Looking to getaway for a weekend? You could check out a “trendy new hotel” and soak in the “rural escape” of Litchfield, according to writer Megan Agnew of The (London) Times?
“In fact there is an old-world grandiosity to Litchfield, Connecticut, that just about manages to be charming rather than pompous,” Agnew wrote.
The Times headline read: “This is the in-the-know alternative to the Hamptons.”
Agnew, along with their friend Meredith, chose to stay at the Belden House & Mews hotel, a space that was once a 19-century home. As The Courant has reported, Belden House & Mews “reinvigorates the 1888 Dr. Charles Belden mansion and ‘The Mews’ – a 1959 modernist addition to the estate – and binds them together with the historic 1891 Litchfield Firehouse,” according to the owners.
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“The 31 bedrooms are split between the main house, where they have more historic texture, with working fireplaces and enormous bay windows, and the mews, a modernist extension behind. Built in 1959 and not quite as grand, this overlooks the swimming pool,” Agnew wrote.
There is the town itself to enjoy as well, according to Agnew, who wrote: “The hotel is a short walk from the centre of the market town, with its wide promenade and perfect shops. With its wooden signs and gas-style street lamps, it’s so quaint that you can hardly believe it’s real.
“We did some good shopping in Milton Market, which has beautiful homeware, such as glasses, salad bowls and cast-iron chairs, all in a cavernous converted barn and set back from a cobbled courtyard Cotswolds-like in its perfection,” Agnew went on to say. “There are some other funny little gift shops and a couple of clothing boutiques including Oliphant and R Derwin, which are very stylish though a little Waspy.”
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They visited the Abner Hotel for a drink and, after that, dined at Arethusa al Tavolo, where Agnew wrote they had “one of the all-time greatest martinis (ice cold, great brine).”
The area has natural amenities as well, like Sandy Beach at Bantam Lake, which Agnew and Meredith visited for a swim, she wrote. They also took a walk on the Little Pond Boardwalk “through the 4,000-acre conservation land, which has preserved the ancient forests and teeming marshlands,” she wrote.
There are many other destination spots in Litchfield County too.
Is that enough to spark a fall drive to Litchfield County?
