T+L Readers Rate This Vermont All-inclusive Resort As One of the Best in the World — Here’s What It’s Like to Stay

When I finally got the chance to stay at Twin Farms, an adults-only hideaway in Barnard, Vermont, I could hardly contain my excitement. Known since 1993 for its idyllic, extremely private, and sprawling grounds, distinctly designed luxury cottages, and acclaimed food offerings, the Relais & Chateaux farm retreat has become an icon of Northeast hospitality.

Immediately upon arrival at the hotel’s 300 wooded acres, my husband and I felt enveloped by nature and luxury. We spent our days doing activities like boating on the private pond, cycling on the house e-bikes to a nearby farm market, soaking in a furo tub, and hiking to a gourmet picnic set up in a secluded treehouse on the property, just for us.

We indulged in incredible seasonal meals by Chef Nathan Rich in the evenings. At night, we requested a fire in our cottage and called for treats like hot chocolate and freshly made popcorn for delivery at any hour. We also discovered that we could get a bottle of ultra-rare, Vermont-brewed Heady Topper beer anytime we wanted.

But really, the staff makes Twin Farms such a memorable getaway. They’re the kind of people who seem to know what you might want before you do (like that popcorn) and offer personalized things like a sweatshirt when we mentioned it was colder at night than we had packed for and a private meditation session on floating paddleboards in the pond after I told the yoga instructor that my husband enjoyed meditating, but I had trouble with it.

Here’s my review of Twin Farms.

The Rooms

We stayed in Meadow, a 900-square-foot Vermont-style clapboard cottage on the outside, with a Moroccan-inspired palace hidden within. Details like moucharabieh window screens, a painted tented ceiling that recalled fabric, terra cotta floors, ivory and mother-of-pearl accented chairs and tables, and a cozy fireplace with mosaic tiles brought the idea to life. The spacious (although it’s one of the smaller ones on offer) cottage had a walk-in closet, a separate sitting area, a large bathroom with a soaking tub, and a screened-in porch, plus a gorgeous “backyard” meadow filled with purple lupine flowers blooming for spring. Each guest received a handmade wooden Stave puzzle, which was waiting in our room, along with treats and snacks according to our tastes, which we had noted in the concierge form sent before our stay.

The 10 other cottages vary in size (up to 3,000 square feet) and design, each drawing inspiration from different places like Scandinavia, Japan, and Tuscany. Sprinkled throughout the property, all have at least one fireplace and outdoor space, but some have hot tubs, multiple levels, and fine art. One of them, the Lodge, has two bedrooms. There’s also the Farmhouse and the Main House, which have eight rooms and suites ranging in size from 570 square feet to 1,000 square feet. (King-size beds, en-suite bathrooms with soaking tubs, and seating areas, some with fireplaces and screened-in porches, are de rigueur here.)

In 2023, the resort also added eight cantilevered treehouses, each named after a native bird of Vermont. The treehouses stand on stilts 20 feet off the ground and feature a curvilinear terrace overlooking the leafy forest, a king-size bed facing the woods, a separate living area with a suspended gas fireplace, and a bathroom with a deep soaking tub.

Food and Drink

All food and drink — even (good) alcohol — is included in the room rate. This includes daily breakfast; a top-quality, multi-course dinner tasting menu in the main dining room, with its fieldstone fireplace and vaulted ceilings; and meals at Twiggs, the Farm’s restaurant that opened in 2022 with an a la carte menu inspired by the restaurant’s wood-burning oven. Vegetables, herbs, maple syrup, and honey come from the property’s extensive gardens, and dairy and meat are sourced from nearby farms and creameries, so the menus change with the seasons. The wine list is 15,000 bottles deep, while the liquor cabinet boasts almost any spirit you can think of — and there’s plenty of the elusive Heady Topper beer.

Room service here is pretty much whatever you can dream up, and there’s a late-night menu of comfort foods like freshly made pizzas and spiced popcorn. A must for lunch one day: a picnic, which the staff will set up in one of several beautiful places on the expansive grounds.

Activities and Experiences

Twin Farms specializes in outdoor-focused activities and experiences that rotate with the seasons.

In spring, summer, and fall, there’s boating, paddleboarding, swimming, and fly-fishing on the nine-acre Copper Pond; archery and axe throwing; lawn games like croquet and cornhole; tennis and pickleball; hiking and biking with the farm’s fleet of bicycles and e-bikes; and tours of the Farm’s apiary and gardens. In winter, there’s cross-country and downhill skiing, ice skating, sledding, ice fishing, and fat-tire biking. All year long, guests can avail themselves of the gym and its complimentary fitness classes, the spa, a traditional-style Japanese furo, and a pasta-making class at Twiggs.

But don’t limit yourself to the options mentioned: This is where, if you think of something else you want to experience, the expert staff will do whatever they can to make it happen.

The Spa

The Bridge House Spa is cozy and relaxing, with two treatment rooms hosting a variety of Biologique Recherche facials and massages, some of which can also be performed in your cottage. (Spa treatments are one of the only items not included in the room rate, by the way.) The furo, however, can be reserved for a private session at no additional cost. This Japanese-style cedar-clad bath house with 104°F saltwater has windows opening onto the woods as a tribute to traditional Japanese bathing rituals. There’s also a massive overhead showerhead with a variety of settings.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Two rooms are ADA-compliant, including one of the Treehouses. Additionally, all areas of the hotel are accessible by wheelchair.

The farm grows most of the vegetables and herbs used at the restaurant and works with local, certified farmers who carry out regenerative cultivation processes.

Location

Nestled in the Vermont countryside outside the small town of Barnard, Twin Farms drivable from several major cities like New York (4.5 hours) and Boston (2.5 hours). The nearest major airport is Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, about 1.5 hours away.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

Because Twin Farms is a Relais & Chateaux property, if you are a Relais & Châteaux Guest Recognition Programme member, you will be offered a personalized service based on your profile and preferences. Book your stay with a Chase Sapphire Reserve card to get a $200 resort credit, a welcome gift, a room upgrade if available, and early check-in or late check-out if available — the hotel is part of their curated list of hotels, called The Edit.