Old Tavern at Grafton

Old Tavern at Grafton Review

This 1801 classic is one of the oldest operating inns in the country and still one of Vermont's greatest lodging assets. While the rooms could use a designer's touch without forgoing a link to the past, legitimately memorable pleasures are to be had lingering on the porches, in the authentically Colonial common rooms, and with a book by the fire in the old fashioned library—at once rustic, comfy, and elegant. In the main building, with its wraparound porches sheltered by two-story white columns, are 11 guest rooms; the rest are dispersed among six other close-by buildings. Two dining rooms ($$$)—one with formal Georgian furniture, the other with rustic paneling and low beams—serve American fare. You'll also get access to the unusual guests-only bar at the Phelps Barn. The inn runs the nearby Grafton Ponds Cross-Country Ski Center.