Overnight stays, close to home
If your summer feels like it’s about to swing by with no plans in sight, it might be time to book that often talked about but put- off close- to- home vacation … a sort of “staycation,” as it were. Connecticut offers some fine boutique hotels and cozy inns that could be perfect for singles, couples, and families to spend a few carefree days away, without having far to go.
Know before you go: Most venues have specific COVID- 19 Phase 3 reopening protocols and health and safety practices in place. Dining, amenities, and guest services may be limited. Visit their website or contact the hotel before planning a trip.
Delamar Greenwich Harbor, 500 Steamboat Road, Greenwich, 203- 661- 9800; delamar. com ( the hotel also has locations in Southport and West Hartford)
Located on the water close to Manhattan, and with easy access to shopping and local beaches, Delamar Greenwich Harbor is an 82- room waterfront boutique hotel that offers Mediterranean- style luxury with its wrought- iron balconies, tiled roof, pastel stucco walls, and private dock. Located where New York meets New England, the property combines patrician charm with a decidedly urban edge. Guests here can walk to the Metro- North train station and Greenwich Avenue’s restaurants and high- end boutiques.
Of course, the jewel here is the hotel’s location, right on the harbor with 500 feet of private dockage with accommodations for sail and motor yachts up to 180 feet. A boutique hotel, its one- of- a- kind style appeal is felt in the art- filled spaces and personal anticipatory service for all guests. “A staycation at Delamar Greenwich Harbor is luxurious and relaxing. The quiet elegant ambiance, amenities and beautiful art- filled interiors provide a calming escape from the challenges of everyday life,” says hotel spokesperson Lori Moretti of CM Communications.
The hotel offers outside waterfront fine dining at L’escale. Guests will enjoy one- bedroom suites, some with terraces with views of Greenwich Harbor, and they can also charter one of three hotel pontoon boats; each can accommodate up to six people, plus the captain, and can cruise around the Greenwich shoreline. Cruises cost $ 300 for the first hour and $ 250 for each additional hour, plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, contact the dock master at dock@ thedelamar. com.
Delamar Spa offers massages, facials and other beauty treatments. All safety precautions have been taken at the spa to ensure client safety. The location is also close to state parks with hiking trails, picnic areas, public golf courses, historic sites, museums.
Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection, 118 Woodbury Road, Route 47, Washington, 860- 8689466; aubergeresorts.com
Close your eyes and imagine the serenity. Perhaps ask someone to read you the description Israel Benyair, the general manager at Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection, shared about the property. The Washington destination is nestled in the rural, rolling ridges of Litchfield County. “The crown jewel at the country retreat is the 20,000- square- foot spa, where wellness aficionados can indulge in treatments rooted in modern science and inspired by ancient wisdom, all in cool, calming, sound- proof space,” he says. It is one of the highlights for guests at the 58- acre property with landscaped gardens and woodlands.
Washington and Litchfield County offer guests places to hike through meadows and wetlands and biking on the shore of Lake Waramaug. Additionally, couples can explore the “Connecticut Antiques Trail” to browse tiny shops stocked with 1700s Americana, mid- century modern pieces and vintage treasures from every era — all just a short drive from the inn.
The Lloyd, 909 Washington Blvd., Stamford. 203- 3637900; thelloydstamford.com
A few luxurious nights in a brand- new modern designed hotel in downtown Stamford awaits guests at The Lloyd, owned by RMS Companies. This 94- room boutique hotel features rooms outfitted with mid- century modern West Elm furniture, and tufted leather headboards with warm wood finishes and dark metal accents. Each guest room has been mindfully curated to create a restful experience with a natural palette and ambient lighting and locally sourced artwork. There are spa- like bathrooms in natural stone tones along with luxury bath products, and robes and slippers for guests while they stay.
Common areas include a separate library, and an additional lounge area that features a café by day and intimate bar by night. A high- tech fitness center offers core and cardio fitness training equipment, a Peloton bike, and The Mirror for on- demand cardio, yoga, and boxing classes. The café has healthy food options, locally sourced organic coffee, and baked goods delivered daily from The SoNo Baking Company in Norwalk.
