New England Christmas Getaways | Merry Inns & B&Bs
We round up some of our favorite festive overnights for those planning New England Christmas getaways.
By Yankee Staff|Nov 18 2021|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanIn all the holiday hustle, it can be hard to enjoy the Yuletide’s famed “peace on earth.” There are cookies to be baked and lights to be strung and trees to be trimmed — and don’t forget about that stack of holiday cards, each awaiting your goodwill wishes. When you need to recharge your seasonal sparkle, consider spending a weekend somewhere you can simply bask in beautiful decorations and a festive atmosphere. There are many New England Christmas getaways that fill the bill; here are some of our favorites.
Best New England Christmas Getaways
Photo Credit : Courtesy of the Red Lion Inn
The Red Lion Inn | Stockbridge, MA
More than 30 individually decorated Christmas trees adorn the sprawling Red Lion Inn, which has been lifting holiday spirits for generations of visitors to this picturesque Berkshires town. Aside from the miniature forest that crops up throughout the 125-room inn, you can count on finding lots of holiday cheer here — specifically in the form of daily entertainment in the lobby during December, ranging from live harp music to middle school carolers. Time your visit right, and you’ll be in the heart of one of New England’s most classic small-town celebrations: Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas. This festive weekend in early December sees the whole town decked out for the holidays amid house tours, caroling, holiday readings, and more. The event highlight is a real-world re-creation of Norman Rockwell’s 1967 painting Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas.
READ MORE: Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas | Home for the Holidays
Photo Credit : Courtesy of Wilburton Inn
Wilburton Inn | Manchester, VT
The Levis family have been the innkeepers at this gracious 1902 mansion for three decades, and every year they put their own personal stamp on the holidays. Not only does a beautifully bedecked tree and other seasonal decor enliven the atmosphere, but you may also spy the inn mascot Jetson, a highly photogenic Cavalier King Charles spaniel, sporting his holiday finery. Dogs are welcome here, and in fact a signature event at the Wilburton is a “canine Christmas slumber party” weekend (doggy Santa Claus suits encouraged). And just outside the inn lies a holiday shopper’s paradise: Less than a 10-minute drive away are the 40-plus stores of the Manchester Designer Outlets, plus numerous locally owned downtown boutiques and the peerless independent Northshire Bookstore.
READ MORE: Christmas Celebrations in Manchester and Woodstock, Vermont
Photo Credit : Erin McGinn
The Francis Malbone House | Newport, RI
You need significant wow factor to stand out in a place like Newport, long a favorite summer home of the Astors and the Vanderbilts. And year after year, when Newport’s holiday doorway decorating contest rolls around, the c. 1760 Francis Malbone House proves it has flair to spare. The garland-bedecked bed-and-breakfast took the grand prize in 2018, capping off a five-year run of first-place finishes in the inn category. Inside, owner Will Dewey always ensures that the common areas sparkle with the spirit of the season, from the dome-ceilinged dining room with its gracious heath to the main staircase wrapped in evergreen swag. It all adds a festive touch to the kind of luxury — Italian linens, in-room gas fireplaces, marble baths — that makes the Francis Malbone House a signature stay in Newport. As a bonus, visitors to this seaside enclave will have no shortage of things to see and do in December, thanks to the jam-packed event calendar of the annual Christmas in Newport celebration.
READ MORE: Christmas in Newport
The Captain Jefferds Inn | Kennebunkport, ME
Each December, Kennebunkport’s two-week Christmas Prelude draws thousands of revelers and shoppers to this iconic Maine village by the sea. Founded in 1982, the holiday festival ranks high among New England’s can’t-miss events — and the Captain Jefferds Inn provides a terrific front-row seat to all the action. Fuel up for the day’s activities with a gourmet three-course breakfast, and after your hours of caroling, shopping, crafting, and touring are done, you can cozy up by the blazing hearth in this fully restored 1804 sea captain’s mansion and simply let the sugarplums dance in your head.
SEE MORE: Kennebunkport’s Christmas Prelude Celebrations | Photos
Do you have some favorite inns and B&Bs for New England Christmas getaways? Let us know!
This post was first published in 2017 and has been updated.
SEE MORE:
The Best 5 B&Bs for the Holidays
Best Christmas Celebrations in New England
Best Places to See Christmas Lights in New England
My favorite bed and breakfast is the Marble Mansion in Fair Haven, Vermont. The owners decorate all the rooms and add to their decorations every year, making it fresh and exciting for all who come to stay there. Their location makes them convenient to colleges and the city of Rutland, and ski resorts are not far from them, either.
My mom and I travel to NE for the first weekend in December to kick off the holiday season. We love taking in all the beauty of NE during the quiet seasons, but perhaps my favorite stop (and usually our last) is the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA. The Garden Club decorates the old inn, and there is nothing quite like sitting in the old Tavern room next to the roaring fire, sipping a meeting house punch or other colonial cocktail with lights twinkling around and the snow falling outside. For history buffs, keep an eye out for the Sudbury Militia reenactors.
The 1785 Inn in North Conway is not participating this year – 2023 in the Inn to Inn Christmas cookie tour. They haven’t for quite a few years. Also to stay at the 1785 Inn you have to rent the whole inn and bring your own chef/cook
I can stay home and so that.