After a 7 hour drive from New Jersey, we were pleased to reach the Seasons Resort on Vermont 100. We called two days before in order to let them assign us a nice suite.
We stayed in the most southerly room facing the back (overlooking the Mad River).
The suite was fully equipped and consisted of two rooms (kitchen counter, dining table, TV and sleep sofa; bedroom with king bed and bathroom. The bathroom was small and cramped although it had a nice bath/shower and a hair dryer. The kitchen counter had oven, stove, half height fridge, microwave, coffeemaker and full set of implements (no dishwasher). A deluxe outdoor grill is available on the front porch in winter.
We went just after New Years Day and the area was relatively calm after the busy holiday weeks. There were many activities to keep us occupied in the area (within 40 miles).
We visited:
Cabot Creamery (Cabot) (worlds best cheddar)
Ben and Jerry’s (Waterbury)
Stowe Snowmobiling
Mad River Massage
Mad River Glen Ski Area (relies upon natural snow coverage)
The Bowl Mill (Granville) (mill has shut down but store is open)
Plush Quartz Art Glass (Granville) (free, buy a piece)
Movie Theater at Waitsfield (very interesting and a restaurant has opened there now)
The Bridges Resort (Warren) for indoor swimming and outdoor hot tub.
We ate at:
Pitcher Inn (Warren, superior, very expensive)
Common Man Inn (Warren, superior, expensive)
Slidebrook Tavern (Warren, quick drink before Common Man Inn)
Terra Rosa (Warren, very good, moderate)
Waterbury Wings (Waterbury, very good, inexpensive)
The Spotted Cow (Waitsfield, great clam chowder, inexpensive)
Pickwicks (Stowe, very good, expensive)
Mad River Glen Ski Area Bar (very good, moderate)
All along VT100, the view was SO enticing of the fresh snow melt in the river coursing above submerged ice showing a pale blue. There are three rivers in the vicinity: White, Mad, Millbrook. The prospect of kayaking in the spring/summer seemed to be a VERY attractive proposition for a return trip.
The Resort has a large and very well-equipped exercise room and even has a ski room for waxing skis. We were disappointed to find out that the owners had removed the outdoor hot tub from the front deck. The pool was closed for the season, but seemed large. They provided free coffee and bottled cooler water in the lobby. The lobby is at ground level on the second floor of this three floor building. No elevator.
They are SERIOUS that there is no cell phone coverage until you hit the big cities. So bring (or buy) the phone card that will work from their 802 area code. Local calls are free. People can call your room directly and phonemail will capture messages when you are away.
The resort was clean, fresh, comfortable (dual thermostats, no A/C) and well-maintained. They exchange your used towels on Wednesday morning.
The room has a combination DVD/VCR and there is a small selection of free titles in the recreation room.
The lounge area is large but the wood burning stove is off to the side and not optimally placed. It was only lit infrequently.
The WiFi access is excellent in the lounge area but did not reach the furthest expanses of the building. It was helpful to stay caught up on the emails. You could probably even use Skype to make calls.
We had a wonderful time and would return.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC