Five U.S. Inns Where You Can Rest Comfortably and Dine Like Royalty

A getaway at a luxury hotel allows you to experience life in a beautifully appointed country estate complete with staff. You can harvest fresh produce from the garden, enjoy a few games of tennis, indulge in a relaxing massage—and forget about mundane tasks like shopping for appliances or cleaning gutters. One of the best perks of enjoying the dream of a staffed country home? You often won’t need to step into the kitchen at all.

Innkeepers throughout the U.S. have sought out award-winning chefs from the James Beard Foundation and Michelin-starred kitchens to lead their culinary teams. This means some of our favorite resorts now feature renowned chefs crafting exceptional dishes. Here are five destinations where you can savor this delightful pairing.

Blackberry Farm

Walland, Tennessee

When chef Cassidee Dabney joined Blackberry Farm in 2010, she found her culinary creativity significantly elevated. The 'farm' in its name is more than just a metaphor: a large portion of the sprawling 4,200 acres is dedicated to a farmstead that includes livestock, orchards, and gardens providing much of the inn's fresh produce—from spring ramps to summer tomatoes and winter squashes, root vegetables, and crucifers.

Having honed her skills at other luxury resorts, Dabney quickly ascended to the role of executive chef, refining and expanding the resort’s unique Foothills Cuisine. This seasonal, locally-sourced approach blends Southern culinary traditions—such as smoking meats and pickling vegetables—with classic French techniques, leading to dishes like quail wrapped in country ham, roasted and accompanied by bitter chicory and hollandaise.

Beyond the meals, guests can engage in daily activities focused on taste. The garden, a short walk from Blackberry Farm’s Barn restaurant, is managed by a team led by master gardener John Coykendall, a talented storyteller and heirloom seed collector. Visitors can enjoy classes, tours, and demonstrations at the garden’s Field School, conducted by Coykendall and his fellow gardeners.

The acclaimed wine program, directed by VP of Food and Beverage Andy Chabot, features daily tastings of wine and whiskey, along with guidance on pairing these beverages with seasonal dishes. These experiences, combined with the stunning beauty of the foothills and a rich array of music and arts events, help guests appreciate what makes Blackberry Farm special. However, the true essence is best felt at the Barn, enjoying one of chef Dabney’s celebrated evening meals.

Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Once seen merely as a bland stopover on the way to Santa Fe, Albuquerque is now earning praise for its culinary scene (and we’re not talking about Los Pollos Hermanos). A significant part of this newfound recognition comes from Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm, a charming boutique hotel set amidst a working organic farm and lavender fields just outside the city.

Jonathan Perno, the executive chef at Campo, the inn’s restaurant, stands out in the competitive Southwestern cuisine landscape, consistently earning nominations for James Beard Foundation Awards. His menus are seasonal, featuring produce from the surrounding fields and special deliveries from local farms and purveyors he has built relationships with in the Rio Grande River Valley. Regional ingredients include blue corn from New Mexico pueblos, organic mountain lamb grazed on native grasses, and a selection of cheeses from Tucumcari.

Campo, housed in a repurposed dairy barn, exudes a unique blend of vintage charm and modern flair, featuring an open kitchen, lofty ceilings, and large windows that create a stunning atmosphere for both dinner and brunch. Los Poblanos itself is a historic ranch house, with extensions made in the 1930s by an affluent family who wisely enlisted architect John Gaw Meem for the house and Rose Greely to design the gardens.

Meem played a key role in popularizing the territorial revival style in the Southwest, utilizing architectural techniques rooted in centuries of local practice, incorporating elements from Native American pueblos, Spanish mission structures, the more angular designs of Anglo settlers, and a hint of classical Greek revival.

While this style can often be seen in a diluted form in every New Mexico strip mall, it reaches its pinnacle at Los Poblanos, featuring wooden beam ceilings, gently sloped roofs instead of the usual flat pueblo roofs, and a central courtyard flanked by porticos or portales. The property was progressive even in the 1930s, employing WPA artists for murals, launching a cultural center for conferences, concerts, and lectures, and experimenting with innovative farming practices.

Guest accommodations are adorned with handcrafted furniture, artwork, and an abundance of charm. The Meem rooms in the main building showcase the signature style of John Gaw Meem, featuring corner fireplaces and hand-plastered walls. The Farm rooms, inspired by the dairy outbuildings, boast wooden floors, four-poster beds, fireplaces, and expansive windows.

The latest additions, the Field rooms, are located near the lavender fields and are also designed in the dairy building style. Guests can enjoy spa treatments (infused with lavender, naturally), embark on bike rides and hikes, tour the fields and greenhouses, play bocce, swim, or take part in a fitness class in the wellness yurt. Alternatively, they can relax on their room’s portale and anticipate their next meal.

Mayflower Inn & Spa

Washington, Connecticut

If your only experience of Connecticut is near I-95, it’s time to explore further. Take the off-ramp and discover a New England of stone walls, stunning historic barns, and meandering lanes, a charm that reaches its peak in Litchfield County. The local scenery embodies the Yankee ideal—you might almost expect to spot a stylish young Katharine Hepburn hurrying along with a leather-bound book in hand. (Since the area is just 2.5 hours from Manhattan, you might even encounter some celebrities here—or perhaps some ghostly Yankees, though no promises on the celebrity ghosts.)

Set against this picturesque backdrop, the Mayflower Inn & Spa stands proudly, a former boarding school transformed into an inn in 1920 by an alumnus. In 2018, the luxury hotel group Auberge Resorts took over, enlisting interior designer Celerie Kemble to enhance the ‘new’ New England ambiance of the Mayflower. While four-poster beds, polished wood floors, and chintz fabrics remain, there’s a fresh energy and cleverness to the handmade furniture, art, and color schemes. Auberge also introduced the Well, a unique New York spa blending Eastern and Western philosophies.

