As the world grows increasingly citified, an entire travel movement has grown out of the desire to visit the country. Whether it’s because you want to appreciate the slow life, eat hyper-local foods, or just spend five goddamn minutes without a fire engine siren wailing a few blocks away, the allure of visiting less populous regions is as high as ever.
Seriously, who doesn’t want to feel that cool country air on their skin as they take a wander? Who doesn’t want to eat seasonal foods straight from the garden? Who doesn’t dream of SLOWING THE HELL DOWN to read a book and nap and nap and nap? This is the allure of the country hotel. In many ways, these properties are luxurious because you feel time rich, they’re musical because silence is the sweetest song, and they’re sexy because nothing revs a person up like feeling rested.
So make a plan, pick a region, and get ready to still yourself. Seriously, rubbing your stockinged feet together by the hearth while sipping whiskey and reading a good book might be the best trip you ever take.
— Steve Bramucci, Travel Editor
Antica Corte Pallavicina: Parma, Italy
Along the Po River, an hour outside of Parma, Italy, sits the quiet country relais of Antica Corte Pallavicina. Walking the grounds, you’ll be left in awe of how this estate exists within its surrounding environment. Tall-hatted chefs wander the gardens, snipping herbs. The throaty snorts of pigs can be heard away in the distance, down near the river’s edge. Vines climb up the stone walls that surround a series of connected buildings, conjuring Winterfell from Game of Thrones and the sun-drenched visions of Italy seen in Under the Tuscan Sun.
This is the Italian countryside as you’ve always dreamed it — ancient, food-forward, and in-tune with its natural setting.
All that is fine and sweet, of course, but why you really need to know about Antica Corte Pallavicina is the ham. More specifically, culatello. These pear-shaped pork rumps are doused in white wine and cured deep in a musty cellar. So few are produced that the rich and famous reserve theirs more than a year in advance. Massimo Bottura has his name on a few. So does Prince Albert of Monaco. They are wise to do so. Thin, uneven slices of the culatello are sweeter than Prosciutto di Parma and more flavorful than Jamon Iberico. It’s a truly special product, housed a truly special hotel.
Walk the grounds along the banks of the Po, take a cooking class, and eat at the Michelin-starred on-site restaurant. This is country living at its very best — slow and wine-soaked and indulgent as can be.
Alderbrook Resort & Spa: Union, Washington
Nestled on the Hood Canal along the southeastern reaches of the Olympic Peninsula, you’ll find a retreat that’s second to none. Washington’s Alderbrook Resort & Spa is a destination unto itself. The huge log entryway feels like an escape to a different world, with a massive fireplace surrounded by Coast Salish art. Two cats — Alder and Brook — mosey and laze around the fire on rainy days and are totally down for a nice snuggle. The rooms have been recently revamped with all the plush amenities you’ll need (right down to cozy woolen blankets).
Then there’s the nature. There are trails through the rainforests worth spending the whole day trekking on. Hood Canal’s beach is a few steps away with all the water sports, fishing, and oysters right there. The Olympic Mountains are a short drive away, providing even more chances for a little outdoor fun. This is truly a nature lover’s retreat that’s only an hour-or-so away from downtown Seattle.
Rooms start at $184.
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel: Alberta, Canada
If your weekend escape to the country isn’t complete without decadent spa treatments and wild animal sightings, the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is the place for you. Situated in Banff National Park, this nouveau chateau is like an alpine castle. Complete with 12 restaurants, two bars, a spa, several pools, and bowling, you could almost get away with never leaving the resort. But why would you want to do that when there’s world-class hiking, skiing, snow-shoeing, and horseback riding all just outside your door?
Walk down to the village, only a mile downhill, or take a hike to one of the many turquoise-colored lakes in this protected national park. But be cautious, as you may run into an elk or even a moose. And you really don’t want to mess with those guys. Enjoy the European-style spa, or maybe hit the slopes if the weather permits. No matter what kind of country getaway you want, this 125-year-old chateau has it all. One of the biggest perks? Banff Springs is dog-friendly, so you don’t have to feel guilty while enjoying the great outdoors. If you’re not really an active traveler, just hang out on the terrace and gaze at Mount Rundle.
Rooms start at $300.
Dome House: Bowness-on-Windermere, England
The Lake District is country living filtered through quiet English village life — filled with rolling green hills and deep blue lakes. The nature park is one of the most pristine and beautiful corners of Britain and worth a trip north any time you find yourself in England.
Dome House is a brand new establishment amongst very old villages and manor houses. The modernist architecture works wonders in this the natural setting, with a fresh take on the English manor house vibe. The interiors are a masterclass in design and comfort. The food is as modernist and fascinating as the architecture while still staying fully local and seasonal. This is a fantastic home base for exploring the natural beauty of England’s Lake District.
