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December 7th, 2021 Japan Local Guide »Staytripper

Rabbit Hill Inn is located on a high ground off Highway 18 in Lower Waterford. This is a quiet village. The town clerk's office shares a building with the U.S. Post Office and the Davis Memorial Library. The Davis Memorial Library was the last outpost in the state where books on the honor system were loaned out. Locals occasionally see moose.

The main inn, which dates back to 1825, uses huge white Doric columns to create an impressive appearance. Inside, this is an unremarkable, charming old mansion, with original wide plank wood floors and an old farmhouse atmosphere, including lattice wingback chairs and antique furniture. The Connecticut River, which marks the border of New Hampshire, crosses the street from Rabbit Mountain, and the sound of running water reaches the front porch of the hotel.

Rabbit Hill is not the best place to stay in Vermont, it is just one of the many extraordinary historic buildings in the state. However, it has won praise from companies such as Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure, and the hotel has been rated as one of the best hotels in New England and even the world for many years. When Rabbit Hill topped the list of Travel + Leisure's 2019 Best Resort Hotels in the Northeast, the magazine noted that “the property is both warm and luxurious, and sophistication is at the core of the New England experience.”

In late November, come to Tushan for one night and feel the charm of the inn. Donn Gist, who has worked there for 20 years, greeted me at the door before taking me to my room and introduced me to breakfast time, doorway and afternoon snacks. I have booked Rose, one of the "classic" rooms in Rabbit Hill. It's smaller than the other rooms, but it doesn't look cramped at all, and it's equally well furnished.

Instead, Gist took me to Cedar Glen, a "luxury" room that looked like an airy log cabin, rustic and luxurious. The top of the king-size bed and a large whirlpool tub is made of light-colored logs. When Gist explained, the hoteliers Brian and Leslie Mulcahy usually upgrade their guests when a higher-level room is available, otherwise they will be empty. Good service attitude warms me like a sparkling gas fireplace.

The entire comfortable hotel is continuing to be decorated in a thoughtful manner. In Rabbit Hill’s main house, guests often sit on the wooden table in the living room with a wooden board jigsaw puzzle made by Norwich. Gist says that the intricate hand-cut wood blocks and unusual designs—without picture guidance—“are addictive and crazy at the same time.” I understood when I started the puzzle later that night.

Just next to the living room, there are piles of board games on a bookshelf, and a full bar faces an old English bistro. Before dinner, Brian Mulcahy used Mad River Distillers' Burnt Rock Bourbon to mix me a kind of mean Manhattan.

A small corner by the main entrance of Rabbit Hill not only has brochures of the attractions of the area, but also a complete itinerary of Leslie Mulcahy's almost all interests: antique guides, "wine tasting tours", lists of ice cream shops, and rundown highlights of nearby towns. Gist is a native of Watford and a "hiking concierge" from Rabbit Hill, who helps match guests with suitable nearby hikes based on their skill level, time frame and footwear.

In winter, Rabbit Hill offers snowmobile packages, and the hotelier can purchase cross-country ski passes-the additional cost is paid by the guest. Leslie said that there are not many alpine skiers in the inn, because the guests of Rabbit Mountain often have different interests and don't necessarily want to spend a whole day on the slopes. For those who do, Burke Mountain and the White Mountains of New Hampshire are within easy reach.

"He wants to be a brewery, and she needs to go to the yarn shop, and I thought,'I can help you to a brewery with a yarn shop 15 minutes away,'” Leslie explained while chatting in the bistro Said during my stay. "Every day, we will customize a day plan for our guests."

The Marcashi family are natives of Rhode Island. About 30 years ago, they had never stayed in a hotel before booking a Rabbit Mountain vacation. They liked it very much, returned many times and became friends with the owners John and Maureen Magee. In 1994, Magees invited Mulcahys to manage the inn, and they gradually separated from the business.

Three years later, Mulcahys bought Rabbit Hill, including the homes of owners along the road. Today, Brian is in charge of the back end of the business, processing numbers and tending to the bar. Leslie is the soul of the hotel. When she talked to the guests at dinner, her keen eye for the perfection of the atmosphere gleamed.

Leslie said: "We take pride in our sincere and heartfelt hospitality and personally being with our guests."

Rabbit Hill is the preferred holiday destination of proprietors Dave Briggs and Peggy Adams, who own Hotel Coolidge in White River Junction. They like to celebrate Peggy's birthday with the Marcash family.

"These people are role models," Briggs said. "They are the whole package. Meticulous. Every detail is there. We know because we saw it."

Rabbit Hill recommends booking in the evening at its restaurant, which also serves a hearty multi-course breakfast in the morning. The dinner menu is expensive, and the main course of Wagyu Beef Tenderloin is as high as $44.

During my stay, I tried a savory sweet potato soup with lemon and tarragon flavors ($9), and a halibut entree with a salty miso glaze ($38), served with creamy orange soy butter And mushroom risotto. For dessert, the apple sauce ($9) is like a deconstructed apple chip, paired with vanilla cream meringue and a slice of poached apple.

The breakfast on the second day (included in the room rate) started with hearty pastries and fruit plates. My egg benedict entree comes with a citrus-flavored arugula salad with hollandaise dressing.

Rabbit Hill includes the main building, the attached carriage house and the 19 rooms in the adjacent 1795 House. This is Samuel Hodby's original tavern and restaurant for tired travelers along the trade route from Boston to Canada. hostel.

Each room has a unique decoration: Sterling is an Art Deco style mirrored side table; the colonial-style music room has the original 1857 pump organ from the church across the street.

"This place is like an ice cream shop," Leslie said. "Everyone has a taste."

The hotel even has a hidden door leading to the upstairs loft bedroom with exposed beams, sloping ceilings, four-poster beds and spacious bathrooms. "Superior" and "Deluxe" rooms have gas fireplaces. All rooms have en suite bathrooms, and in addition to the large tiled standing showers, many rooms also have whirlpool bathtubs. Some rooms have private porches. Prices include tips and range from US$219 per night in a classic room to US$359 per night in a deluxe room.

Rabbits suddenly appear in the garden, on the mantelpiece, and in the corner of the bathtub, but the decoration is not cute, nor on your face. Everything about Rabbit Hill is low-key but carefully considered.

The towels are plush. The robe is heavy burgundy satin with wool lining. Recent afternoon snacks include juicy macarons, sweet chocolate brownies, rich butterscotch cookies, and cream cheese cake bars made by Phyllis Grech, a pastry chef trained by the American Culinary Institute in the hotel. The sweets are no longer on self-service trays, but on individual plates sprinkled with cocoa powder-each plate has been wrapped in plastic since the beginning of the pandemic.

Leslie said that national recognition did attract tourists to Rabbit Mountain, but the Malcashi family hardly relied on that reputation.

As she said, "You are as good to the guests that day, we just feel that we always have to win it again."

The original print version of this article is titled "All Inn the Details"

Tags: Staytripper, Staytripper, Lower Waterford, Inn, Hospitality, Rabbit Hill Hotel

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