My first job in the hospitality industry started the summer before I headed to Middlebury College as a Feb. I was hired by Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana, a Relais & Châteaux property located in the Bitterroot Valley. Triple Creek consistently wins impressive awards: Travel & Leisure’s 2014 Best Hotel in the World, Condé Nast Traveler’s #5 Hotel in the World and a spot in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, and remains on my bucket list to (someday) return as a guest. At the time, I was 18 and had no work experience. The first question the manager at Triple Creek asked me during my phone interview was if I could smile; she was willing to teach me the rest. I hopped in my car and road-tripped from New Jersey to Montana in three-and-a-half days, ready to learn the ins-and-outs of the hospitality industry from the very best.

When I arrived at Triple Creek Ranch, I was presented with what became my bible: a rule book containing the do’s and dont’s of fine dining and five-star service. I quickly learned how to formally set a dining table—utensils a thumb’s width apart and polished twice before service. I learned how to make Manhattans and Gimlets and how to carry them down a flight of stairs with steady hands. I learned how to schmooze CEOs, journalists and travellers from around the world. Serving from the left and clearing from the right became second nature.

Through Triple Creek, I gained an appreciation for hospitality done well: Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries delivered to honeymooners as a welcome surprise. Servers knowing a guest’s dietary preferences so as not to offer an elk special to a reluctant omnivore. How to greet guests by name and provide attentive, yet unintrusive, service. I often joke now that Triple Creek ruined all other places for me. I’ve seen the inner-workings of one of the best resorts in the world and how special a place can be with care put into everything it does.

The Stone Hill Inn, Stowe, Vermont

Although we travel quite a bit throughout Vermont and New England looking for unique places to stay, we don’t often find lodging that lives up to the luxury of Triple Creek Ranch. The Stone Hill Inn, located in Stowe, Vermont, is an intimate nine-room inn specializing in romantic getaways for couples. The Inn is located just off of the mountain road leading up to Stowe, yet is a five-minute drive to downtown Stowe where you can find many shops, galleries and eateries. Unlike many bed and breakfasts in Vermont, the Stone Hill House is relatively new, built in 1998 and updated since. You won’t find stuffy antiques or floral wallpaper here. All of the rooms and common spaces are decorated with warm tones, tasteful art and comfortable furniture to make you feel at home.

Accommodations at Stone Hill Inn & Accolades

Each room at Stone Hill is spacious, containing a king-sized bed, an oversized Jacuzzi tub, granite countertops with double sinks and a fireplace shared between the bedroom and bathroom, along with a sliding door that opens onto their extensive gardens and over nine acres of woods for hiking or snowshoeing. The quality accommodations, cleanliness and extensive luxury amenities at the Stone Hill Inn are that of a five-star hotel in Boston, blended with the warmth and friendliness of a country Vermont bed and breakfast.

The Stone Hill Inn, owned by George and Linda Fulton, has garnered impressive accolades since they purchased the property in 2012, including the 2014 Trip Advisor Traveler’s Award, as the eighth highest rated inn in the US (out of over 21,000 inns on Trip Advisor). Stone Hill Inn been named the top inn in Vermont from Top10Inn.com and has been featured in the Huffington Post and on the Travel Channel as one of the best New England bed and breakfasts to experience.

Before purchasing the inn, George and Linda had no hospitality experience, which is surprising given how perfectly the Stone Hill Inn is operated and maintained. George handles the marketing, maintenance and gardening, while Linda cooks breakfasts in the inn’s industrial kitchen and oversees the inn’s decor. George and Linda looked at 65 inns in person and over 1,000 inns online before choosing to settle in Stowe and provide couples with a unique, secluded getaway in Vermont. Our recent one-night stay at the Stone Hill Inn quickly demonstrated to us why the Stone Hill Inn is regarded as one of the best bed and breakfasts nationally and in Vermont: the attention to detail, private yet convenient location and luxury amenities that provide everything you could possibly need (or want).

