The Essex Resort & Spa

We’ve stayed at The Essex numerous times. Each visit has been exceptional. It’s a great location, the rooms are nice, the whole resort and spa is terrific. |And, the staff makes it such a nice experience. |Alan’s front desk and lobby staff work as a team. Everyone is friendly, helpful, caring, professional and genuinely nice. |Shout out to front desk Ben, TJ, Lisa, Alex, Gracie, Bo, Olivia, Dylan, Jack, and bellman Jack. |Also, Jessica and Robert in the Spa!|Each of them has contributed to our stays and we always appreciate them. |How nice to have a staff that consistently nails it!

Business took me to this location. Avery in the restaurant was amazing. She was attentive, sweet and everything you want in the service industry. Checked back often to ensure that my meal was all that I wanted and I had all the coffee that I needed. Rooms were clean organized and quiet. All that you need, when you want a great night of rest and relaxation.

The Essex Resort and Spa was recently the location for our daughter’s wedding. Start to finish the whole weekend was amazing. Kat was our wedding coordinator and she did a fabulous job: very organized, excellent communication and went above and beyond to ensure we had the best time. The food was amazing all weekend. The filet was so tender we didn’t even need steak knives and the staff were very attentive to our food allergies. I highly recommend this location to anyone planning a wedding or looking for a place to visit for the weekend.

Our stay at The Essex Resort and Spa was nothing short of amazing. The food was absolutely delicious. Every meal exceeded our expectations in both flavor and presentation. The massages were hands down the best we’ve ever experienced (Coco was my massage therapist and I highly recommend her). Truly relaxing and professional. The grounds are beautifully maintained and offer such a peaceful, scenic atmosphere. It’s the perfect place to unwind and recharge. The staff made our experience even more special. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, especially Boe, who went above and beyond to make us feel at home. We’re already looking forward to our next visit. Highly recommend this resort for anyone looking for a relaxing, high-quality getaway!

I’m a Flight Attendant and I love all my stays at this resort. I always look forward to the different dessert treats in the showcase at check-in. The tavern restaurant is also a treat- to meet up with crew for a glass of wine or a meal. I enjoy waking the property grounds and feeding peanuts to the goats. The pools and spa is an extra nice bonus. The staff at the front desk has always been friendly and helpful. I do miss the large buffets, however, with the ice sculptures and carving stations and dessert table with chocolate fountain. I would love to see this come back for the holidays especially.

My sister and I booked our annual Sister Getaway for our birthday celebration here, our first time staying at The Essex Resort & Spa. From booking to checkout, this was one of the best stays we've had! Ms. Lisa Harrison helped us with booking the appropriate room to accommodate our desire to include a cooking class at the onsite Cook Academy. Lisa kindly answered multiple email questions we had before making our decision and was nice enough to take time out of her day to meet us when we checked in. She made us feel like friends she'd know for ages, even tho this was the first time meeting! TJ checked us in and also made us feel like friends. He was cheerful, kind and very helpful with suggestions of what to do during our stay. Our room was perfectly clean and well stocked, the beds were so comfortable and we got great night's sleep both nights of our stay. The cooking class with Chef Donna was so much fun and we ended up being the only 2 people taking the class that night. The food was out of this world! We also appreciate that we were given sweet Birthday treats in our room, very kind of Lisa and TJ! Every staff member we spoke with in the hotel and restaurant were happy, kind and welcoming. Food was GREAT! Grounds were beautiful We truly did feel like friends and are very thankful to Lisa, TJ and everyone we came in contact with. Thank you for making our Sister trip a huge success. This was our first experience at The Essex Resort, but it won't be our last!

Carolina was an amazing server! She was so friendly and helpful!! She was very knowledgeable with the menu! I loved hearing all her favorites! Thank you for making our experience so wonderful! We will definitely be back! No hope we are lucky enough to have you again!!

We had our wedding at The Essex Resort & Spa in the Farmhouse, and it was everything we dreamed of and more. The space itself is absolutely lovely—charming, warm, and perfect for a Vermont wedding. Our event manager, Cindy, was incredible to work with from start to finish. She answered every question I had (and I had a lot!), offered helpful suggestions, and made sure the entire day ran smoothly and on schedule. Her calm and professional presence made all the difference—especially when it rained on our wedding day. Despite the weather, the indoor ceremony in the Farmhouse turned out to be beautiful and intimate, and I wouldn’t change a thing. The communication with the venue leading up to the big day was seamless, and the food was beyond amazing—our guests are still raving about it. Several people even told us it was the best wedding they’ve ever attended, which is the greatest compliment we could receive. I can’t recommend The Essex—and especially Cindy—enough. They made our day unforgettable.

