Weekend Trips from NYC: The Pitcher Inn in Vermont

By VI Staff on May 22, 2023

The Pitcher Inn is a great weekend getaway from New York, nestled in beautiful Warren, VT, at the north tip of Green Mountain National Forest and in the heart of the Mad River Valley. The hotel specializes in rustic luxury and has an on-site restaurant and pub, which makes it a perfect spot for a romantic getaway for adventurous couples who want to explore the nearby countryside, or families wanting to experience the snowy Vermont slopes.

As part of the Relais & Châteaux family, the fellowship of luxury hotels and restaurants, quality is assured at this boutique guesthouse.

Back to: Romantic Weekend Getaways from NYC, Holiday Trips

The Pitcher Inn Rooms and Suites

The Pitcher Inn offers a cozy, intimate affair with nine guest rooms and two two-bedroom suites, which set aside from the main building in a separate “barn”. Each room has unique décor, making every stay charismatic and brimming with character.

All rooms feature king-size beds fitted with Fili d’Oro linens, and have lavish private bathrooms as standard. Many of the rooms also feature fireplaces to help stay warm in the cold snowy season. A number of the rooms also include balconies or porches with stunning views over the brook or village of Warren.

The Hayloft Suite occupies the top of the “barn,” boasting an impressive brick fireplace and leather seats alongside its two king-size bedrooms. The two bathrooms are fitted with jetted tubs, separate showers and sleek marble countertops, making the suite ideal for families with children.

The Stable Suite welcomes families and dogs. The two-bedroom suite comes with one king-sized room and one twin room, and each has its own private en suite. The interior design makes the most of the building’s past as a livery stable, featuring a feed bucket and hay chute as charming period decoration.

Within The Pitcher Inn’s main building, the nine guest rooms are varied and stylish. The Ski and Mountain are both multi-room configurations.

The Ski room sits at the top, complete with its own kitchen and stunning views over the brook, which make it seem like an apartment. Its ski-themed décor makes it popular with snow-loving couples in the winter season.

In comparison, Mountain is reminiscent of a cabin in a forest, with plush furnishings and walls decorated with woodland scenes. Though Mountain is multi-roomed, there is no kitchen, making it less self-sufficient than Ski.

Guests with accessibility needs should book the Chester Arthur room, as the ground floor room has an accessible bathroom complete with steam shower. Its décor is a mixture of neo-classical and Victorian, providing an atmosphere reminiscent of Vermonter Arthur’s own design proclivities.

Calvin Coolidge was also a Vermonter, and the guest room named for him is stylish and sleek. It has a wide porch that provides excellent views of the village of Warren, and a marble steam shower makes the bathroom almost presidential.

The Lodge room meanwhile prides itself on its classical, romantic décor and private steam room. Its massive fireplace and marble bathroom give it a Greco-Roman feel, though its view is nothing special.

The Trout room is themed around the popular Vermont pastime of fly fishing, and features carved wooden furniture original art and sporting prints. Its porch offers a fine view of the brook, which is also full of the eponymous trout.

Possibly the most outlandishly decorated, hunters are sure to appreciate Mallard’s duck theme. The room includes a life-sized Canada Goose hanging from the ceiling, decoys, and display rifles. The exposed wood paneling and leather chairs create a comfortable, calming atmosphere.

The School room is also playfully unconventional, as it features a school slate as the king-sized bed’s headboard. The bathroom has a separate shower and jetted tub, alongside a Norwich University laboratory table repurposed as a vanity.

Friends or workmates bunking together should book Colonial, as its king-sized bed can be swapped for twin beds instead. Themed after an 18th century farmhouse, it harkens back to The Pitcher Inn’s long past as a colonial-era farmstead.

Dining at The Pitcher Inn

Dining in style is easy at The Pitcher Inn, as it is home to 275 Main fine dining and cozy Tracks tavern. 275 Main serves cuisine made from fresh farm-to-table ingredients. Cuisine is true New England fare, focusing on using locally farmed produce, Vermont’s native fruits and mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables to create artful and memorable dishes.