Rooms start at $191.
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Ballyfin Demense: County Laois, Ireland
There is definitely an appeal to staying in a hotel that is centrally located within a big city. You only need walk out the door to be greeted by shops and bars and venues and restaurants. But sometimes you want to walk out the door into the woods, and hills, and water of a country estate. Ballyfin does that to the tune of 600 gorgeous, walled acres — with a neoclassical gem nestled in the center.
When it comes to accommodations, think Downton Abbey: beautiful bedrooms, a world-class library, a saloon, and more. And when guests arrive, the uniformed staff is grouped together to greet them. It’s pretty special. Outside the stately property you’ll find plenty to do — including shooting, hiking, archery, fishing, tennis, boating, croquet, and cycling. The hotel will even deliver a picnic to you or arrange a guided hike. There’s also a mosaic tiled pool and spa treatments if that’s more your scene.
Rooms start at $750.
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Mohonk Mountain House: New Paltz, New York
Mohonk Mountain House feels straight out of The Shining. The foreboding castle, drastic cliffs, dark forest, and lake are the fuel of fairytale nightmares. Mohonk is made for fall travel when the leaves are dying and a good ghost story told next to a fire pit will have you checking under the bed and in the closets before you go to sleep.
The hotel is a masterpiece of design and art. It feels like a Somewhere In Time-level of time travel. You’ll feel like you’re in an era when cloches were all the rage and booze was probably illegal. The rooms are all a little unique and the whole place has an energy that’ll stick with you.
Luckily, you can always escape to the woods — the dark, dark woods — just a few steps away.
Rooms start at $250.
Shack Up Inn: Clarksdale, Mississippi
The Shack Up Inn sits in the thick of the Mississippi River Delta, down the street from the crossroads where Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil for his guitar licks. The property consists of remodeled sharecropper and shotgun shacks that double as personal cabins and rooms in the repurposed cotton gin.
The town of Clarksdale, steeped in Blues Trail lore, provides the ideal country setting for The Shack Up. The legendary Delta Music scene takes up residence nearby at Red’s and Ground Zero, or at Juke Joint Chapel Bar attached to the lobby of the Inn. Delta BBQ and meat and three plates are not far off.
Those of us who live within a country mile of Clarksdale have our favorite shacks, as each has a different personality, history, and composition. How rural is this place? Each room comes with an acoustic guitar for use during your stay.
Rooms start at $75.
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Blackberry Farm: Smokey Mountains, Tennessee
A rare blend of boutique hotel and a fully functioning farm, Blackberry Farm is a complete charm machine. Luxury elements like flawless formal dining, a vast wine cellar, luxe bedding, and opulent furnishings are juxtaposed with quintessentially rural practices like sheep farming, beekeeping, cider pressing, and cheese making. Plus, this pastoral idyll sits smack dab in the middle of a Smoky Mountain landscape on a 4,200-acre estate and boasts some of the best views in Tennessee.
Good luck finding a property that better provides both a country vibe and a decadent one.
Guests can choose from a variety of rooms, including historic rooms, cottages, and houses with three to five bedrooms. We think the estate rooms located in the guest house provide a nice balance of total indulgence at one of the lower price points on the property. Plus they each offer access to the guest house living room, which includes two snuggly warm fireplaces and a stone veranda with awesome rocking chairs. It’s the perfect place to connect with other guests if you are the kind of traveler who enjoys swapping tales of adventure.
Rooms start at $645.
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Paradise Inn: Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
The lodges of the National Park system are throwbacks to a bygone era. They’re often log-hewn structures that feel like Teddy Roosevelt’s library. We mean that in the best way possible. They’re rustic, natural, and great bases of operations for experiencing the parks.
Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier is a classic NPS lodge with all the trappings of a great 1900s adventure lodge, right down to the shared bathrooms in the main lodge and small campers quarters. The lodge has expanded over the years to include more plush rooms with all the bells and whistles but there’s still a timeless wonder to the old-school quarters. You’ll feel like a turn-of-the-century climber who now gets to chill near a killer little bar with a fabulous view of a massive volcano in the background while you sip on a martini.
Rooms start at $104.
Byblos Art Hotel: Veneto, Italy
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Stepping outside of the city to indulge in a country vacation doesn’t automatically mean a rustic experience. There are plenty of rural properties that bring design and comfort in heaping doses, and the Byblos Art Hotel is a great example of this. Situated a 20-minute drive outside of Verona, this living contemporary art gallery housed in a 16th-century villa is a jaw dropper. From the exterior, it looks like any other Veronese Renaissance villa, but the interior is studded with 180 pieces of contemporary work from artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Damien Hirst. This place is pure whimsical fun and one of the few hotels that make you want to walk every single corridor looking for hidden delights.