We checked in last night at the Essex for a little weekend getaway. The property is beautiful and has wonderful amenities. We were eager to try the Junction and explore the cooking classes, and the services at the spa look wonderful and are reasonably priced. We have a new puppy, and the Essex is dog friendly - but unfortunately our puppy was a bit of a terror overnight, barking and whining. No one complained about the noise, but we were worried about her regressing on her training (and also not being able to sleep!) We decided we needed to check out early to help her calm down, and the front desk was very understanding and unusually kind and helpful towards our situation. TJ at the front desk helped me and it surprised me how understanding and helpful he was- it felt like a very community-oriented company to me. We will absolutely be booking here again and returning when we have our young puppy a bit better trained!

We didn't pick this resort, it was part of a package deal from our tour. I'm glad they did! It's clean. It's got good food. Friendly people. Free use of microwave (lobby by the pastries). Comfortable room, & beds. Pillows, plenty! We just need hot chocolate, and bars in the tub. Our buffet breakfast and dinner comes with our package. It's outside to the Mansion. The front entrance and windows boxes were decorated in the Halloween Fall theme. Beautiful! The view from our 2nd story floor, was facing the back yard of Essex, which was like 'staging area for the building maintenance'. I'm not sure. For awhile there, I thought there's an antique market going on, I have to see it from the outside, from the mansion, to get a closer look. This is a nice & cozy place to stay. I really enjoyed our 2 nights here!

We booked a last minute stay at the resort for a short trip into the area. Our time here was limited, which made the early pool hours a bummer on a hot summer evening. To highlight such offerings and then close them when it's still light out is odd to me. The property is beautiful, as others have noted. Worth walking and sunset pond was very pretty at sunset. Our room was clean and felt mostly updated, however the fireplace did not work and there was a blind that clearly needed to be replaced. The regency efficiency measures are helpful, until you're walking into a hot room mid summer. The hot rob was clean and clear and a nice soak in the am. The late outdoor pool hours are also odd for mid summer? The indoor pool is 4ft deep, the entire thing, which is worth noting as they pride themselves on this lap pool and seems they are not quite transparent. It also seemed not so clean...not dirty, but maybe needed some as extra attention as a public pool and the surfaces could use a scrub (we started to enter and did not due to this). We would return when we have more time, seems like a better option for a family trip. Hopefully, a shift in pool hours is to come and that the pool is scheduled for some scrubbing...maybe it had a couple of high use days? ‍ Also, the doors to enter the buildings needs signs of replacements, this could become as security risk if not addressed.

Not sure what happened to this place. It used to be such a great place to go to. They certainly don't have any QC for room cleaning. My entire room had cobwebs in the corner, which is the first time I've ever seen that in any hotel. The baseboards are nasty AF. You're paying a premium to get above par service however, you end up getting Motel 6 quality cleanliness. When I brought this up to the front and staff, the gentleman totally looked at me like what you complaining about... Definitely felt like giving him a piece of my mind, but just let it go. Customer service, food quality, cleanliness. I've gone out the window since I stayed there Pre-pandemic.

The good: The front desk very helpful and accommodating. Complimentary coffee, tea, cider, and cookies were offered in the lobby. A bakery counter with pastries available for purchase 24 hours was a nice perk. Small fireplace with seating area also in lobby. Spa was great. We enjoyed the hot top, beautiful indoor pool, stream room and sauna. Very well laid out and welcoming. The bad: Initial room we were given was very run down with ripped carpets and a view of the dumpsters. The elevator was in disrepair and the whole building gave off a very creepy vibe. We were ready to check out but the front desk assigned us a better room that was not as rundown and in a much better location. Unfortunately for much of the time the heat was not working and front desk said it was finicky. Our second night the power went out when someone hit a pole nearby. We tried to sleep but the lack of heat made it difficult. Around 3am the extremely loud fire alarm went off and everyone had to evacuate the building. We were informed that if power is out for more than 2 hours the alarm goes off. We waited for the fire department to give the all clear and returned to the building. Power was still out. Eventually we fell asleep and when we awoke the power was restored. Upon checkout we discussed with front desk the inconveniences we experienced and were given Some compensation. Other: Tavern restaurant was average. Much better restaurants in town. Goats around the back of building were cute and fun to see. Gift shop had some pottery and crafts created by local artisans.

The property is beautiful however at front desk when we asked for hot chocolate they gave my kid very hot chocolate drink that threw him off and they did not seem apologetic at all. Something that does not leave a good memory from a vacation.

My husband and I stayed here for my birthday and had their romantic getaway package. We had a truly amazing time and were able to relax. Our visit to the spa was great, highly recommend the hot stone massage. We also enjoyed sitting in the hot tub while it was snowing, very magical experience.