During the day, guests can take a hotel shuttle to the waterfront and local beaches, and back at the hotel the “home
away from home” experience is felt in turn- down service, luxurious toiletries, and 50- inch smart TVs. The boutique hotel experience is seen in guest services and amenities, locally sourced food, craft cocktails, luxurious hospitality, a curated experience, and personalized service.
A stay here will be relaxing, energetic, and entertaining. Suites are designed for ambience and comfort, and along with use of the fitness center, guests can enjoy a run at Mill River Park across the street. The Lloyd has an on- site bar, and lounge offering seasonal menus and is close to Stamford’s 80- plus downtown restaurants, bars and eateries.
RMS Companies owns several other city hotels in Connecticut, including Hotel Zero Degrees in Danbury and Norwalk, and The Blake, a 108room boutique hotel in New Haven named after the first female graduate of Yale. The property is located within walking distance to Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale University, and is surrounded by a vibrant culinary and cultural scene. For more info, call 203- 390- 5352 or visit theblakenewhaven.com.
The Wallingford Victorian Inn, 245 N Main St., Wallingford, 203- 265- 1200; thewallingfordvictorian.com
If you want to feel like royalty during your summer getaway, then you might consider a stay at The Wallingford Victorian Inn, with its sumptuous guest rooms, library, music room or parlor, all decorated with period furnishings.
Guests here can enjoy the inn’s many outdoor activities, such as giant chess and checkers, horseshoes, and biking, says Kenni Ball, innkeeper, or they can also relax on one of its many porches, or enjoy a nightcap by a fire pit.
This boutique bed and breakfast experience includes evening wine hours and gourmet breakfast in the mornings. Guests also enjoy snacks and extra toiletries during their stay.
A staycation here might also include relaxing with your favorite book in the cozy parlor or outdoors at one of the seating areas on the property’s well- maintained gardens. Visitors might walk two blocks to enjoy Wallingford’s indoor and outdoor dining options, or head into nearby New Haven to check out some local history and architecture, such as the Yale campus and “all their beautiful museums and breathtaking buildings,” Ball suggests.
Visitors have access to Connecticut’s wine and beer trails, hiking, state parks, and outlet shopping.
Madison Beach Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, 94 West Wharf Road, Madison. 203245- 1404; madisonbeachhotel.curiocollection.com
If a seaside town respite seems appealing, then you might choose the Madison Beach Hotel, an award- winning boutique hotel with 32 rooms and luxury accommodations with ocean views, private balconies, and a beach.
Part of the Curio – A Collection by Hilton, the hotel is home to The Wharf Restaurant with both dining room and porch seating, concierge spa, a fitness center, yoga studio, and more than 5,000 square feet of seaside event space ( Distinctive Hospitality Group).
Overlooking Long Island Sound, The Wharf Restaurant offers both dining room and porch seating, from the white tablecloth experience in The Dining Room, wine, and food tastings at the Big Table in the Wine Room.
Hotel guests can access their room with a digital key and bypass the need to stop at the front desk upon check- in, then unwind with a book on the beach or on their private balcony overlooking Long Island Sound and the Connecticut shoreline. Spend a romantic morning or afternoon kayaking out on the water, taking sunrise yoga on the beach, or renting a bike that can be delivered to guests at the hotel. Situated next to Madison Country Club, the hotel can book tee times for golfing couples.
You can arrange for chocolate- covered strawberries, champagne, and rose petals in the room, and perhaps a private, spectacular sunset dinner on the balcony, according to John Mathers, the hotel’s general manager.
For guests seeking quiet time in a beachside town, Madison is the ideal escape, whether you enjoy walking the shoreline or just sitting to watch a midsummer sunset. The hotel is accessible by car and even boat — mooring rental can be arranged with the harbormaster. Thanks to a partnership with Shoreline Aviation, guests can even land in a seaplane on a tiny island offshore and be ferried to the hotel. Shoreline Aviation also offers trips along the Connecticut River. Flights are from 30 to 45 minutes and could include a stop for lunch at the Gelston House in East Haddam. Another option includes a flight across Long Island Sound and along the south shore of Long Island to see aerial views of Montauk Lighthouse, beaches, and homes of the Hamptons.
The hotel follows all state, national and local authorities with protocols in place for the health and well- being of guests and employees. The hotel spa and fitness center were set to reopen at press time, and the restaurant is open for dine- in and takeout service, and the bar for cocktails- togo until it’s allowed to reopen.