11 Best Hotels in The White Mountains, New Hampshire

With a large reception room and sweeping staircase, a deck overlooking the rolling hills around the village, and a common area with a wet bar and a cozy fireplace, this lovely inn—modeled after an 1891 Victorian designed by Stanford White—is breathtaking throughout. Rooms have cushy amenities—fireplaces, whirlpool tubs, and steam showers—and rates include afternoon tea with cakes and a made-to-order country breakfast. The spa provides a full range of beauty treatments and massages, and the intimate 40 at Thorn Hill features a seasonally changing menu of outstanding regional American fare as well as a heated porch with views of the Presidential Range.

Built in 1862 by Sam Bemis, America's grandfather of landscape photography, the gracious granite manor house exudes mountain charm and is popular with Crawford Notch hikers who favor luxury. There's a wood-burning fireplace in every room, and guests can relax in the big library and partake of lavish five-course meals in the romantic and refined restaurant.

The finest room in this pastoral inn's main gambrel-roof house (built in 1916) has 12 windows that look out over the Presidential Range, and many guest rooms—some in a carriage house and a new outbuilding—have fireplaces. The inn is set down a quiet lane on the eastern edge of the White Mountains and Lakes Region, a short drive from Maine's famous Stone Mountain Arts Center. Max's Restaurant serves a seasonal dinner menu of sophisticated local fare with international flavors.

Although this upscale inn surrounded by neatly manicured gardens dates to 1789, it has a decidedly current vibe, from its sumptuous rooms with such modern perks as whirlpool tubs, gas fireplaces, and Bose sound systems, to the superb prix-fixe restaurant serving sublime contemporary American fare. Although popular year-round, this is an especially enjoyable roost in summer and fall, when you can relax around the outdoor pool and waterfall. The prix-fixe meals feature seasonal, often locally sourced ingredients.

A tranquil oasis in a busy resort area, the Buttonwood sits on Mt. Surprise, 2 miles northeast of North Conway village—close enough to access area dining and shopping, but far away from noise and crowds of downtown. Rooms in the 1820s farmhouse are furnished in Shaker style, with wide pine floors, fluffy quilts, and period stenciling that add folksiness; downstairs is the Mt. Surprise Room, where a self-serve bar, a library, board games, and a large-screen TV await.

Just a block from the restaurants, shops, and attractions along Route 16 in North Conway, this rambling structure built in 1863 offers a nice range of upscale accommodations with modern furnishings, from two-bedroom apartments with kitchens and balconies to cozier standard rooms. Amenities include a seasonal outdoor pool and hot tub, and plenty of inviting common areas, and a not-cooked-to-order breakfast is included in the rates. There's also free parking and a Tesla charging station.

In the quaint village of Eaton Center, about 10 miles south of North Conway, this stately 1884 Greek Revival inn contains finely appointed rooms with dramatic themes, each filled with a mix of curious and whimsical art and collectibles from the innkeepers' travels. The gardens are spectacular. Breakfast is a tasty and filling country spread with delicious baked goods.

Most of the rooms—which are all outfitted with armchairs and ottomans and floral-print duvet covers and featherbeds—in this unabashedly romantic 1893 inn on the Ellis River have fireplaces, and some also have balconies with Adirondack chairs and whirlpool tubs. A pub room has a pool table, dart boards, and other games, and you can watch the river from the enclosed indoor hot tub or relax outside in a dry sauna and heated swimming pool.

This homey yet distinctive B&B—designed in 1902 by famed architect Stanford White for the Baldwin family of piano fame—is reasonably priced, charmingly furnished, and in the heart of the village. The foyer's staircase is grand, but the overall ambience is relaxed and unpretentious, and guest rooms have oversize windows that let in plenty of sunlight; most also have fireplaces.

Part of the growing trend of unhosted lodgings where guests check themselves in and interact with off-site staff virtually, this 1902 Lincoln home has been smartly updated with an urbane contemporary style, including several appealing common spaces, from a self-serve coffee lounge to sunroom and deck. The boldly patterned suites lack TVs but have reliably fast Internet for you to hook up your own devices, and all have well-designed bathrooms. There are no hosts on the property, but they're quick to respond to guest questions and guests receive a digital guidebook filled with information about the area. 

With smartly updated guest rooms and common areas, this baronial 1869 Victorian also offers a nice slate of amenities, including a full spa, a first-rate restaurant, and access to a terrific golf course and cross-country ski trails. Many rooms have whirlpool baths, and the lavish Thornycroft Spa Suites have private balconies with large Jacuzzi tubs and flat-screen TVs, as well as Bluetooth speakers, gas fireplaces, and steam showers inside. The hotel also rents out modern two- and three-bedroom condos that have full kitchens and are ideal for families.