Another great stay! My fiancé and I came here for a weekend away, and I can't wait to come back! I'm always excited to stay at The Essex. Between an amazing dinner reservation at Junction, couples massages at the Spa, lots of time in the pool, and a visit to the tavern for an amazing breakfast makes our stay worth it every time.

Spa technicians were professional and the treatments were decent. The front of house staff however... holy Shi* next level rude from the moment I arrived to check out. Thought maybe it was a bad morning but was really disappointed at check out that attitudes and extreme rudeness were still present despite not asking them for anything but to check in and check out? One of the young women even proceeded to go off about another male employee being "so rude" and having an "attitude" with her after asking one quiet question while walking through the lobby. (Scorned lover?) SHE DID THIS IN FRONT OF A GUEST SWIPING A CC FOR 800.00 worth of treatments! Kinda (really) sucked to end relaxing spa treatments with rude bitchy little girls at the front desk. Sucks for all the technicians that those individuals are taking away from guest experience big time. DESPERATELY NEED SOME HOSPITALITY TRAINING!

Do not stay here- not worth the money. Where to start: reserved a King got a double. Broken loud AC,. Body hairs on the top edge of the tub (seriously gross& obvious). Privacy? Block out the light??nope-Cheapest blinds you can find- poorly fitted window shades -& NO drapes- letting the light in. no usb outlets, tiny tiny shower, mosquitoes everywhere & the best for last the beds - beds- lumpy, huge hollow in them, feel the frame, noisy material - words cant even describe how bad the bed is-- are so bad a cheap air mattress would be better.

We enjoyed a delightful family style Thanksgiving dinner in the Tavern. The food was wonderful and very reasonable. Great service as always!

My wife and recently stayed at the Essex, we were super excited to see VT and excited about staying here. We understand that it was a over a Christmas holiday and help is hard to get. BUT ...This place is ran by young people who haven't a clue about hospitality or customer service, the pastries in their display were stale. Let's keep in mind this is a "culinary resort". Had to beg for someone to refill the coffee in the common area that should both have been filled by 7:30! The restaurant area books up fast, so you'll likely be going out to eat as we were forced to. The facility itself is dated and just worn out, in need of carpet amongst other things. Beside the fan vent falling off, the fan wouldn't shut off, period. Listened to that for 4 days, the windows leaked air and howled anytime the wind blew. Listen, I'm not that hard to please, but when you pay top dollar, for an advertised top dollar place but get a lot less, you should charge a lot less for less expectation. Not impressed

Resort was outdated and staff was rude. When I checked in they tried to charge me even though I had already paid for my entire reservation. I had to pull up my credit card statements from months ago when I had booked. The two young women behind the counter weren't helpful at all and were extremely dismissive. I was charged twice for champagne and overcharged for rose petals. Would not recommend. The only perk was the wonderful staff at the spa and the extremely nice and talented staff there. I didn't even get an apology for trying to be charged twice for a room I had already paid for.

Horrible service filled with children. Where are the adults??? Outdated furnishings and had to beg for an itemized receipt.

my wife and I stayed here two weeks ago for our 45th anniversary. This is the second time we stayEd the first being 5 years ago and we were so disappointed! The facilities are dated and in disrepair. torn and stained carpets in the two rooms we were in ( we switched after seeing how bad the first room was only to be as disapointed with the second) Way over priced for the value and posted a review on their site only to be passed off as "We hope to make your next stay enjoyable " by owner. ( All of their responses to negative reviews are the same!) Won't be a next time! if you want equal quality while up in the Burlington area, try Super 8 or Motel 6!!

Overall we were disappointed. First: Our room was nice but the sheets....oh my goodness the sheets. Please just throw them out. They are so pilled it felt like sand paper on our skin. I had a horrible night sleep. Asked for new linens the second night and they were only slightly better. The shower was soooo short. I'm 5'7 and the shower head was at the same height as my face. Second: Please just change the name or rebrand. You are NOT a culinary resort. We were there on a weekend. The class offerings were pathetic and the food served at the tavern did not encourage us to even pay for the nicer restaurant on site.

Came here for spa treatments with my sister. We got the ultimate Zen package and signature facial. The Zen treatment was a sugar scrub and moisturizer treatment, not really a wrap. There was no separate massage, rubbing the scrub and moisturizer on you was the massage. I did not receive the hot oil scalp treatment, but got about a minute scalp massage. It did not last the full 80 minutes. It was all relaxing though. The facial was very nice and left my face soft and glowy, also relaxing. Arm and hand massage was included with that. Use of pool, hot tub, and sauna was included. I only tried the sauna. Nice changing area with lockers. Nice lounge area with lemon water and tea. You could order food too. We got lucky that they were having a 20% off special for July. They add on a 22% tip for you though. It was nice but there are better deals out there.

