I have always been enamored with the days of the big old wooden hotels in the White Mountain region of New Hampshire. Sadly, many of these hotels burned down or were torn down from disrepair due to financial hardships brought on by easier transportation. The days of the grand old hotels came to an end when patrons could drive to the mountains for a day trip. Only a few of the grand old hotels remain and I have made it my mission to see them!
This past mother’s day weekend, we stayed at the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield NH. This beautiful hotel dates back to 1865 and began as many hotels did in that time. William and Mary Dodge opened their family farmhouse to boarders passing through the area and named their inn the Mountain View House. Many additions later, the hotel has 200 guest rooms and the very well known tower rose to 89′. Due to financial issues, the hotel actually closed in 1985. It was reopened with new life in 2002 after many renovations.
While at the hotel, my husband and I played tennis on their Australian clay courts. We ran on their trail system and swam in the indoor pool. They also have an outdoor pool but it was still a bit cool for that. They also have farm animals and gardens at the Mountain View Grand. A popular activity that we didn’t participate in is the axe throwing! There is also an 18 hole golf course onsite.
For dining options, they have a restaurant and bar onsite for casual dining called the Harvest Tavern. We ate dinner at the bar and did the breakfast buffet in the restaurant. Their fine dining option is called the 1865 Wine Cellar and requires reservations. The menu is a fixed price menu and I believe there’s only a handful of tables down there. They do a daily tour of the wine cellar, otherwise you can’t really go see it unless you are eating down there. There is also a menu available across the street at the clubhouse by the the pool. We ate there once a couple years ago with a group after my husband’s grandfather’s funeral and the only thing I will say is the service was a bit slow. Before dinner we did partake in the smores at the firepit over by the pool clubhouse. It was fun making a smore and enjoying the mountain views.
So what mountains are you viewing…..well you can see the Presidential Range and the Twins from the front veranda. In the back you can see Waumbek and Cabot I believe. I love the views….but I will admit the views from the Mt. Washington Hotel veranda are more impressive.
I really enjoyed our stay at the Mountain View Grand. There was a wedding going on the last time we were there and the ballroom and outdoor spaces for a wedding were just gorgeous. There is a spa right there at the hotel too. They also have some great green initiatives. They have their own wind energy turbine and they use paper straws. We stopped at a couple breweries on the way too which was fun. Schilling Beer Co in Littleton, NH and Reklis Brewing in Bethlehem, NH both have great beer, atmosphere, and food!
New England Classic Beauty 