New Hampshire is blessed with glorious mountain ranges, and a few
equally grand hotels in their midst. The Mountain View Grand has
returned to that luxurious league, which once included over 20 grand
hotels – now, just a handful. The previously posh Colonial Revival had
fallen into disrepair over the past two decades. Thanks to bucket
loads of dough, $20 million in renovations, the 1865 hotel located in
northern NH was completely restored and re-opened in 2002.
Today, the Mountain View Grand is revived with all the style and
service of a forgotten era, under new ownership and currently the only
four-diamond property in The White Mountains.
In December, we visited the newest old hotel in the Whites for a
family weekend amid the sparkling snowcapped peaks of New Hampshire.
Once we found the place in remote Whitefield, The Mountain View Grand
lived up to its name, perched high on a hillside surrounded by the
impressive Presidential Range.
The golden-colored hotel stretches across the hilltop, with a sweeping
mountain panorama. Inside the high-class hotel, we were welcomed with
a crackling fireplace and the tinkling of a grand piano in the
intimate lobby.
Our guestroom was elegantly furnished in mahogany with wingback chairs
by the picture windows, perfectly framing the view from Mt Washington
to Franconia Notch. The bath was luxurious - the renovation process
converted the original 200 guestrooms to 145 to create more spacious
quarters.
Being skiers first and foremost, we opted for the Ski and Stay package
with plans to make tracks at nearby
Cannon and
Bretton Woods, both
within 20 minutes. Skiing is like our family adhesive – braving the
elements together, cozying up on the lift rides, seeking out the
adrenaline, and laughing about our adventures at dinner after a swim.
On this trip, the Mountain View Grand’s lengthy list of onsite
offerings made us eager to wrap up our vertical at half day, so we
could return to the regal resort to sled, tube, skate, swim and spa…to
name a few.
Can’t remember the last time we all bounced on an inflatable tube down
the majestic snow-covered grounds of a century old hotel. The resort’s
ice rink is a Rockwell setting, perfect for a family skate party, and
a postcard photo. You can rent cross-country skis from the Jack Frost
Activity Center to glide along the resort’s 28-kilometers of groomed
Nordic trails or explore on snowshoes the 1,800 acres of glorious
snowfields and forests.
The Mountain View has horse stables offering authentic sleigh rides.
You can even horseback ride through the wintry woods (tip: you must
reserve this activity in advance of your stay, we did not and were
shut out).
Mountain View Grand’s activities are not exclusively scenic and
serene. Adrenaline cravers can rent snowmobiles or four wheelers for a
pulse-racing ride with a guide. I must mention that these adventures
are all add-on expenses to your getaway, but can you put a price tag
on family fun? The resort even has a Hummer test track –BYOH. If you
posses this fashionable all-terrain assault vehicle, you can take your
Hummer to task over stumps, boulders and ravines. Our kids thought
this was “way cool” but alas we are not hip Hummer parents, so never
mind – we took the kids to the pool.
The Hotel’s extensive improvements include a new indoor pool and hot
tub, an exercise room and a small arcade downstairs, plus a
full-service luxury spa on the upper floor. The traditional parlor on
the main floor now serves as a cozy game room and library with an
authentic working fireplace.
If you can slip away for an hour of adult time, reserve the Hotel’s
Tower Tub. The pinnacle of the Mountain View’s top-shelf Spa is a
private Japanese hot tub in the cupola, two full stories above
everything else with an amazing 360-degree panorama. A bottle of
bubbly completes this decadent lifetime experience (tip: this is best
enjoyed around sunset). Sit and soak in the views, rejoice in your
good fortune and rekindle your romance.
The historic hotel illuminates in the evening. On our first night, we
had casual fare, juicy burgers and salads, in The Stage Coach Tavern
followed by a rousing game of billiards. Saturday, we dined in the
elegant Maples Dining Room over a fine four-course meal featuring
Duck, Lamb and Sea Bass as entrees. (Tip: Unlike similar swank hotels
in New England, jackets are not required here.)
That evening, the hotel brimmed with music in the luxurious lobby,
animated conversation along the mahogany bar, a comedy show in the
Nightclub, and dancing to a jazz ensemble in the Crystal Ballroom.
Apparently the celebrated Grand ghost provides entertainment too, but
our own spirits were too lively to evoke any ethereal visitors.
The century old setting definitely conjures a bit of nostalgia, as you
reflect on a simpler time when grace and pleasant pastimes were the
order of the day, not technology or multitasking. The elegance and
pure scenery of this mountain retreat is worth the trip. With the
added outdoor amusements, Mountain View Grand makes for a superb New
Hampshire ski trip.