This is a review of the Spa. I booked a (very expensive) service (The Ultimate Zen - $195), with the expectation of an 80 minute treatment. I do wish they would tell you that that is not what you get. I was called 3 minutes after my 'start time', where we walked upstairs, and then the masseur explained how the treatment would work. By the time I started the massage, it was about 10 minutes in. I thought perhaps that was why it was 80 minutes - it was really 90 minutes as they don't count the extra time. Unfortunately, not the case. He finished exactly on time, at the 80-minute mark. I felt like I was gypped of 10 minutes of massage. Additionally, he had asked what I wanted to work on, and I said my shoulders. He barely worked on my shoulders at all. Compared to other massages I have received, there was a lot of areas that were ignored. Typically, my face has been massaged as well. Not the case here either. It was really disappointing. I am sure the providers are trained with the order and what they need to do and have specific time limits for each area, however it just made me sad that what I really went there for (a massage to help my upper back and shoulder relax) didn't even happen. I also thought it was weird that there was a good amount of time (at least 5 minutes?) where he spent at the sink - not quite sure doing what, I just knew the water was running. Definitely disappointing. Glad I had gift cards and didn't have to spend my hard earned money. It was definitely not the experience I wanted. (All the spa prices are significantly inflated for what you get - the locker and waiting room for the spa are lovely. Everything else needs some sprucing up. This is the 2nd time the Essex has not met my standards (which are really not that high). I always give a second chance. There will be no more chances here, unfortunately.

My boyfriend and I loved it so much hand a great romantic get away . the food was amazing and was large portions . the bacon w salmon is to die for. must try . the people that worked there were helpful and friendly. the rooms were very clean loved them so much . a 10 out of 10 I recommend this place every time . thank you all so much for everything it was a pleasure being there !!!

This review is of the Spa, not the Inn. The women who work at the spa are amazing, and the spa itself is very well cared for. The upkeep on the swimming and hot tub facilities is SEVERELY lacking. The locker room at the pool is dirty and under equipped, the pool deck is dirty and they allow people with winter boots to walk around the indoor pool deck (hence the sand and gravel in the pool bottom). The hot tub is not well maintained, is often dirty and foamy, and the tiles on the edge of the pool are brown with residue and deposits. I would not be super happy if this is what I found after paying $400-$500 a night for a room at the Inn.

Came here for a long weekend for my birthday, it was very nice and all of the staff were very kind. The spa area was very lovely but I was a little shocked on the pricing of every other additional service and they weren't even able to schedule a mani-pedi even though the pamphlet said that they did :( uncomfortable sheets and blankets that felt a bit like sandpaper. I did have to clean up the room a little bit before settling in when we arrived. But, it was very relaxing to not have to get in the car for anything, just walk around in a robe and a lovely hot tub outside.

If you are rating this hotel 4star you have obviously not stayed at luxury four hotels. This is not a 4star Resort hotel like they advertise. This is a two star hotel with extra amenities. The heaters in the rooms don't work very well. The water heaters does not work well. This sucks especially if you are staying here during winter season. There is no one at the front to help with luggage ( for those checking in at night). The elevators smell and the carpets are filthy. Also the Steam room has rust As some one who travels a lot and stays at luxury hotels. This hotel is a disappointment and falsely advertisements as a 4star Resort Hotel and spa. This kind of false advertisement is not fair to the customers. Definitely worst hotel experience of my life.

We really enjoyed our stay here! The room was spacious and quiet. The pool and hot tub are really nice! The staff was super friendly and we will definitely stay here next time we visit.

Very cool specialty resort! The family and I stayed at this hotel during Thanksgiving break. Located in the northern part of Vermont lies a quaint little specialty resort offering...(you guessed it from the title) food! There are many different types of packages this hotel offers and centers around culinary delights, some pertaining to cooking classes to spas. We chose a package that gave us $16/person breakfast credit and 20% off lunch/dinner at the resort restaurants. It also came with free evening hot cocoa and fire pit s'mores. The food at this resort is very good. The staff made me feel very nice and positive, the place is very clean, and my overall stay was positively memorable. I took away 1 star for the little things-you have to exit the resort to get to the pool(kinda sucks during the snowy winter) and my room metal heater occasionally rattled very loud(although nothing a small piece of tissue stuck between the metal grate won't solve). I would recommend this resort for my foodies!