Also of note is the restaurant’s extensive wine cellar: nearly 500 different bottles are available to drink with your meal, and the selection gained a “Best Award of Excellence” from the Wine Spectator.

The Pitcher Inn also offers its wine cellar as a privately bookable dining space, and the main Brook Room can be reserved for gatherings of up to thirty guests. The Wine Cellar offers special tasting menus alongside the day’s à la carte fare in an intimate stone-walled room, surrounded by many racks of fine wine. In contrast, the Brook Room provides a sophisticated space for meetings, parties or small wedding receptions.

The onsite tavern of Tracks exists as a space to drink and exchange stories, or indulge in some traditional pub food. Tracks specializes in simple but nourishing versions of classic tavern food, eaten around a crackling fire. There is also an ample selection of wine, ale and craft beers from local Vermont breweries, including two brewed by Warren’s very own Lawson’s Finest Liquids.

The hotel also offers the Maple Games Room as a relaxation area, where guests can engage in indoor activities with friends, family or other guests. The games on offer include a salon-sized pool table, a pub-style dartboard and a table-top shuffleboard.

Complimentary Health Club Access

Though there is no on-site spa at a hotel as intimate as The Pitcher Inn, private messages are offered in guest rooms to ensure relaxation in comfort and style. All guests have complimentary access to the Sugarbush Health and Racquet Club.

Located less than a 10-minute drive from the hotel, the health and fitness club has many facilities for both sports and leisure. Alongside the cardio, tennis courts and weight training, guests receive complimentary access to an invigorating sauna, and indoor and outdoor pools and Jacuzzis.

Weddings, Reunions & Meetings

The Pitcher Inn is available for events both private and corporate. Private events such as family reunions or important gatherings are well catered for, as the dining spaces can be booked out separately or combined with staying in the hotel.

The hotel has a special knack for weddings, and prides itself on being something completely unlike typical wedding venues. The wedding planner will help guide couples through every step of their planning, including choosing floral arrangements, finding clergies and choosing unique touches that will help their nuptials stand out. The 275 Main chef will plan the wedding breakfast for the couples, and receptions can be hosted indoors in the Brook Room or outside in the garden for larger gatherings.

The hotel is also available to hire for corporate meetings and retreats. Its intimate size makes it ideal for selective gatherings, as employee incentives or else for small businesses looking to increase interpersonal connection.

Activities in Warren, VT

The main draw of The Pitcher Inn is its location in the heart of Vermont’s countryside. Alongside the beautiful natural scenery, the area is a hotspot for keen skiers and many snow sports enthusiasts come to the Mad River Valley every year.

Sugarbush Resort and Mad River Glen, two popular ski areas, are within a short drive of the hotel and offer fantastic slopes for all range of skiers. Many of Sugarbush’s slopes are treacherous and should only be attempted by experts. In the off-season, it is a popular spot for hiking, biking and playing golf at the 18-hole, par 71 Robert Trent Jones Sr. course.

Mad River Glen provides a different, distinctly New England skiing atmosphere, as snowboarding is banned and it has one of the last two single-seat chairlifts left in the country. The trails range wildly in difficulty even among the Black Diamond level, providing a real challenge for the brave. The Kent Thomas Nature Center is also located in the Mad River Glen: open all year round, its natural history programs are an informative and entertaining look at the local area’s ecology and wildlife.

Other popular activities in winter in Warren include snowmobiling or sleigh rides. The Pitcher Inn offers many items for rent which make enjoying the snow even easier, including snowshoes and Mad River Rocket Sleds. When the weather is warmer, the Mad River Explorer canoe is available to take out for river excursions, and hybrid bikes can be rented for free in order to explore the captivating countryside.

Other fantastic seasonal activities include fly fishing, maple sugaring, watching the famous Independence Day parade on the Fourth of July, or just soaking up the beautiful foliage colors during fall.