Swift House Inn, Middlebury

The room we stayed in was very pretty and the bed was amazingly comfortable. The fireplace was a nice addition as our visit was during the month of February. The only downside was the bathroom was in some serious need of updating, the jacuzzi tub was old and the brass accessories were tarnished. The meal was excellent and the breakfast was great and filling. Will definitely come back.

If you're going to be in the Middlebury area and you're looking for a place to stay, you know your choices are relatively limited - the Middlebury Inn, the Courtyard Marriot, and a handful of other small B and B's. Swift House is not simply the best of what's around, it is charming, delightful, and if you're Vermont bound for any reason Swift House is a fabulous find. If you're looking for lodging in Middlebury, I cannot stress enough that not only is Swift House is a perfectly marvelous place to stay based own its own merit, but considering the local alternatives, is absolutely the best place to stay. The Middlebury Inn is, in short, run down and poorly run; the staff is, for the most part, rude and unaccommodating and will give the royal Town-Gown experience, complete with rude glances, smirking and hostility. (Certainly, that would be a slice of local culture...) Finally, the food is medicore at best and obscenely overpriced. The Courtyard is perfectly nice -- just like every other Marriot Courtyard in a America. There is certainly nothing special about its Middlebury-area location. Additionally, it is not within walking distance of the school and don't bother to open the blinds unless you're looking for a breathtaking view of two parking lots, a McDonalds, and a supermarket. This is actually a pretty rare scene to see from any window in Vermont. So, I suppose a stay there would be a unique Vermont experience -- there only a handful of other places in the State where you can look out the window and see nothing uniquely Vermont - perhaps only to be found elsewhere in the state at the motels/hotels by the Burlington airport. Swift House, in contrast, is nestled in pine trees, scenic - a post-card perfect Vermont view and in every way the perfect way to experience Vermont.