This review is of the spa first off the attendants were absolutely amazing all the services that were done were excellent that being said the experience was a nightmare I bought my wife a 300.00 gift card so she could have a SPA day for a mother's day gift figured she deserved to take it easy for a day. The Cost on their own brochure is 280.00 figured 20 bucks more for a tip included lunch and two services of her choice. The problems began immediately upon her attempting to make a reservation. She wanted a massage and a pedicure...fairly standard Spa care right? Nope couldn't book a massage and pedicure on the same day for at least two months according to the first person she spoke with....but she could book a massage and a facial, she didn't want a facial she wanted a pedicure ....nope not going to happen ....or it might she would just need to call back Called back a week later booked a massage and a pedicure same day great, but the pool and hottub etc according to the booking agent were closed .....welldang it but hey at least she can still get the service....so she took a day off work Two days prior to her appointment they call and say nope no pedicure ....but t she can get a facial...so ok she already has the day off work bite the bullet and take the facial because obviously when it says book any two service you want its book any service and a facial because we don't have the staff to provide you with anything else. Day of gets to the spa and low and behold the pool and hot tub are open and have been ....nobody knows why the person that booked her told her they weren't....of course no bathing suit because why would she bring one if they were closed ......facial (that she never wanted) went fine ....now a two hour wait till her next service but that's OK because lunch should arrive at any moment right...wrong She sat there for an hour no lunch finally found a staff member and asked was told she needed to go to the front desk for that ....goes to the front desk is handed a menu selects a cheese plate with three cheeses.....plate shows up with two cheeses but par for the course at this point. Finally gets her massage and goes to check out hands over gift card, gentleman at the front desk tells her 398.00 .....What wait on a 280.00 service .....guy at front desk doesn't know what she's talking about she shows him their brochure...he still has no idea but agrees it is 280.00 spends another 20 minutes and gives her 6 different prices settles on 260.....wait what on a 280 dollar service.....but at this point the day of relaxation has turned into a day of anything but and she's like ok I'll take the discount and go .... Two weeks later same front desk guy calls and wants another 24.00 she pays him why? IDK probably because she's nicer than me. I call and speak to the SPA manager who refunds the 24.00 and chaulks it up to a communications problem....excuse me .....no its a management, and training problem....I get "communications problem" is a great buzz word but no if your the manager and the people who work for you don't even know how to do their jobs that's your fault she did offer to refund the full 300.00 gift card and after I talk to the resort manager (whom I left a message for 2 hours ago and haven't heard back from yet) I will take her up on the offer. The thing is they took my money that I gave them for my wife so she would have a relaxing day and made it anything but relaxing....absolutely disappointed In the Essex Resort and SPA. Would not recommend anybody spending their hard earned money there

Way overpriced..paid ($400+) for one night at this very outdated resort. Quoted outrageous prices at the spa too. I wouldn't be complaining if this was a luxurious hotel but it is far from it. I thought I could relax for a night after taking my daughter to college..instead I feel so ripped off.

10/10! Our room was great and the staff was friendly. The massage at the spa was maybe the best one I have ever had. Cooking class with Chef Marc was a blast and dinner at the junction was amazingly good. Can't recommend this place enough! We will definitely be back

We had an INCREDIBLE time at the Essex this last week. Every staff member we encountered was warm and friendly. As a culinary resort you imagine the food will be good but it blew our expectations out of the water. The food was EXCELLENT. Tavern has a fun vibe and great food and The Junction is a culinary experience in its own right. From environment, to the chefs, to the food itself, we couldn't have asked for a better night! We also did the chefs academy with Chef Marc which I highly recommend!! We did massages at the spa and they were both great! Goats, chickens, clean resort, beautiful property! Nothing to complain about. Thank you Essex staff for an excellent experience. Special shout-out to Missy for helping my plan when I called and making sure we had our experience lined out!

In an ideal location, The Essex was a perfect, picturesque and quiet location for our visit to VT. The scenery is absolutely beautiful and ideal for moving away from the hustle of the shopping district. Unfortunately, we only stayed one night but we absolutely loved our room. The room was a perfect size for the two of us and super clean, definitely a nice comfort when staying somewhere for the night. The staff was very welcoming and helped make our stay very pleasant.

I came across a gift certificate and saw that it had an expiration date. So I called and asked about it. I asked if the expiration date was right and she said yes. Then I asked "so my husband gave you over $200 for services and you're not going to honor that? She said "the state of Vermont gives us this right, so yes we can keep your money. Look it up online" If I could give 0 stars I would. This is terrible business practice. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I will tell everyone about this, maybe even Seven days... but it looks like I don't need to seeing as though your yelp review average is terrible and speaks for itself... I'm sure I didn't match the snark of the woman I spoke to on the phone... see you never....

