and the skate trial had 3 inches of water on it. This year, the trail opened earlier than ever (Jan 9) and this week (Feb school break) the weather was perfect for skating! Mostly smooth ice, some bumps in some spots, but easy to avoid, and it is a lake, so to be expected. The hotel is perfect for families with kids of any age. There were many multi-generations groups here together. They do lots of kid oriented things in addition to the skating (a movie theater, DJ and dance floor, ping pong, heated indoor swimming pool, billiards, a variety of games and puzzles. Free-range kids everywhere. The restaurant serves the basics. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. We ate here for one dinner, and tried the Beet salad, the pork dumplings, the soft pretzels, and the Ruben sandwich...and all were good. This place is not luxury. It has a classic historical hotel feeling about it, with lots of old photos on the walls to prove it. This place is a good value in the winter. Everything you need, friendly staff, beautiful views of the lake restaurant and bar on site for breakfast, lunch and dinner so if you don't want to leave once you get here, there is no need to. I love this place!

What a great place, especially for the price point!…read more The inn is quite an old place, but it has plenty of charm. The room itself was pretty standard, but very roomy. It had a big bed, a sitting room with a desk, and standard bathroom, and a lot of closet space. The windows were big, although mostly viewed the brick residence next door. The room itself is very warm, even with the heat off. However, there an air conditioner in the room that does the trick to cool it off. It's a little odd to have to run the AC when it's 25°F out, but I think the building just runs warm. And thoughtful by the owners. The Continental breakfast is quite standard. But it works. There is a sun room for all guests to share. I was in between 4 and 5 stars here, but 5 it is! It's convenient to downtown Montpelier; everything is within walking distance. It's 15 minutes from Waterbury, 25 minutes to downtown Stowe, and 30 minutes to Stowe Mountain / Mount Mansfield. I will be staying here again.

Loved this historic inn! The rooms are clean and very spacious. The service was good and there is a…read morefull bar and great pizza place right in the building. I loved the history of it and the location is walkable to downtown. There is a lot to see downtown, including the state house. They also offer a hot Continental breakfast and coffee and tea 24 hours in the common room. I took one star off because the daytime front desk lady seemed really unfriendly and slightly rude. Check out the history of it and give it a try , it is worth it.

Spent less than 24 hours here. It seems like it has been slow because I was surprised I was…read moreinitially the only one there for the night. Coming from 2 hostels on this side of the US with more influx of guests, I was confused by why there were no signs on how to enter for check-in or a reminder of lobby hours. There was nothing in front saying guests should go to the back to enter but yet there are steps leading to a front door that I later found out is always locked. No instructions on how to locate the lobby in the email either. I stayed in a 8-bed dorm room above the restaurant and check-in office. The room faces the road so you'll hear road noise since the one window is left open for the portable air conditioner. There was another dorm room right behind. Light sleepers will need an earplug. The bathroom was very clean, colorful, and had modern, cute features. Other things to note: - Not sure there is a shuttle (common with other hostels in the region) - Not sure there are lockers - There are bedside lights by every bed and power outlets are on the bottom bunks only. - The dorm room had a ceiling fan and portable air conditioner - There was Body wash in the shower but no shampoo or conditioner. - There are 2 or 3 toilets and 1 shower upstairs in that building. - The kitchen fridge is cute but small in size for the number of beds. - There are 2 living/sitting rooms - There are some board games available - There is a restaurant on-site. - A brew of coffee is made every morning. - There was no stove to cook

i got takeout so bear in mind this review only has to do w/ food rather than the other parts of the…read moredining experience. i got the chicken and waffles. the chicken was well seasoned but pretty dry and the waffle was savory, so the maple syrup balanced it out well. as a born and raised vermonter, i definitely needed more maple syrup than they gave me (i'm sure if you were dining in you could definitely get extra though). good quality syrup. i needed about double the amount of syrup and the chicken was still dry. it tasted pretty good though. i have been here previously and got the grilled chicken sandwich (takeout as well) which i thought was VERY good, so i think it really varies by menu item.

If you are looking for the quintessential small town Vermont experience this is the inn for you…read more The location is perfect, a few steps to downtown Bristol. Gorgeous Victorian home, beautifully appointed - warm and welcoming. New owner Kathleen Clarke's love for this home and its history shines through!

Clean, friendly, and a great breakfast. Kathleen and Martin Clark have out done themselves again…read more The rooms are reasonably priced, well kept, and a delicious breakfast is included. I loved learning about the history of each room and seeing the amazing architecture throughout the house. If you are looking for a great place to hang your hat for the night, I highly recommend The Lawrence House.

