America's Most Charming Inns

The White Hart Inn is an august structure located on the foothills of the Berkshires, within scenery that inspired Hudson River School painters. Rooms are well appointed in a clean, modern take on the traditional inn experience, with mostly white furniture, hardwood floors, and Carrera marble bathrooms. Opt for accommodation in the main building as opposed to the nearby Garden Rooms or Gideon Smith house, particularly the John Harney Suite on the third-floor (from $650), for the best views of the village of Salisbury. Ask the concierge for tips on where to find antiques, as many collectors are drawn to the area for that purpose. The other kind of pilgrimage the inn itself attracts is culinary: London transplant Annie Wayte serves up award-winning British-inflected seasonal dishes in the property’s the formal Dining Room and more casual Tap Room. Rooms, from $245; 15 Undermountain Rd.; 860-435-0030; whitehartinn.com. —Nikkitha Bakshani

This former mansion, which stands sentinel on a hill overlooking Narragansett Bay, was once the summer home of a notable Harvard marine biologist, whose interest in East Asian art is still evident in the bronze and porcelain furnishings of the inn’s lobby. Besides the seven rooms in the main building, the property offers bright and family-friendly cottages on the sandy portion of the beach, as well as the more romantic Harbor Houses, steps away from a rocky enclave by the water that was the favorite spot of the hotel’s most famous guest, Grace Kelly (the staircase going down to the beach was built for her). The in-house spa utilizes Rhode Island–based luxury skincare brand Farmaesthetics, which sources most of its herbal ingredients from nearby farms. Dining is a similarly local affair, with an onsite garden that provides the kitchen with seasonal ingredients and fresh seafood caught right off Aquidneck Island. Rooms, from $1,015; 590 Ocean Dr.; 401-849-3800; castlehillinn.com. —NB

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Located in the small hamlet of Warren, Vermont, The Pitcher Inn has provided lodging since the days of the Civil War. After a major makeover in 1997, the Relaix & Chateaux property now boasts a fine-dining restaurant and carefully curated rooms and suites. The whimsical yet playful decor in each accommodation represents either a popular local activity or a point of Vermont heritage. (The Mallard room has a distinct duck hunter theme, with antique decoys and guns, camouflage pillows, and a life-size Canada goose hanging from the ceiling.) While most people flock to the Mad River Valley for ski season, activities like kayaking, hiking, or hot air balloon rides make it just as vacation-worthy in the summer—particularly if you arrange for a picnic. Like the upscale 275 Main restaurant and Tracks tavern, the “to-go” menu is a cut above, with items like brown rice salad with grapes and pistachios, or a baguette with artisanal cheeses. Rooms, from $375; 275 Main St.; 802-496-6350; pitcherinn.com. —NB

A magnificent array of colors covers every part of this unique Southwestern inn, from its sunbaked adobe-style exterior to the vivid hand-laid tile mosaics in the bathrooms. The busy mix of patterns and works by local artists may be a bit much for some, but when in Santa Fe, inundation by eclectic folk art is part of the deal. All rooms come with wood-burning kiva fireplaces, most rooms have deep soaking tubs. The hotel is located downtown, just steps away from an abundance of award-winning restaurants, art galleries, and Pueblo architecture. Rooms, from $425; 150 East DeVargas St.; 866-992-0957; fivegraces.com. —NB

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Before this property became the luxury property it is today, it was, at different times, a prohibition hideout, a boarding school, and a rectory. Outside of the modern, elegantly designed rooms—with symmetrical detailing and pops of pastels—guests can enjoy the inn’s private garden, a serene conservatory, and a rooftop cupola, perfect for an intermezzo or a sundowner while taking in views of the harbor. The inn’s restaurant, Tempo Dulu, eschews the predictable New England cuisine for Dutch-inflected Indonesian (rijsttafel), but fret not: in true Maine form, there’s a tasting menu entirely dedicated to lobster. As of June 1, the hotel will open Opium, a 1920s Shanghai speakeasy-style bar and lounge with Southeast Asian inspired small bites and cocktails. Rooms, from $439; 163 Danforth St.; 207-879-8755; danforthinn.com. —NB

