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Stowe, Vt. The young owners of this sprawling hilltop contemporary inn knew exactly what they wanted: an upscale place for couples seeking romantic getaways with all the comforts of home. Hap and Amy Jordan, who met when he became chef at her family’s restaurant in Virginia Beach, bought ten acres of woods, one of the last parcels available along Mountain Road. They proceeded to build a nine-bedroom, gray clapboard structure that looks like a house and provides the amenities of a small hotel. Why Stowe? “We wanted a B&B – not an inn – with a lot of good restaurants nearby,” said Amy. “And there was a void. No place in Stowe had what we offer. We’re a small and private retreat, a destination unto ourselves.” A retreat bathed in luxuries, we should add. The Jordans were able to build what they wanted from scratch, providing central common areas and large guest quarters spaced apart on the ground floor in two wings. Rooms have extra-thick walls for privacy, individual thermostats, and windows or french doors opening to rear lawns and gardens. Though decorated differently, guest rooms are basically identical. “We built the inn around the bathrooms,” said Hap. Each has a large, see-through gas fireplace open to bedroom and bath, a gleaming space with a whirlpool tub for two, candles, thick terry bath sheets, double vanities and separate shower. In terms of decor, Amy said, “we started with the fabrics and the rooms just evolved.” The Cotton Brook is “regal and elegant” in beiges and earth tones and a black iron fabric-canopy bed, while the neighboring White Birch is colorful in cranberry and country florals. Each room has a kingsize bed with a small stuffed moose at rest on top of the down comforter, plush seating and a flat-screen TV and DVD player. The open common room has a massive stone fireplace in the center, separating a game room with a billiards table on one side from a sumptuous sitting area on the other. Tall windows look out onto showy gardens, stone walls and a man-made waterfall. A large reading room offers another fireplace. The Jordans welcome guests with substantial hors d’oeuvres – perhaps shrimp rémoulade or pan-seared duck with port wine demi-glace. These are put out in a round-the-clock guest pantry with a microwave and a refrigerator stocked with complimentary soft drinks, snacks and fruit. An elaborate breakfast is provided at nine tables for two in a sunny, high-ceilinged breakfast wing with windows on three sides and an improbably high shelf holding country collectibles overhead. Hap cooks and Amy serves, with fresh fruit and baked goods to start. There’s a choice of three entrées. The day of our visit it involved eggs any style (the apple and brie omelet was especially recommended), gingerbread pancakes, and Canadian bacon and leek quiche. The property includes an outdoor hot tub, hammocks
and wooded walking trails meandering down to a pond. Nine rooms with private baths. Doubles, $295 to
$425; varies by season. Two-night minimum weekends and foliage. Closed in April and three weeks
in late November. For more information: www.stonehillinn.com
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