4 Best Hotels in Lakes Region, New Hampshire

An air of yesteryear refinement suffuses Adair, a three-story Georgian Revival home that attorney Frank Hogan built as a wedding present for his daughter in 1927—her hats adorn the place, as do books and old photos from the era. This is a refined, well-run country inn, with walking and snowshoeing paths that wind through 200 acres of gardens designed by Olmsted Brothers, and rooms furnished with period antiques and reproductions—many have fireplaces; a great basement lounge has a 1929 billiards table and a big flat-screen TV, which often shows movies from the inn's large collection. The exceptional restaurant is open to the public and serves well-crafted seasonal American fare.

This contemporary hotel with country lodge–inspired furnishings, just off Interstate 93 a little north of downtown, contains warmly appointed rooms in a variety of configurations; some have whirlpool tubs and fireplaces, and a few have cozy sleeping lofts. At the spa, you can indulge in a massage, facial, or body treatment, and then feast on well-prepared gastropub fare in Foster's Boiler Room. The inn also rents several cabins in a wooded mountain setting a few miles up the road.

This sweet, old-fashioned compound of cottages and suites with access to a 140-foot beach on Little Squam Lake is a terrific find—and value—for families, as nearly all units have partial or full kitchens, and many can comfortably sleep up to five guests (there's also a six-bedroom lodge that groups can rent entirely). The carefully maintained accommodations recall another era with their knotty-pine walls, country-quilt bedspreads, and colorful hooked rugs; many have wood-burning fireplaces.

This attractively renovated vintage motor lodge, just a five-minute walk from Lake Wentworth and Albee Beach, has been brightened up with an inviting mid-century cottage look and such family-friendly features as a game room and guest library. Some rooms have kitchenettes with induction cook tops, and there's a pool in back.