We just spent a weekend here and were happy with our choice. First, we arrived a bit early prior to our check-in time and were pleased when they were able to give us our room in The Mansion. I'm a clean freak and the room definitely passed my standards, besides some dust in the bathroom vent and a few rust stains here and there. One of our favorite parts was that there was a tunnel underground that connected The Mansion to the main hotel so that we could go to our dinner reservation without having to go outside in the cold. Our anniversary dinner was celebrated at Junction, and our tomahawk was fantastic, but it was really hyped up to be an interactive experience, and we didn't feel that it was any different from a typical restaurant experience besides the open-kitchen factor. I was also a bit disappointed that there was a limited selection of culinary classes, but I'm sure that's due to COVID, and also the fact that we booked our stay a week before coming up. We also had made reservations at Tavern for breakfast, but those were cancelled due to staffing shortages. I understood, but it was still a bit of a letdown. The cafe at the lobby had a good selection of snacks, though the cupcake we picked up was a little dry. Our views from the room were of parking lots and the Essex campus, so there are definitely more picturesque places to stay in Vermont. However, it served our needs for the weekend and was a nice place for our anniversary. I liked the overall culinary theme, but I do think referring to it as a culinary resort overhypes it a bit.

Where do I even start? My husband and I recently experienced the Essex "culinary" resort. We'd planned a vacation to visit our daughter who is a student at UVM and explore the surrounding area. To say we felt catfished is an understatement. DO NOT view the website and think that's what you're getting! They clearly spent a lot for a good marketing/branding firm. Too bad they didn't come close to representing reality. This property is tired, worn, cheesy and don't even get me started on the culinary claim! Our room was in desperate need of cleaning, repairs and refurbishing. The bedsheets were so pilled they hurt our skin! Our pedestal sink (think nowhere to set your things) filled up from a clogged drain the first night when I brushed my teeth. No way the cleaning crew actually cleaned it or they'd have noticed. Chunks of dust, dirt and debris literally fell out of the the fan vent over the shower onto my husband when he showered the first morning! The room had stained, torn, threadbare carpet and something stained dripped on the living room wall. I'm so relieved we didn't sign up for a cooking class because based on the food offered/served at the Essex, I can't imagine. The delightfully described pastry and coffee cart in the lobby was a dirty glass case counter (don't look down in the crevices in the pastry case--think shower vent above!) was filled with items that looked old, unappetizing and far from what was described. My husband went down for an espresso the first morning and his coffee came from one of those "espresso" machines with buttons (think old employee break room automated coffee machine) and the same old skimpy offerings from the night before in the pastry cabinet. We decided to try breakfast (because who can screw up eggs right?) and we were there and hungry. The restaurant was not too busy when we were there but we still waited 40 min to receive our food. The waitress was rude abrupt and messed up our order. My husband was shocked to take a bite of his potatoes that tasted strongly of mold! They serve breakfast in the "finer" of their two restaurants and there were McCormick S&P grinders on the table. Culinary? Right! We were supposed to stay 6 nights (for nearly $3000!) but bailed after two demanding a refund for the remaining nights. We'd have left sooner but couldn't find a vacancy due to high season. I've always used Yelp for restaurant reviews but had never for hotels. I wish I would have because this review will join many like this. I sure will from now on! Run and run fast! Do not stay here! This place has a lovely setting that is wasted on this old tired cheesy hotel. Don't waste your money or your vacation!

OMG - OK, - I'm reluctant to give this review - because once I do this - everyone is going to flood this place :-) - Wow! - Peaceful and Tranquil! - Andrea and I truly had a wonderful 5 day staff - We planned on staying 2-3 day and quickly watched our stay expand out to 5 days. Staff is truly wonderful and very helpful! - Thank you to the young man that checked us in upon arrival. Thank you for being so gracious and generous and giving us a "First Responder" Discount. This was incredibly kind of you all and I so much appreciate this! Truly was an amazing and relaxing stay for both of us. Amazing facilities - pool - Both indoor and Outdoor was truly awesome and so well maintained. We would definitely love to visit again - if given the opportunity. This place truly blows Lake George away! - So, don't be a fool, make the trip! - Not a bad ride from New York!

