At Relais & Châteaux the tradition of the Route du Bonheur (the road to happiness) is an immersion into the sensual experience of luxury travel. For those who have a passion for travel, Relais & Châteaux offers luxury accommodation and exquisite gourmet dining to compliment the culture, the landscape and the traditions of our destinations.
Our Route du Bonheur across the Eastern US begins at the seafront hotel of the White Barn Inn and Spa at Kennebunkport Beach. Kennebunkport is the perfect New England escape with its pristine beaches and rugged coastlines and quaint Kennebunkport Village. The White Barn Inn and Spa offers a getaway hotel with luxury rooms, a full spa and the creativity of Grand Chef Jonathan Cartwright whose table contains the best of gourmet cuisine from New England and the sea.
Moving inland we offer The Pitcher Inn and Spa for a true experience of a Vermont luxury getaway. The Pitcher Inn and Spa celebrates intellectual curiosity and cultural heritage in each unique Vermont-themed room. Located in the Green Mountains and at the foot of the Sugarbush Ski and Golf Resort, our luxury Inn is the destination for both summer and winter. Skiing, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, golf, hiking, ice skating, leaf peeping and maple sugaring are only some of the activities available for a stay in Vermont. Add a superb spa and an excellent gourmet table influenced by French and Italian flavors and this luxury destination is perfection.
Halfway between Boston and New York City is the luxurious country Tudor-style house hotel of Blantyre. For a getaway that includes antiquing in The Berkshires, wandering through the historical homes of Edith Wharton and Herman Melville or visiting the Norman Rockwell museum interspersed with hot air ballooning, horseback riding, fishing and golf then the destination hotel Blantyre in Massachusetts is the perfect vacation. Here you will find an intimate, full treatment spa and our Grand Chef Christopher Brooks, who offers cooking classes for those that would like to see how his unique and sumptuous gourmet table is created.
Traveling back toward the Atlantic, overlooking the ocean from a forty-acre peninsula is the spectacular luxury destination of the Castle Hill Inn & Resort. Located in Newport, this destination offers both the seclusion of a private oceanfront luxury resort and the attractions Newport has to offer. From the Castle Hill Inn & Resort, you will experience a taste of Victorian seacoast life. For music lovers, Newport is a haven with its festivals devoted to jazz and folk music.
Further east into the islands that comprise the Outer Lands region off the southern coast of New England is The Charlotte Inn in the heart of Martha’s Vineyard. Once a captain’s house, The Charlotte Inn is a step into Edwardian-era elegance, with cozy luxurious rooms filled with collector’s pieces and the romantic atmosphere of a New England country inn. Surrounded by the island with its lighthouse and beaches, there are water activities and historic sites to explore. This luxury destination offers peace, privacy and the charm of an era gone-by.
History is preserved on the beautiful island of Nantucket. Endless beaches, old manor houses and beautiful gardens make up this destination. The Wauwinet was one of the first hotels on the island. It is a true waterfront luxury beach resort with a private bay beach and a spa by the sea. A stay at The Wauwinet might include surfcasting for striped bass, sailing, surfing or night swimming in the area’s phosphorescent waters. There are gourmet cooking classes at the hotel and lobstering or wine tasting opportunities available.
The Adirondack Mountains offer as much allure as the coast. A retreat to The Point, an Adirondack Great camp built for William A Rockefeller, is a luxury experience set along the wooded shore of Upper Saranac Lake. This private estate in the mountain wilderness offers world-class gourmet cuisine and the activities of a mountain destination. Snowshoeing, skiing, gourmet picnic excursions, boating, swimming and the quiet of the great North woods are all to be found at The Point.
The Arts and Crafts style Lake Placid Lodge is the next stop through the Adirondack Mountains. The Lake Placid Lodge, built entirely by hand by local artisans, offers luxury suites in the main lodge, private cabins or lakeside suites. Every summer or winter activity imaginable is available, with Lake Placid, the Adirondack Mountains and surrounding woods just outside the door. Inside, romantic retreats are enhanced by the prix-fixe menu of New American gourmet cuisine served in the hotel dining room or deck which overlooks Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain.
Just two hours outside New York City and Boston, amidst centuries-old maple trees lays the unique luxury experience of the Winvian. Here you will find an unconventional destination retreat with nineteen original chalets, including a 2-story luxury tree house or a lighthouse in the forest. The Winvian offers a romantic spa and gourmet dining created to gratify all the senses. Eclectic wines from around the globe compliment the creative table. The area offers fly fishing, hot air ballooning, biking, horseback riding, water sport s and golf. A lush and unique experience at this luxury retreat hotel awaits.
The destination spa of The Mayflower Inn & Spa is less than two hours from New York City. True to The Mayflower Inn & Spa’s holistic approach to well-being, in addition to the array of specialized treatments offered, the Inn also offers classes and workshops led by experts in their field. Some of the classes include dream interpretation, dance, painting, writing and yoga. This luxury country house hotel serves distinctive regional gourmet cuisine, featuring fresh, seasonal local ingredients. The luxury hotel and spa is a gateway to outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, kayaking, bird watching, cross country skiing and snow shoeing in rural Connecticut.
In Greenwich, Connecticut, there is the renovated 18th century farmhouse of the Homestead Inn and Thomas Henkelmann. Grand Chef Thomas Henkelmann’s table at Homestead Inn features a blend of fine New York City gourmet dining and New England understatement influenced by German and French techniques. The luxury hotel presents the sophistication of contemporary art and sculpture blended with the architecture of the past. It’s a luxurious retreat designed to tantalize the senses with its décor, its gourmet cuisine and its luxury destination experience.
New York City is the next stop on our Route du Bonheur. For a classic dining experience in Midtown Manhattan, the restaurant Aureole offers the quiet sophistication of progressive American gourmet cuisine. The New American kitchen of Grand Chef Charlie Palmer creates an exquisite table inspired by the seasons and complemented by the depth of Aureole’s wine attic.
The Daniel, is the creation of restaurateur and Grand Chef Daniel Boulud. The upper east side in Manhattan is home to the Daniel, one of only five Manhattan restaurants to have earned the New York Times coveted four-star rating. The contemporary French gourmet cuisine is accompanied by rare world-class vintages wines. Here, the table is both humble and sophisticated where Boulud’s personal warmth and style graces the menu and creates a truly memorable gourmet dining experience.
Also in the City you can find Per Se, the restaurant of Grand Chef Thomas Keller. Keller is the creator of the successful restaurant, The French Laundry, in Napa Valley. Once again, he has created a unique gourmet culinary experience with his new restaurant located at Columbus Circle in New York. Here you will find modern American recipes with a touch of French class. There are daily reinventions of Per Se,’s unique nine-course vegetable tasting menu. The philosophy of the table here underscores the emotional experience of dining.
Central Park West is home to the Jean Georges restaurant, where Grand Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has created a gourmet dining experience that is both personal and new. The menu is reinvented every three months and the dishes are finished tableside. The unconventional Jean Georges is famous for its inventive French new cuisine style with wild herbs and oriental flavors. A unique gourmet dining experience in the heart of New York.