Inn at Essex, Vermont
May 10th, 2005, 07:29 AM
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Inn at Essex, Vermont
Has anyone been there recently? Some friends want to meet there, and I want to hear if it's worth the bucks.
We would be there in early August and I'd like to know which kinds of rooms are the best and what the recreation facilities are like, and how long it takes to get to downtown Burlington.
We would be there in early August and I'd like to know which kinds of rooms are the best and what the recreation facilities are like, and how long it takes to get to downtown Burlington.
May 10th, 2005, 08:12 AM
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Didn't stay there, but don't miss their Sunday brunch, which is put on by the students at New England Culinary. Amazing value. The Inn looked nice, but not hoppin' unless you play golf and such. Stay in Burlington for more action. Travel time to Burlington is about 20 minutes or so.
B/
B/
May 10th, 2005, 09:56 AM
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We stayed in Burlington, but had dinner reservations for the restaurant at the Culinary Restaurant at the Inn at Essex, in advance. It was a very enjoyable dining experience. Burlington is a neat town to visit. I agree with the 20 minute drive time.
May 10th, 2005, 02:54 PM
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Any recommendations for places to stay in Burlington? My family and I will be there this summer and I've been debating about where to stay. I've also looked into Inn at Essex and was wondering if it's worth it too.
Susan
Susan
May 10th, 2005, 08:41 PM
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Hi bellairegirl,
It probably depends what you are interested in doing -- there are alot of other hotels which are closer to downtown Burlington if you are planning to visit Church Street and the lakefront area. The only hotel in the actual downtown area is the Wyndham (used to be a Radisson.) The higher floors have absolutely *amazing* views of the lake, and it is extremely convenient if you don't have a car or don't want to drive around too much. But, it is pretty expensive due to location so not really a bargain, and the rooms themselves are not really 4 star level. I have gotten this hotel (for great prices) on both Hotwire.com and priceline.com, so you could try that if you are not 100% tied to being there.
There are also several nice B&Bs downtown, but those may not be the best for a family travelling together - but let me know if you need more info on those.
Another nice option is the Sheraton Hotel and Conference center, http://sheraton-burlington.felcor.com. It is a few minutes up the road from downtown Burlington on Williston Road (also known as Route 2) and very convenient to the highway. It is a pretty nice hotel, comfy Sheraton beds, with nice common areas and a big pool.
Also, one place I really enjoyed was the Hawthorn Suites on Dorset Street which is in South Burlington, off Williston Road. We were there for a wedding last fall and it was very convenient for us - we had 4 unrelated adults staying together and were worried about cramped hotel rooms. We reserved one of the 2 bedroom suites and had plenty of room! Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sizeable living room and dining area, full kitchen. Also about 10 minutes drive to downtown. The hotel is next door to a mall, and there are a number of restaurants and stores in walking distance (inluding the greatest Vermont store, the Dakin Farm store, right next to Barnes and Noble, across the street from the hotel - the best snacks ever!) They also offer a full breakfast and hot appetizers & free drinks (local beers etc.) most evenings, which was a great deal. There is also a pool and an outdoor garden area. The best part was the price - even though it was smack in the middle of foliage season, we only ended up paying about $45-50 a person per night, so we were big fans! The website is:
http://www.hawthornsuitesburlington.com and I believe you need to call in order to reserve the 2-bedroom suites.
There are also several other standard chain hotels on Williston Road - Holiday Inn, Best Western Windjammer (good restaurant), Comfort Inn, Clarion, etc. These are within about a 10-15 minute drive to downtown in no traffic, and are also very close to the Burlington airport.
Finally (phew, that was a long one!) there are also a good number of chains on the other side of town on Shelburne Road (also known as Route 7) which runs along the lake to Charlotte, Vergennes and Middlebury (a beautiful drive, highly recommended) and the location of several kid friendly attractions such as the Vermont Teddy Bear factory, the Shelburne museum, Shelburne Farms. These include a Holiday Inn Express, Howard Johnson, Super 8, Mainstay Suite.
So -- lots of places to stay!
Let me know if you want any ideas of things to do in Burlington -- I lived there for years and absolutely love the town and go visit as often as I possibly can. There are so many great things to do over the summer, check out sevendaysvt.com to get an idea of the calendar of events.
Enjoy!
It probably depends what you are interested in doing -- there are alot of other hotels which are closer to downtown Burlington if you are planning to visit Church Street and the lakefront area. The only hotel in the actual downtown area is the Wyndham (used to be a Radisson.) The higher floors have absolutely *amazing* views of the lake, and it is extremely convenient if you don't have a car or don't want to drive around too much. But, it is pretty expensive due to location so not really a bargain, and the rooms themselves are not really 4 star level. I have gotten this hotel (for great prices) on both Hotwire.com and priceline.com, so you could try that if you are not 100% tied to being there.
There are also several nice B&Bs downtown, but those may not be the best for a family travelling together - but let me know if you need more info on those.
Another nice option is the Sheraton Hotel and Conference center, http://sheraton-burlington.felcor.com. It is a few minutes up the road from downtown Burlington on Williston Road (also known as Route 2) and very convenient to the highway. It is a pretty nice hotel, comfy Sheraton beds, with nice common areas and a big pool.
Also, one place I really enjoyed was the Hawthorn Suites on Dorset Street which is in South Burlington, off Williston Road. We were there for a wedding last fall and it was very convenient for us - we had 4 unrelated adults staying together and were worried about cramped hotel rooms. We reserved one of the 2 bedroom suites and had plenty of room! Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sizeable living room and dining area, full kitchen. Also about 10 minutes drive to downtown. The hotel is next door to a mall, and there are a number of restaurants and stores in walking distance (inluding the greatest Vermont store, the Dakin Farm store, right next to Barnes and Noble, across the street from the hotel - the best snacks ever!) They also offer a full breakfast and hot appetizers & free drinks (local beers etc.) most evenings, which was a great deal. There is also a pool and an outdoor garden area. The best part was the price - even though it was smack in the middle of foliage season, we only ended up paying about $45-50 a person per night, so we were big fans! The website is:
http://www.hawthornsuitesburlington.com and I believe you need to call in order to reserve the 2-bedroom suites.
There are also several other standard chain hotels on Williston Road - Holiday Inn, Best Western Windjammer (good restaurant), Comfort Inn, Clarion, etc. These are within about a 10-15 minute drive to downtown in no traffic, and are also very close to the Burlington airport.
Finally (phew, that was a long one!) there are also a good number of chains on the other side of town on Shelburne Road (also known as Route 7) which runs along the lake to Charlotte, Vergennes and Middlebury (a beautiful drive, highly recommended) and the location of several kid friendly attractions such as the Vermont Teddy Bear factory, the Shelburne museum, Shelburne Farms. These include a Holiday Inn Express, Howard Johnson, Super 8, Mainstay Suite.
So -- lots of places to stay!
Let me know if you want any ideas of things to do in Burlington -- I lived there for years and absolutely love the town and go visit as often as I possibly can. There are so many great things to do over the summer, check out sevendaysvt.com to get an idea of the calendar of events.
Enjoy!
May 18th, 2005, 10:57 PM
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We stayed at the Inn at Essex last September and really liked it. It was nicely located for what we wanted to do... not too far to Burlington or Stowe or, most importantly, the Ben & Jerry's factory. The rooms were newly redecorated and clean, the towels were super fluffy, the restaurants were good, and there were free cookies and lemonade in the afternoons, coffee in the mornings and evenings.