My partner and I are an interracial couple. We stayed in cabin 6 for 8 days with our kid and 2…read moredogs. We paid the "pet fee". Bought whole new bedding as to not use the ones provided (nothing is disinfected in these cottages, and apparently is primarily the guests responsibility to prepare the cabin for the next guests, as mistaken for "vintage" or "rustic" by other guests but it's really you breathing in the previous guest skin cells and bacteria. Wear your shower shoes!) Later after leaving being blamed for a "stain" on the unused comforter that was packed away. Upon leaving I'm told there's an issue with our cabin. It needed a deep clean due to "too much dog hair" so much so that after only 8 days broke the (hopefully regularly) emptied staff vacuum. Even after passing our visual inspection, when we were only asked to keep the hair on the furniture and floors to a minimum. Not spit-shine the facility. For "whatever reason" this deep clean was needed after us, but still happened to miss the used q tips on the living room floor before we arrived even after having such a "strenuous inspection". We were required to know every unwritten rule. But all the while there are people not picking up after their dogs, breaking beds and leaving a giant yellow piss rings around the toilet that will be welcomed back warmly. Some of which being employed by the owner.

the hardest thing to do in life is wake up early…read more that said, sometimes there's no other way to experience what needs to be experienced. so i took a deep breath, set the alarm for 5 am and prepared for hell. fishing at the break of dawn. when i got up it was dark, the sky just beginning to lighten. it was cold. oh man. i pulled back the curtain and saw that the lake was still a sheet of glass, not a ripple anywhere. my heart leapt. i got dressed, gathered my gear, and headed out to the boat. i piled everything in, primed the gas, set the choke, and pulled the cord. the outboard roared, i cut it to low, unhooked from the dock and pushed off. gliding through the vapors still rising from the surface of the north cove, it was a little brighter in the morning twilight, but still no sign of the sun, slowly working its way up from the other side of the mountain. now out of the first cove and into the second, the magic gateway was crossed and suddenly the whole world opened in front of me. the full grandeur of the mountain, the open expanse of water, the feeling of limitlessness, the inverted scream of too much being absolutely right all at once, the unlimited power of a lifetime of emotion packed into a too small body. i revved the motor to its full 8 horsepower and set off into the open lake, a mile across to Branbury Beach, the wind in my face, until i was lining up the boat between the mountain's big patch of bare rockface on one side and Sunset Lodge way over on the other. the mist was tendrils, rising gently, obliviously, airily. i powered down to neutral and cut the engine, and once again everything became unearthly still. there was a sound of soft gurgling, dripping, a little rocking as the boat settled in. everything bristled. there was only a low light that seemed to come from everywhere, the lake a chorus, silent, giant. and then there was marlowe. i couldn't believe it. trenchcoat, plaid hunter's cap, woolen gloves, scarf, he was in an old-fashioned flatbottomed wooden rowboat, hunched over, earflaps down, staring at the mountain, shivering, blowing smoke, runny nose, sleep still in the corners of his eyes, three-day beard, but somehow a regal air about him. stoic. holy mother of god, i whispered, marlowe what are you doing here? i mean, well, HERE???? i just couldn't help myself. he didn't smile. instead he turned and looked at me. thinkin', he said. i'm just thinkin'. what a mountain, huh? it ain't the biggest and it ain't the spectacular edgy west coast kind, but it's got some kind of soul, don'tcha think? that's one helluva big hulking mountain, that's what it is. i had to agree. after all, i was there too. salmon trout are a decent draw, but when you think about it there are just as many in the lake at two in the afternoon as 5 am, even if they're not particularly hungry then and a good deal deeper and more skittish in the full brightness of the day. not to mention that i hadn't really caught one in 15 years. look at this lake, he went on, with a voice that had the sound of a 33 rpm lp playing at 16. just look, everything reflected in it, like that alice whatshername's looking glass, totally still, stretching out for miles, misty and icy and just layin' there. it's a goddam camelot, that's what it is. one of these days i'm gonna come out here and i swear excalibur is gonna be sticking out of the middle of the lake from a hundred feet down and i'm gonna paddle over and grab it. but that mountain, man, i just can't get enough of it. really makes a guy think about things, you know what i mean? and with that, he turned away to face the mountain again. the thing of it was, i knew exactly what he meant. because of all the many wonders of this occasionally too small world, this one here was the one that was within reach, this was the one that was saying hello right here, right now. and if ever i've learned anything from this all too often wretched life that i've had the privilege of leading, it's that when one of life's wonders passes in front of you, you goddam better stop, open your eyes, and shake its hand, because otherwise what's the point. i mean, what's the goddam point. marlowe, i said, jockey that boat of yours over around here closer, c'mon man, bring it over here closer. he dipped the oars and our boats bumped. hold on a second now, just hold on and gimme a second. then i stood up, leaned over, and shook his hand.