One Of The Best Hotels In America Is At A Very Unexpectedly Luxurious New England Farm

Once you arrive at Twin Farms, it may be hard to imagine ever leaving. The season doesn't matter, because Vermont woodlands are beautiful every month of the year, and there's always some wholesome activity to fill your time: archery on the lawn, paddleboarding on the water, pickleball on any of four courts, Nordic skiing in the forest during winter, and on and on. You could also just sit in a reclining chair and read some Robert Frost or enjoy a late night glass of wine and gaze at the stars, which are starkly visible on clear nights, thanks to Twin Farms' secluded location.

In other words, you could spend a whole week on these 300 acres and still find new nooks to explore and pastimes to indulge. Each day could end with an organic meal with ingredients cultivated on this still-operational farm. The honey is even made in the Twin Farms apiary, which you can tour to learn more about the importance of bees. Finally, exhausted from such an active day, you can retire to your luxury room, or cottage, or treehouse. A road trip through Vermont is always fun and photogenic, but there's nothing quite like surrendering yourself to this luxurious retreat and absorbing its wholesome vibes.

Twin Farms has an astonishing origin story: Famed novelist Sinclair Lewis bought the property in 1928 to win over his girlfriend Dorothy Thompson — herself a respected journalist — and host hordes of celebrity friends. When businessman Thurston Twigg-Smith bought Twin Farms in 1974, it started as a family getaway, became a bed and breakfast, and evolved into the holistic experience it is today. The Twigg-Smiths have a history of collecting art, and works by iconic artists (e.g., Jasper Johns) are hung on the walls. 

What started as a traditional rural inn has branched off into more inventive accommodations: Nearly a dozen cottages are strategically scattered across Twin Farms, and each has its own aesthetic and theme. The designs are a spellbinding mix of rustic and modern; if you've ever yearned for a loft ceiling, flames crackling in the stone hearth, and a voluminous copper tub — perhaps set against a backdrop of falling leaves or snowflakes — Twin Farms can make that happen. Vermont has always been well-known for its outdoor sports, such as hiking, skiing, and cycling, all of which can be arranged at Twin Farms; but the property specializes in wellness sessions as well, such as pilates classes, paddleboard yoga, and body treatments in the Bridge House Spa.

The most enticing stay is in a treehouse. Far from the rickety clapboard boxes many of us knew in childhood, these treehouses are full-on domiciles suspended 14 to 20 feet above the forest floor. Floor-to-ceiling windows and ample porches overlook the surrounding foliage, and each of these eight units is equipped with gas fireplaces, flawless plumbing, and more than 800 square feet of space. With the treehouses alone, you could include Twin Farms among the most unique themed hotels in the world.

To get to Twin Farms, many out-of-staters will fly into Burlington International Airport, then drive about 90 minutes across the Green Mountains. Others will include Twin Farms on a more expansive road trip across New England or treat their stay as an excuse to take a scenic drive through the state. The nearest town to Twin Farms is Barnard, a quaint speck on the map, but you'll find plenty to do around here (that is, if you can tear yourself away from the property). There's Silver Lake State Park, a tranquil body of water enveloped in woods, as well as Silver Lake Syrups, a traditional sugarhouse where you can stock up on maple-based gifts.

Vermont is full of unpaved backroads and rolling greenery, and the Twin Farms management is well aware of how beautiful their environs are; this is why they also keep a pair of durable Volvo XC90 Hybrids available on-site, so guests can confidently navigate the rugged terrain (and take a gourmet picnic along with them). Whether you spend your whole vacation on the farm itself or take time to rove these storied byways, you can expect to find the best that Vermont has to offer.