4 Best Hotels in Waitsfield and Warren, Central Vermont

A Shaker-style round barn—one of only five remaining in Vermont—is the centerpiece of this eminently charming B&B set among the hills of the Mad River Valley with resident ducks, squirrels, chipmunks, and songbirds that make it feel like a Disney movie. The rooms inside the 1810 farmhouse define "cozy," with richly patterned wallpaper, brass lamps, and rough-hewn wood beams in the ceilings—several have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs—and the kitchen and dining area feel more like home than an inn.

The unique Pitcher Inn has it all, including a supremely romantic restaurant and bubbling brook running alongside; the majority of rooms come with a rustic theme—ski lodge, trout, mallard, and more—that is manifested in impressive and stylish design, even an installed lift-ticket booth or a tree-trunk bed carved with fiddlehead ferns.

This former bunkhouse for the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s is now one of the Mad River Valley's chicest accommodations, thanks to extensive renovations in 2013 that transformed it into a rustic farmhouse with an edge of industrial. These transformations translate to clever touches, like bed spring light fixtures, a sign made of plumbing handles, and lots of reclaimed wood. The on-site pub, restaurant—serving eclectic international dishes—and game room keeps the fun going through the evening.

Whatever the season, outdoor enthusiasts will get a kick out of this 20-acre property, newly built and opened in 2023, which goes all-in on mountain biking in the summer with all the amenities you'd expect at a ski resort, from an all-day restaurant to rentals and repairs, and is just a quick drive to the slopes in the winter. The centerpiece—besides bike trails leaving directly from the lodge—is an epic waterfall that gives the property its name; two outdoor saunas from local luxury builder SAVU sit right at its edge. Standard rooms are spacious, with Malouf mattresses and Vermont-crafted headboards, and include covered bike storage; creekside camping is available for the more adventurous.