Attention to Detail: Stone Hill Inn

One of the things that stood out to us at the Stone Hill Inn is the attention to detail that distinguishes the property from others in the area:

• A thorough check-in and tour of the property: George will show you how to operate the gas fireplace in your room, offer recommendations for activities and dining and show you all of the spaces you are free to enjoy as their guest.
• Guest laundry facilities for skiers wanting to dry their clothes after a day on the mountain.
• A “pillow library” for guests to select just the right type of pillow for optimal sleeping.
• The cleanest accommodations you’ll ever experience; Tony their housekeeper has some serious skills when it comes to keeping the property spotless.
• A guest kitchen, complete with snacks, soda and a full-size fridge for leftovers, as well as various glassware for sitting by the fire or outside in the garden sipping local beer or wine.
• Adirondack chairs around the property for enjoying a morning cup of coffee or star-gazing on a clear summer night.
• A welcome sign, letting visitors know where other guests are travelling from.
• A welcome letter, detailing events in the area guests might be interested in, along with any activities they might have scheduled through the inn (massages, carriage rides, dinner reservations).
• A den, complete with leather couches, a pool table and a bar, along with their “butler” who always is dishing out chocolates.
• A 275+ DVD library for guests who prefer to stay in after an active day on the mountain.
• Hors d’oeuvres served on Saturday nights for guests to enjoy (crab cakes and a cheese plate the night we stayed).
• A guest computer should guests not want to bring along a computer or need to print directions.
• A rubber ducky next to every Jacuzzi, providing a bit of whimsy.
• A flashlight and puzzle in each guest closet in case of a winter storm and power outage.
• Fluffy white bath sheets and an ample number in each guest room.
• A turn-down service, complete with robes and chocolates while guests are out to dinner.
• Thymes bath products (although, in my opinion, it would have been nice to see Vermont-made products), high thread-count sheets and fluffy down comforters.
• A to-order breakfast with seasonal decorations and fresh flowers on each of the tables in their 40-window dining room. For breakfast, we were offered a choice of waffles topped with maple-nut ice cream and hot maple syrup or a potato-egg-bacon hash, both served with fresh fruit and chocolate pound cake, your choice of four juices and coffee or tea. Unlike many bed and breakfasts in Vermont, Stone Hill Inn gives you a window  (from 8am-10am) to enjoy breakfast at your leisure.
• Wooden swings for two outside, if guests are feeling playful.
• Couples massages (hot stone, aromatherapy or relaxation) on site in the privacy of your guest room.

A Local’s Tips for Visiting Stone Hill Inn:

• Choose the room with the decor that is most appealing to you. Other than the two rooms at the end of the north and south hallways (Fiddlehead & West Branch) that give guests more privacy and more windows, all of the rooms are the same price and feature comparable amenities. We stayed in the Sterling Room, with moss and plum decor, although Cotton Brook, with its deep blue accent wall, oranges and golds, was my favorite aesthetically.
• Consider a package or special offer before you book your stay. George and Linda have a number of special offers, from Ski & Stay to Romance to Advance packages, complete with a chocolate making class at Laughing Moon Chocolates in Stowe, couples massages and carriage or sleigh rides. They also feature elopement and honeymoon packages with romantic enhancements such as chocolate-dipped strawberries and silk rose petals.
• Ask George and Linda for recommendations on activities and dining in Stowe. Whether you’re in the mood for brewery tours, mountain biking or eating your way through town, they are a wealth of information about the Stowe area, available to give you recommendations when asked but also removed enough to give you privacy and enjoy a couples weekend away. (Our choices would be Michael’s on the Hill for dinner—arguably one of our very best meals in Vermont—and Trapp Lager Brewery or Crop Bistro if you’re in the mood for a pint after outdoor activities.)

Stone Hill Inn
89 Houston Farm Road
Stowe, VT, 05672
(802) 253-6282
stay@stonehillinn.com
$245-425 a night depending on the season

*Disclaimer: We received a complimentary night’s stay at the Stone Hill Inn.