We had the most amazing 48 hours at the Mayflower Inn & Spa – here is the full run down on everything we ate and did on our weekend away.

Hi friends!! We just got back from the most blissful (and needed) weekend away. This was our first time going away since having Cooper 9 months ago. 3 kids, a couple businesses and life’s chaos led us to crave a couple nights away to reconnect, recharge and come back feeling a bit refreshed.

My husband and I wanted something somewhat local to NJ/NY area. We didn’t want to fly anywhere for this quick trip. And we also wanted something that was a mix of relaxing, some activities if we wanted and really really good food.

Some of our friends had raved about the Mayflower Inn & Spa up in Washington, Connecticut. In fact, our friends we went with actually designed their primary bedroom to look just like their favorite room at the inn (it is stunning!). Us and a few other couples decided to book it for a weekend and oh my gosh – I am so happy we did. My parents now are planning to go after hearing us gush all about it.

This was an unforgettable trip for Jordan and I. And the Mayflower truly was so hospitable and I had such a pleasure meeting everyone who worked there (Ashlyn, Chris, Logan, Lauren, Diego to name a few – hi!).

Things to know about the Mayflower Inn:

  • Calling all Gilmore Girls fans. The Mayflower Inn and the surrounding towns served as inspiration for the series. The writer, Amy Sherman-Palladino stayed at the Mayflower Inn when she was writing some of the show too. My inner fan girl loved this tidbit.
  • It’s located in Washington, Connecticut. About 2 hours from NYC and it took us a little over 2 hours to get there from Short Hills, NJ. It’s in Litchfield County, which has a ton of quaint towns like New Milford, New Preston and more to explore. Tons of antique shops, restaurants, farms and such to see.
  • Mayflower became a part of the Auberge Collection a few years ago and it exceeded any expectation possible. Auberge is known for its high caliber of travel. Their properties do not skip on details, aesthetic and hospitality. I love their resorts and have been traveling to them for years.
  • It’s a great destination any time of the year. I see the appeal for really any season. Great in summer or winter and it’s the ultimate weekend or escape for a few nights.
  • The rooms are so unique and they have a handful of options. 28 guest rooms and 7 suites. It’s an intimate hotel, but has options depending on what type of room you are looking for. We stayed in the Premium King Suite, which I loved because it had a fireplace, a separate room off the bedroom and we were in another building off the main building. But you cannot go wrong with any room there. Our friends loved the Classic King Rooms too.

Our Itinerary for 48 hours at the Mayflower:

Friday:

  • Arrive around 2:00pm (took us 2 1/2 hours to drive there) – when we arrived it was horrendous rain and the valet had an umbrella outside our car doors and gave us the warmest welcome on arrival (s/o to Chris!). Valet unpacked our car for us and even immediately put my breastmilk I pumped in a fridge in the main kitchen.
  • 3:00pm check in – so we actually got lucky and our room was ready an hour early so we headed to room 15 and unpacked a bit.
  • 4:00pm cocktail making class – I know, I know, I don’t drink alcohol but my husband and friends do so I figured why not. It was in the Tap Room and it was so much fun. I also was offered to make mocktails as well. Diego guided us for 3 drinks: spicy margarita, daiquiri and an old fashioned. 
  • 6:00pm happy hour in Tap Room – the vibe of the Tap Room is amazing. Like an old fashioned bar with gorgeous wood trim and a fireplace. I loved it. It was just what we wanted for the rainiest evening too. We met friends in here and ordered drinks before we sat down.
  • 7:00pm dinner in Garden Room – so we actually sat in the stunning Garden Room but ordered from the Tap Room menu. I love the decor in the Garden Room and it was such a good vibe. The dinner we had was out of this world. What we ordered: oysters (my favorite!), trout in a blanket (a MUST), orecchiette pasta, roasted white asparagus with duck egg. Then we all either got the cheeseburger (they had gf bun!) or Denver steak and shared the smoked potatoes side. You know I get a burger almost everywhere and this was top 3 best burgers ever.
  • 10:00pm fire pit s’mores – a MUST! The inn has a s’mores kit and it is pure perfection for a post dinner sweet treat. No gluten-free graham crackers through so BYO if you need.

Saturday:

  • 7:30am breakfast in town – what is sleep anyways? Even when we are away, our bodies just wake up way too early. We went to Po Cafe and it was glorious. Tons of options and a lot of gluten-free things for Jordan. A few of our friends had breakfast in Garden Room (they loved the salty pancakes and country breakfast). We then went the farmer’s market in town and it had some delicious gluten-free baked goods.
  • 9:00am rainy stroll around the property – even in the rain, the Mayflower is gorgeous. We walked through Shakespeare garden in the back then ended up in lobby for some of their complimentary homemade banana bread and donut holes with tea and coffee.
  • 10:00am spa day commences – took a tour of their onsite spa and it was so blissful. Indoor pool, hot tub, steam and sauna (was too hot for me!) and yummy snacks and teas. We stay here all day besides lunch break.
  • 12:30pm brunch in Garden Room – I wanted to experience the brunch so we went into the main building to have brunch. My order was kind of custom but it was their Trout Smorrebord but no dill cream cheese sub avocado and sub rye bread for sour dough bread. When I tell you this was one of the best things I have eaten, I am not kidding. Jordan got same thing but on gluten-free bread and our friend’s did the country salad and loved it.
  • 2:00pm-5:00pm back to the spa lounge – will you think I’m nuts if I tell you we relaxed for 3 hours straight? SO needed and it was glorious.
  • 6:00pm drinks in the Tap Room – we sat at the bar again and ordered drinks before dinner. It was so cozy and a great spot to hang in.
  • 7:00pm dinner in the Tap Room – for dinner we got a spot next to fire place, which was beautiful. We ordered oysters, smoked onion dip, Washington caesar salad (so good), tap room cheeseburger, dry-aged strip loin (amazing) and the half chicken, which was incredibly juicy!
  • 10:00pm fire pit s’mores – the best! A must if you are staying here.

Sunday:

  • 7:30am breakfast in town – we tried Marty’s Cafe and it was great. Loved the millionaires bar too!
  • 9:00am coffee/hang in the lobby – there is a beautiful yellow room off the lobby and it had complimentary teas and coffee and baked goods. We hung out there and chatted with our friends before checking out.
  • 12:00pm check out – said our goodbyes (well see you laters!) and headed out to New Milford on the way home. Such a great town to stop in!

We truly had the best couple of days. I cannot wait to go back to the Mayflower one day and hopefully next time we can explore even more of the surrounding towns.

What other Auberge properties have you been to? I am eyeing the Vanderbilt next.