Twin Farms
Hotel Name: Twin Farms
Number Rooms: 20
Location: Five hours’ drive northwest of NYC, or one and a half hours from Burlington Airport, just outside the town of Barnard, Vermont (population 947).
Arguably the most exclusive resort on the East Coast, Twin Farms occupies 300 acres of bucolic rolling hills, dense forest, and wildflower fields in the middle of the Green Mountain State. Originally the private home of Nobel Prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis and his wife, journalist Dorothy Thompson, back in the 1920s, the 18th-century main house is still the heart of this intimate Vermont property. The grounds are spotted with ponds and gardens, as well as the ten individually designed freestanding cottages, all of which have an incredibly personal atmosphere. The property is casual and laid-back, even though the walls are dressed in museum-worthy art by Milton Avery, Jasper Johns, Bernice Abbott, Frank Stella, and Roy Lichtenstein. Twin Farms is all-inclusive, and they’re known for their delicious cuisine.
What We Loved: Each cottage is individually themed and accordingly decorated, meaning whatever your vision for a luxury country bolthole, (Japanese onsen-chic? Clapboard exterior with Moroccan riad realness within? Contemporary cottage complete with your own Lichtensteins and Hockneys?) you can find it executed perfectly here.
What We Didn’t Love: There’s no signage at the property’s entry, and GPS systems can miss the winding dirt road leading in. Cell service is also spotty, though the wifi mostly makes up for it.
Right For: Grown-ups who want to cosplay their halcyon summer camp memories, but this time with a top-shelf open bar, five-course farm to table dinners customized to your preferences, and no counselors to ruin the fun.
Wrong For: Except for two family weeks a year, this is an adults-only fantasia.
Best Time to Visit: Year round; Fall is high season thanks to the epic leaf peeping and cozy fireplaces in every room.
TLF Tip: Vermont is famous for their craft beer scene; grab one at the property’s humbly named “The Pub,” which, like most pubs, has a Steinway grand piano and art by Cy Twombly.