Another recent addition? April Bloomfield, the acclaimed British chef known for her work at London’s River Café and New York’s The Spotted Pig, John Dory Oyster Bar, and The Breslin. Chef Bloomfield joined the Mayflower Inn during the pandemic as part of a new residency for distinguished chefs. She quickly built connections with local farmers and purveyors (the thriving northwest Connecticut area is rich in high-quality ingredients) and began crafting menus that catered to both health-conscious diners and guests ready to indulge at the inn’s two restaurants: the relaxed Tap Room and the elegant Garden Room.

Fans of Bloomfield’s tenure at The Breslin and The Spotted Pig will be delighted to find her deviled eggs featured on the Tap Room menu, alongside country pâté paired with a seasonal chutney. Depending on the season, the more vegetable-focused Garden Room might present a starter of pickled celery wrapped in a tempura crust, followed by a main course of duck breast served in smoked broth, complemented by a wine-poached pear.

Chef Bloomfield also spearheaded an expansion of the property’s kitchen garden, leading to another collaboration—this time with the prestigious champagne house Veuve Clicquot. Throughout 2022, Bloomfield’s Garden Gastronomy series will highlight peak-season ingredients from the garden, pairing them with Veuve’s latest vintage, La Grande Dame 2012.

Inn at Little Washington

Washington, Virginia

The Inn at Little Washington is a sought-after destination resort that boasts a dedicated following eagerly counting the days until their next visit. Guests frequently compare their number of stays and the birthdays and anniversaries they've celebrated at this remarkable property. The inn’s main building, formerly a gas station, has been transformed into a whimsical haven of elegance and playful charm.

Patrick O’Connell, the inn's proprietor and chef, has garnered three Michelin stars and five accolades from the James Beard Foundation. He was among the first American hosts to be courted by Relais & Châteaux. Despite the exquisite culinary techniques and creative menus, dining at the Inn also includes a touch of theatrical flair. Perhaps your waiter will arrive dressed like an altar boy, followed by a benevolent papal chef. Or, in keeping with pandemic protocols, you might find mannequins seated at the next table. Even the cheese course could be served atop a plastic cow.

This enchanting atmosphere extends to the 23 elegantly appointed guest rooms. The Inn has acquired several buildings throughout the town, so in addition to 11 rooms in the main structure, guests can enjoy accommodations in nearby cottages and houses. Expect custom furnishings and antiques, freestanding bathtubs, fresh flowers, private terraces, fainting couches, tassels, fringe, and valances—this decor embraces a maximalist aesthetic, harmonized by a rich tapestry of nearly clashing patterns. Yet it remains balanced and tasteful, if slightly eccentric.

Spanning 24 acres, the Inn's property features several gardens and a farm. Guests can explore the grounds, stroll through antique shops and art galleries along the village's main street, ride bikes, and embrace a slower, small-town pace. Stays include a welcome cocktail, daily breakfast, afternoon tea, and a guaranteed dinner reservation. You might find yourself wanting to book your next visit as you check out.

Suttle Lodge

Sisters, Oregon

To trace the roots of Portland's coolness, you need to go back to 2007 when the historic Clyde Hotel transformed into the Ace Hotel, disrupting the status quo. From this point, waves of hipness spread outwards, influencing trends across the continent. Despite the multitude of Portland parodies, the genuine taste and playful spirit of those who ignited this buzz is undeniable. Enter the Suttle Lodge. Supported by the Mighty Union, a collaborative group of accomplished hospitality professionals from Portland, the Lodge embodies the ideal lakehouse experience.

It’s a vintage gem: a thoughtful revitalization of one of the last lodges that has graced this location since the 1920s. It’s rustic: beautifully perched on the shores of pristine Suttle Lake within central Oregon’s Deschutes National Forest. It’s comfortable: with views of the lake and surrounding woods from guest rooms and porches, cozy fireplaces for cool evenings, and inviting clusters of furniture in the main lodge. With custom Pendleton blankets and craftsman timber architecture, it presents a more minimalist, fir-scented interpretation of a Wes Anderson-style Pacific Northwest lake house.

Sound appealing? It only gets better. The delectable menu, crafted by Portland chef and author Joshua McFadden, is available throughout the property, from the Boat House to the Skip Bar. Nothing is overly extravagant (dinner entrees peak at $24 for a flatiron steak), but every dish delights, from breakfast pancakes and lunch flatbread pizza topped with local mushrooms and herbed ricotta to that perfectly seared steak for dinner.

The beverage selection, curated by Sean Hoard, another luminary of the Portland scene, evolves with the seasons while consistently featuring Willamette Valley wines, locally brewed PNW beers, and cocktails infused with distinctly outdoor flavors. This winter's offering, the Table Sled, combines bourbon, amaro, and lime Demerara sugar, enhanced by the essence of Douglas fir buds.

This year-round hotel boasts a vibrant calendar of events and regularly scheduled live music. Guests can choose from a range of accommodations and price points: spacious lodge rooms, standalone cabins (some equipped with full kitchens, front porch grills, fireplaces, and sleeping lofts), and a collection of Scout camp-style rustic cabins featuring shared bathrooms and redwood picnic tables beneath the pines, perfect for a game of cribbage. Warm days invite hiking, kayaking, and swimming in the lake, while winter offers snowshoeing, skiing at nearby Hoodoo, and cozy reading by the fire with a craft cocktail in hand.