Best Montpelier Hotels

While cigar smoke no longer wafts through the hallways here, the stately heritage lingers at Montpelier’s largest downtown accommodation. The Capitol Plaza has 62 clean and comfortable rooms and suites, all decorated in a tasteful, subdued colonial style. (There was a renovation here in 2009). Beds are topped with down comforters and numerous pillows. Several banquet and conference rooms draw wedding guests and business travelers, but for visitors drawn to Montpelier’s outdoor and cultural resources, the hotel is also very convenient. And for those who’d prefer to stay inside, the Capitol Plaza offers the in-house J. Morgan Steakhouse, which serves breakfast (not included), lunch and dinner. There’s also a small fitness room whose usage is complimentary, WiFi, a bank, shops and a salon onsite. 

If you’ve never peered into the turquoise depths of an old granite quarry from the saddle of a mountain bike—before staying in a B & B that’s part tree house, part castle—Millstone Hill offers you the chance. During the 19th century, these lands (just south of Montpelier) were home to more than 75 independent quarries, but eventually were left behind to nature. In 2005, longtime local Pierre Couture opened the site as a recreation area, with dozens of miles of unique trails that climb up and perch over the quarries. Even better, outdoor enthusiasts can stay right here, in one of two late 1800s-barns and a cottage turned into Adirondack style lodges with a total of nine guest rooms. Think exposed beams, antler chandeliers and a solarium. Visitors can stay in one of the four rooms in the Cottage for as low as $40 per night or in the Loft luxury suite for $250 per night. Breakfast is included in the Lodge rates ($95 to $125) but not for the Loft and Cottage, both of which include a full kitchen. You can camp here, too, for $16 per night.

This 19-room inn calls itself “Montpelier’s Capitol Inn,” and that’s true—the downtown location is just around the corner from the State House. Opened in 1988, it includes two buildings originally built in the 1800s as residences. Fireplaces (including several in the deluxe rooms) add to the warmth of the colonial and Greek revival style. Rates for standard rooms range from $132 to $165; midsize rooms go for $169 to $186, and deluxe rooms from $206 to $229. That includes breakfast, which is an affair of La Brioche baked goods and jams made by former restaurateurs and current owners Karel and John Underwood. Among the other perks are WiFi and the inn’s proximity to downtown restaurants and shops. Kids under 6 are free; to escape (or to sequester your own brood), go for Room 27, which has its own expansive private deck.

The beds: four poster and antique (and sometimes squeaky), surrounded by vintage wallpaper and heavy curtains. The breakfast: blueberry pancakes, grits or a tasty scramble of eggs, cheese, green chiles and tortilla chips called migas. And the price is just right: $70 to $140 for one of the 12 rooms in the two Victorian buildings. For nearly two decades Jon and Betsy Anderson have provided a combination of Yankee and southern hospitality to business travelers on a budget and tourists looking for Vermont charm. All of the rooms have TV, WiFi and private baths; some have kitchens and living rooms.

This private, two-story cottage, 1.3 miles from the State House, is ideal for those seeking privacy and a bit of quirkiness. You walk into a breakfast room equipped with a kitchenette and the makings for s’mores (there’s a fieldstone fireplace in the adjacent, cozy den and a copper fire ring outside). There’s also a queen-size pull-out sofa downstairs; upstairs, the master bedroom also has a queen size bed while the Porch Room next door has a twin bed. Other perks include a solar-powered waterfall, horsehoe pits, hammock, fishing gear, books, games, snowshoes and sleds. Rates range from $100 to $200, depending on how many people are in your party. Be prepared to pay by cash or a traveler’s check—and to stay in one of the city’s best-kept secrets.