The zany designs continue in guest rooms, where brightly painted furnishings and gilt-framed mirrors vie for prominence with tall lamps made of red plastic and abstractly shaped chairs in primary colors. These are the kind of digs that make you feel completely energized and beg to be photographed. Also, Instagram-worthy is the park that surrounds the villa. There are fountains hewn from Verona marble and an elegant swimming pool.
Rooms start at $238.
–Alia Stearns
Castello di Verrazzano: Greve, Italy
Ah, Tuscany. The rolling green hills with row after row of grapes baking the Tuscan sun is a sight to behold and should be on everyone’s bucket list.
When you do make it Italy, go to Chianti and drink and eat your way through for at least a week. We all need a week like that at least once in our lives. A stay at the Agriturismo (those are homestays at working farms/vineyards) at the winery Castello di Verranzzano is a great place to post up, eat all the ham and cheese you can, and drink Chianti until you pass out in a full-on castle.
That’s a good day in Italy right there.
Rooms start at $75.
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Cavas Wine Lodge: Mendoza, Argentina
As you turn off the main road and travel through gnarled vines and weeping willows to get to this series of scattered private villas, it becomes clear that Cavas Wine Lodge is a special find. The mix of the sophisticated and the strange manifest as a surreal wonderland awash in wine. Like seriously the wine aspect of this hotel is profound; you can take baths in it during your stay and choose bottles from the immense wine cellar to match with the seasonal, organic cuisine offered. Make full use of the sommelier and try the wine made from the vines on the property for the full experience.
The villas are large and relaxing spaces designed to serve as decadent dens. Within the smooth adobe walls, you will find modern minimalist furnishings, and through the windows, you can spot the Andes. You can also snag great views from your private terrace with rain shower and plunge pool or from the rolltop bath that begs you to fill it with wine-infused salts. After a deep sleep, courtesy of the chill surroundings and great wine, hit the rooftop terrace to enjoy a coffee in your robe. If you opt for some stargazing at night, the staff will light a fire on the rooftop terrace and bring a pile of wool blankets with which to cuddle up, as well.
Rooms start at $900.
Brasada Ranch: Powell Butte, Oregon
A dude ranch sounds a little outmoded — City Slickers probably comes to mind first when you think of a ranch vacation. Don’t let the idea of a ranch retreat mislead you. Brasada Ranch has all the natural wonder of a high desert ranch with the luxury of a plush hotel.
The ranch really is a state of mind. You can while away the days riding horses, playing golf, trekking the sagebrush, or just sitting next to a fire pit sipping whiskey. The food is on point and hits the comfort zone. Overall, this place is the perfect escape to clean desert air, lazy days, and a deep connection to nature.
Rooms start at $199.
Hacienda Santa Rosa: Yucatán, Mexico
This small hacienda offers a healthy helping of isolation, as it doesn’t sit near any large towns (although it is conveniently located near the Petenes-Ria Celestún natural park and the tiny Oxkintok Mayan site). You can enjoy peace and tranquility in this grandly rendered former sisal estate constructed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. If you insist on photogenic accommodations, the artfully distressed facades, lush botanic gardens, and carved columns are begging to be featured on the ‘Gram. Catch the vibrant colors during the day and enjoy some moody night shots near the campfires that the staff lights at dusk.
The rooms at Hacienda Santa Rosa are all suites and villas that are heavy on style. Think high ceilings with exposed beams, heavy iron bedsteads, massive wooden double doors, breathtaking red and cream tiled floors, and cabinets crafted from tropical wood. We love the woven cotton hammocks suspended from the walls, as well as the marble sinks in the bathroom. And the fresh flowers are a real treat.
If you roll fancy, stay in the Mayan Villa, where you can enjoy a hanging bed that sways gently while you sleep.
Rooms start at $217.
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Hotel Bareiss: Baiersbronn, Germany
The Black Forest of Germany is a legendary sort of place. Those dark woods hold a lot of mysteries and fables that draw you in and let you get a little lost. Right in the middle of it all is a three Michelin starred hotel and restaurant that communes with the legends and nature in equal measure.
Hotel Bareiss and its attached restaurant are some of the best spots in all of Europe. The restaurant takes on the local food scene between the German and French forests and creates a dining experience that’ll leave you shook — in the best possible way. The hotel is, of course, well-appointed and luxe. The surrounding area is a wonderland of nature trails, fishing spots, and even stag hunting (if you’re so inclined). This is country living, Black Forest style, and it’s freakin’ rad.
Rooms start at $493.
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