Edson Hill

Edson Hill is a very special place with the most beautiful location, large well dressed rooms and friendly staff. Meals are served on the patio with an excellent view of the pool and grounds.

I chose Edson Hill for my anniversary getaway largely due to the reviews online. While I really enjoyed certain aspects of my stay, other aspects were really disappointing. On the positive side, I have to say that the beds were super comfy, the views are beautiful, and we loved seeing five bears on the property! The less enjoyable aspects largely relate to this “five star” accommodation feeling somewhat impersonal, less classy than I would have expected, and a rather embarrassing complimentary ‘breakfast’. - I was asked before I arrived if we were celebrating anything special. I told them it was our wedding anniversary so I sort of thought that based on the question they would do something - even a token gesture - to share their congratulations, but there was no mention or acknowledgement of it after we arrived at any point. - The plastic cups, “tea-bag” coffee and paper wrapper on the toilet paper felt more like a motel than a classy lodge. The wet towels that were left on the floor of our shower were also quite strange and disappointing that the TV was broken. I would strongly recommend, at a minimum, single-cup coffee machines in the room. - The hardest aspect to wrap my head around was the “complimentary” continental breakfast that consisted of one croissant per person, a small bowl of fruit (to share) and either a cup of tea/filter coffee or juice. While I would have been ok with the very limited spread, I was shocked that the hotel valued this breakfast at $20 per person ($40 for the two of us) and added an obligatory 20% ($8) tip on our complimentary breakfast each day! Is this even legal? I was told by the receptionist that this “required tip” was because the server (who literally just dropped off a shoebox of food on the table and poured our water) needed to earn enough money. I’ve never in my life been charged an obligatory tip on a hotel’s complimentary breakfast. I would have also expected more of an offering for a continental breakfast - particularly when valued at $20 per person! Overall, it’s really concerning that: 1) the hotel is not paying the server well enough to cover her costs, and 2) that they feel that it is worthwhile to inflate their costs to make their guests compensate for this pay gap. I’m not sure if Edson Hill is just really quiet in the summer (although Stowe was very busy) or it is past its prime, but we were among the only guests on a three-night say over the 4th of July week, so maybe other guests have had similar experiences but chosen not to vocalize them… In conclusion, it’s a beautiful location with heaps of potential, but at the moment sadly missing the mark.

We stayed in the Do Unto Others suite (fireplace deluxe king) for one night on the weekend of March 29th. The room was impeccable. The linens, wood burning fireplace (and fireplace concierge service), order ahead add-ons, service, and dining experience were all easily a 5-star experience. This place is expensive - just shy of $600 for the night and worth every penny. The restaurant and downstairs bar area were great in terms of ambiance and quality. The lobby lounge was perfect for a quick drink and game of chess while waiting for our table to be ready. Food was amazing both for dinner and the included breakfast. I would go back in a heartbeat. Nick and McClean were great to deal with. Stowe and all of its popular sights is a quick drive from the hotel.

We loved our stay at Edson Hill and would definitely come back if we return to Stowe. All the staff were very helpful. Two points of constructive feedback would be: 1) accommodating dietary requirements. I am coeliac and am always mindful of giving hotels weeks’ notice of this. I had two very different experiences at breakfast. Day 2 was very good, but on Day 1 it felt as though requesting some accommodation in the menu for her gluten allergy (eg by having fruit in lieu of the pastries that she is not able to eat) was met with some resistance initially - eg I was asked to pay for the substitutions. Gluten free bread was available at dinner on the first night, but it was slightly disappointing that this was not available following this. 2) on the Monday night staff had been helpful in recommending Michael’s on the Hill for dinner. We asked the front desk to arrange a taxi that morning, and were assured this would be done. 15 minutes after the taxi was due, another front desk colleague put in a call to the taxi company to find that this hadn’t been booked for us. We drove instead, but would have preferred the opportunity both to enjoy a good local red wine. Overall a great stay and we would go back, would welcome a few minor tweaks and it would have been spot on.

If you are looking for a jaw droppingly picturesque place to stay in glorious nature with comfortable beds and amazing food and a luxury feel. This is the place to go. I have been 5 times and am going back in March. We never go back to the same place twice, yet here we go again. The well maintained grounds of 40 acres many trails are perfect for hiking snowshoeing and cross country skiing. A gorgeous flowing creek feeds a pond and the main house has glorious views of the property and mountains. The food is amazing and the restaurant and inn have won multiple awards. Gourmet and luxury, but nature focused. Close to town and skiing. A million fun things to do or just stay in and light the fireplace and escape from the world. You won't be disappointed!