My husband and I stayed here on our "mini-moon" after our wedding this past weekend. The grounds are stunning, and the common areas and rooms well decorated. The hallways are quite dated and needed cleaning - there was a room service tray on the floor in our hall for the length of our three day stay...Wifi throughout the building is spotty. It generally stopped working completely after 8pm, perhaps too many people on it at once? We booked the king suite spa with the whirlpool tub. It was amazing and the best decision I've ever made, though one of the jets was rusty. We had views of the pool and spa; noise was never an issue. Our air conditioner was set to sixty degrees when we arrived. We turned it up to 73 and the fire alarm went off every time the heat kicked on. It was ridiculous, honestly. We ended up just turning the entire unit off and opening the windows to let the sun warm the room. Which was okay, but for a $700 stay....? We did not have services done at the spa due to lack of time, but did walk through the building and it was quite beautiful. The in room amenities/toiletries were a lovely scent and quality. Room service was atrocious. None of my questions about the menu items could be answered without being put on hold (things such as, what's your soup today? Can you put the sour cream on the side?). It was a lengthy wait, though it was accurately communicated. All of the food arrived ice cold, I was mischarged on my receipt, and they forgot to bring us one of the items we ordered. They also automatically charge 20% gratuity on all room service orders, which is quite high! Do you tip your pizza delivery person 20%? Check in was fine, very smooth and polite. The young lady asked why we were visiting and we mentioned that we had just gotten married and she sent a bottle of champagne to our room, which we thought was sweet. When we got our bill upon check out, we were charged a $20 resort fee per day of our stay. When I inquired at the front desk, she said it was for parking, coffee in the lobby, and access to the spa....This was a weird answer. I would expect those things to be accounted for in my room price. If the room cost $20 more upon booking, I honestly would not have thought twice of it. To charge me separately per day is quite petty. Most chain hotels also offer these amenities, and do not charge you a "resort fee". I also still have a $400 hold on my credit card for "incidentals" with no word on when it will be released. Overall, I am quite conflicted on how I feel about this resort and if I would return or not. I have left separate reviews of the onsite restaurants on their respective pages, both very different experiences. I think if I did not walk away with such a bitter taste in my mouth of the room service on my last night and the folio breakdown, I would be more likely to return.. As it stands right now, I probably would book elsewhere despite the positives.

the facilities are nice though there's no co-Ed sauna or steam room (sad for some couples) and my massage therapist had very timid hands and literally talked about himself THE ENTIRE TIME.

Abut two months ago I decided I was going to go away for a long weekend for my birthday- go to a nice resort with a spa so I wouldn't have to hop in my car and ruin all of the relaxation. I'll write a sepal review under the Spa's page because the experiences were drastically different. For the price of the room, disappointed is putting it nicely. First: I couldn't sleep due to some weird way the door shut. Up close, and literally- the door was shut and you could not see through the frame and the door. At night? While your bed is facing the door? It's clearly not sealed or flush because a stream of light pours in from floor to ceiling. I was constantly waking up frightened that someone was in my room, having to remind myself it was just the door. Second: when I could sleep, I was woken up nightly by other guests in the lobby. Hotel's fault? Not exactly except part of it was just due to thin walls. Third: speaking of being afraid someone was in my room- I came back from the spa on my third day and my keycard wasn't working. No big deal- it happens. I go back to the lobby and told the front desk clerk. She asked me what my room number was. I tell her. Boom re keys it. Didn't ask to see my ID, didn't even ask my NAME to identify me. That was a dealbreaker. I was waiting for a survey to come via email for my feedback on my stay but never got one. I wish I had read other reviews prior to booking.

Not that great. The website must purposely not have a map of the property other wise you would know you have to go outside to get to pool. In my case the building they stuck me in is a long way away. May not be a big deal, but it's Cold in Vermont. Very cold. The place itself is old and desperately needs a facelift. I have a torn lampshade in my room and room service never came. If it weren't for this wedding I am attending I would not come back here. There are much nicer places.

I LOVE This place. 15 min from Burlington. Quiet. Tennis court Nice restaurants. Big indoor pool. Room are very cute and well decorated. I go there once 1 year since never. Warm cookies and limonade in the afternoon...

My Granddaughter and I took a baking class together in April of 2021 and had the best time. There were 2 other grandmoms with 2 teenage grandsons also. The instructors were so informative and answered all our questions. We all had a chance to mix, add ingredients, practice piping and filling. We made incredible little cream puffs filled with vanilla cream mixture and dipped in yummy chocolate. We learned all sorts of tips and suggestions for using these wonderful recipes. They were a big hit with family and friends. We will be back and I will encourage her to take more classes when available even if I am not visiting. Thank you for having us in the class and for sparking more interest in the hows and whys of baking and techniques. I am not a baker and would recommend classes and these instructors for all levels of skill.

The massages at the spa were amazing but the rest of the resort experience was average at best. The rooms are out dated and damaged, the restaurants were slow and the food was cold, the staff is not very friendly and unhelpful. The windows in our room didn't close fully or lock, the wind noise and the drafts made sleeping nearly impossible as temps were in the teens with wind chills well below zero. Every time we wanted to get room service or do take out, they made excuses as to why they can't or took forever for simple orders. A "culinary" resort it was not, the pastries were stale and fresh coffee or hot water was elusive, even at 7:30 in the morning. I'm truly disappointed as I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect place to stay over the holiday. This just wasn't a good resort experience.