Peace is top priority in this secluded inn, with Carrara marble bathrooms, wood-burning fireplaces, and beds outfitted with Matouk linens in each of its seven suites. For even more privacy, book one of their standalone cottages (from $3,000), with its own gated entrance, blue stone patio and green space, and personal gym (large steam room included). Attentive staff is available around the clock, and should you choose to venture into the cultural wilderness of the Hamptons, an SUV can be arranged to take you there and back. Suites, from $1,650; 23 Windmilll Ln.; 631-267-8500; innatwindmilllane.com. —NB

The Inns of Aurora is not one charming property but four, situated on the banks of stunning Cayuga Lake in western New York. Each house, like sisters in a big-hearted family, has its own unique character: Federal-style Aurora Inn is the prim and proper one, the Italian limestone-made E.B. Morgan House smacks of worldliness, the Rowland House is decorated in a more eclectic, artsy style, and the newest, just-opened Wallcourt Hall, a former girls dormitory, borrows cues from all three. Luxurious details are ubiquitous, from Frette linens to William Roam bath products to owner (and American Girl Doll founder) Pleasant Rowland’s private art collection on display. The Aurora Inn Dining Room, helmed by James Beard honoree Patrick Higgins, has veranda seating in the summer and a great selection of Finger Lake wines to choose from. Rooms, from $250; 391 Main St.; 315-364-8888; innsofaurora.com. —NB

As you roll off the ferry onto Whidbey Island, you may as well be rolling back in time. Whidbey recalls an era when the Northwest was a wilderness playground and there wasn’t a tech nerd in sight. Herons rest in tidal flats here, and blackberries grow in thick brambles. Eagles circle. Oysters abound. It’s easy to see why it’s a popular weekend retreat for so many Seattle dwellers. The Inn at Langley offers a superb vantage point for viewing the island. Located in Whidbey’s darling main town, each of the inn’s 28 guest rooms, suites, and cottages offer a panoramic view of the Saratoga Passage. The inn is celebrated for its extraordinary, seasonal six-course supper. Award-winning chef Matt Costello, of Seattle’s time-tested Palace Kitchen and Dahlia Lounge, runs the restaurant. Rooms from $285; 400 First St.; 360-221-3033; innatlangley.com. —Marnie Hanel

No discussion of charming inns would be complete without a nod to Patrick O’Connell’s Virginia gem, just an hour’s drive from our nation’s capital. In 1978, O’Connell opened a country hotel in “Little” Washington, Virginia (population then: 158), as a love song to the culinary arts. Antique oil paintings of famous gastronomes bedeck the walls, and the inn’s 24 rooms are named for American culinary pioneers. O’Connell soon established a reputation for impeccable service and witty cuisine. (Try ordering the caviar-crab-and-cucumber Tin of Sin without smiling.) Meanwhile, London set designer Joyce Evans turned heads with her approach to interior design. The inn’s dark blue exterior feels distinctly New England; step inside and it’s suddenly olde, with a surplus of baroque tapestries and English antiques. Almost four decades after he opened The Inn at Little Washington, O’Connell continues to delight and surprise. In a note to guests, he writes, “It’s felt like we’ve been hosting one continuous house party.” Rooms from $505; Middle and Main Sts.; 540-675-3800; theinnatlittlewashington.com. —MH

In 2008, Little St. Simons Island celebrated 100 years of “leaving well enough alone.” That is to say, the 11,000-acre island with seven miles of deserted beaches is nearly exactly as it was when Eagle Pencil Company owner Philip Berolzheimer purchased it in 1908. Berolzheimer originally intended to make pencils out of the island’s many red cedars, but soon decided it would be better if they stayed put in the atmospheric wilderness retreat. In 1979, his descendants chose to open the island for other travelers, allowing 32 guests to stay on the island at a time. Due to its intimate size and secluded nature, this property is an easy fit for buyouts (family reunion, anyone?) and begs for repeat visitors. The proprietors planted an organic garden on site in 2006 to stock the lodge’s kitchen. Trained naturalists lead kayaking, fishing, hiking, and birding excursions. Rooms (all-inclusive), from $450; 888-733-5774; littlestsimonsisland.com. —MH

Situated at 5,000 feet, just outside Asheville, The Swag has the distinction of being the highest inn in Eastern America. The Appalachian vista justifies the trip. The Swag offers panoramic views of four mountain ranges: the Great Smokies, the Plott Balsams, the Richland Balsams and the Black Mountains. It also shares a split-rail fence with Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This idyllic property is named for the dip between the two mountain crests on which it sits, but it could just as easily be named for its little extras. Meals are included in the room rate. There are rustic touches aplenty—wood-burning fireplaces, handmade quilts and rocking chairs. The buildings are comprised of hand-hewn logs. The Swag is located in what was, until a new law in 2016, dry county; while the inn now sells wine and beer, guests are still welcome to BYO. Rooms from $520; 2300 Swag Rd.; 828-926-0430; theswag.com. —MH