Paid a high price for one of the last rooms left. We were assured that the room was quiet. Imagine my joy to look out the window at 9:30 and see the bar band playing 15 feet from our window. I got over that, but at 6 am the next morning large trucks started entering a construction site out my other window. The warning beeps from the trucks went on for a long time. Finally, management ought to consider running a vacuum once in a while.

We stayed for three nights and were overall okay with the experience. It was quite the place 20 years ago. It is showing it's age. The roof shingles are curling and the trim needs paint. The stairs need vacuuming. I was shocked there was no pamphlet or directory of restaurants in the area or a profile of the resort and where things were! I had to ask where the ice machine was. The room thermostat was hidden behind a lamp and TV. We spent a cold night not able to find it. The Spa was a good experience. Two massages and the staff was pleasant and professional. The beds were comfortable and the linens we had were fine despite other postings recently indicating otherwise. The website is not transparent, hard to navigate and needs updating. No prices on items in the vending machines. I can only imagine lookng at my credit card finding I probably paid $8.00 for a bottle of water. It was rather sad to see 3 of their maintenance personnel looking at a down spout, taking it apart, pointing to the gutter, trying to figure out why it was not draining correctly... I could see clearly why the sagging gutter was not draining. I yelled down to them that the length of the gutter had 6" of debris within and plants growing out of it. If this is a private holding, sell now to a major chain to bring back the lustre and or re-invent itself

Very nice hotel! The room was very clean and nice. Front desk staff were very knowledgeable and accommodating. Fresh pastries in the lobby-delicious! Nice area, but too cold and windy to walk very far. I would love to return and visit their spa and attend their cooking class.

This hotel is given five stars for customer service. Staff here was always willing to go the extra mile. The hotel was warm and cozy, featuring a great dinner spot, hot cocoa, fire pits, spa, etc. exactly what we were looking for a New England winter get away. Close to Stowe and Burlington. I would definitely come back/recommend to a friend.

It pains me to write this, but here it goes. At best, two stars. Certainly NOT a "luxury resort" in fact, it should be a crime for them to label themselves as such. No outdoor dining reservations available, yet we walked the property and sat on a bench for 45 minutes while we observed that only three outdoor tables were occupied. The person answering the restaurant phone seemed very confused, mentioning "oops, I'm looking at the wrong restaurant screen, it is very confusing." The rooms in the Manor building are worn and tired. Peeling wallpaper, very old and outdated bathroom fixtures. While I would not say it is dirty, there is nothing that jumps out and screams, wow this place is clean. Front desk staff very nice and pleasant, grounds are okay, and the room is spacious - nothing luxury though. Two spoons and a fork in the kitchenette. When the people upstairs run the shower the noise is absurd. We weren't able to take advantage of cooking classes or the spa since no appointments were available - and apparently the restaurant is booked. Absolutely NOT worth the money.

5 stars for the cooking class with Chef Denise, 5 stars for the tennis courts, but 2 stars for the room itself. The cooking classes aren't really for accomplished cooks to learn anything. But for couples, they are a fun thing to do. And if you sign up with Chef Denise, the atmosphere will be friendly, non-intimidating, and very enjoyable. The har-tru tennis courts were in good shape. The studio suite itself wasn't really luxurious, but it was clean, had a usable kitchen, and a nice gas burning stove to warm up the room at night. The bedsheets and bathrobes felt like sandpaper though. This is something that can ruin your stay. I would seriously consider bringing your own, so that you can enjoy the rest of what the essex has to offer. There was also no mention of the spa being closed when I booked the reservation, nor any mention of it before we arrived.

Stayed here for a relaxing weekend away, and we were not disappointed! Our room was nothing fancy but the downstairs is cozy. What really stood out to us was the spa. The facility is gorgeous and the spaces are great. I got a decent massage. They ask you to list certain preferences when I booked online that I feel like they did not take in consideration when setting up my appointment- a shame considering how pricey it is. HIGHLY recommend the cooking class with Chef Marc. He was so kind and knowledgeable, he articulated how everything was "supposed" to be done but also encouraged you to do your own thing. And the food we made was DELICIOUS- I couldn't believe I made it! Overall a great weekend away, we are already thinking about when we can get back!

We had such a great time with Marc, our Chef!! We made a homemade pasta dish .... I've always been intimidated to make fresh pasta. Marc was very patient with me! The food we made was so delicious. I would definitely recommend doing a cooking class here at The Essex!! We were stuffed when we left!

We stayed at the resort for my husband's 30th birthday. The resort was so quaint and the rooms were so cute. We ate at both the tavern and the junction. Both were equally fabulous. The tomahawk steak at the junction was to die for. Additionally we did a cooking class with chef Marcus and it was truly so fun. He made it really relaxed and such a great evening and the menu was amazing. We cant wait to come back.