Social grace runs through the bones of this historic, 19th-century Martha’s Vineyard inn, located in Edgartown, once a private home-cum-boarding-house-cum-inn that welcomed American royalty (including JFK) under its roof. In 2015, the 17-room inn changed hands and received a minor refresh, management has kept more than just the name and rich heritage intact: Frosty pitchers of lemonade can still be enjoyed on the wraparound porch, and afternoon tea, with fresh scones and local preserves, shouldn’t be missed. After an organic full farm breakfast, grab a beach cruiser and explore the island’s bike paths or arrange for a jaunt on the 27-foot namesake whaler. If you happen to catch a fish, the kitchen will be happy to grill it. Rooms from $619; 128 Main St.; 508-627-9510; hobknob.com. —MH

This five-room inn takes its inspiration from Japanese ryokans and the concept of omotenashi, a sense of selflessness and attention to detail that defines Japanese hospitality. Rooms are modern, spare in their design but luxe in their amenities: heated floors, soaking tubs, Pliny the Elder beer in the fridge. The restaurant, worth a trip in and of itself, customizes its seasonal, Japanese-influenced nightly menus to each guest. A farm ten minutes away determines much of what will be offered each night; guest winemakers make custom wine on the property to be had by the glass. No request is too small—owners Kyle and Katina Connaughton take great pride in making guests feel like they’re being welcomed into an extension of the couple’s home. Rooms from $800; 131 North St.; 707-723-4646; singlethreadfarms.com. —Laura Sant

Situated in California’s Russian River Valley just a stone’s throw from more than 400 wineries, Farmhouse Inn is a can’t-miss retreat for wine lovers. Its 25 rooms and suites are decorated in a rustic-chic style (sliding barn doors, exposed beams, painted wood), many of them featuring fireplaces or outdoor terraces. A small army of staff—six concierges and four bellmen—is there to attend to guests’ every need, and the Michelin-starred restaurant serves the best of what California’s farms have to offer: think Snake River Farms beef with bluefoot mushrooms and blistered sungold tomatoes, and grilled and braised lamb with fennel ratatouille. Be sure to book some time at the onsite spa, which bills itself as “farm to treatment”—as in the restaurant, many of the ingredients for services are sourced from the inn’s garden and ranch. Rooms from $545; 7871 River Rd.,; 707-887-330; farmhouseinn.com. —LS

Vermont’s best-known luxury escape is a cozy all-inclusive inn with ten freestanding cottages, six suites, and four rooms, many of which include fireplaces, woodburning stoves, and/or giant soaking tubs. Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners customized to each guest, plus a nightly cocktail hour, are included in the stay, and the staff works hard to make sure guests have everything they need—like a stocked pond for fly fishing, equipment and trails for skiing, and access to a BMW 750i X drive sedan, should the desire for a picnic or a country drive arise. All-inclusive rooms from $1,500; 452 Royalton Tpke.; 802-234-9999; twinfarms.com. —LS

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This secluded 30-room inn in Washington, Connecticut—just two hours from New York City—is an idyllic New England country escape with two seasonally focused restaurants, 58 acres of nature trails, private tennis and archery lessons, kayaking, a five-hole putting green, and, the real draw, a 20,000-square-foot spa. Book one of their signature treatments, which range from deep tissue massages and mani-pedis to less conventional offerings like sound healing and couple’s meditation sessions. Rooms from $510; 118 Woodbury Rd.; 860-868-9466, gracehotels.com. —LS

If it’s not an escape without ocean breezes and tropical temperatures, then Holualoa Inn, a six-room (and one cottage) inn on Hawaii’s big island, might be your dream spot. Situated on a lush 30-acre property on Mount Hualalai amidst Kona coffee and fruit trees, the resort prides itself on the individual attention afforded to guests. Staff is happy to set you up with a helicopter ride over coffee country and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a snorkeling outing, or a star-watching trip during your stay. Or, stick close to home base and relax in the covered lanai, rooftop gazebo, and pool. Rooms from $385; 76-5932 Mamalahoa Hwy.; 808-324-1121; holualoainn.com. —LS