At the foot of Mount Washington in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, sits a sprawling white hotel with a red-tiled roof that has been welcoming guests since 1902. The Omni Mount Washington Resort, built in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style, is the kind of place travel writers return to again and again — one Condé Nast Traveler contributor has stayed six times, always timing trips to peak autumn colour.

The scale is part of the appeal. The resort covers 2,600 acres at the base of the Northeast's highest peak (6,288 feet) and holds 269 rooms and suites. In fall, when the Presidential Range turns red, orange and gold, the views from the property are hard to beat — especially from the 900-foot back veranda, where white Adirondack chairs and evening firepits look out over the mountains. Free hot cider and cocoa appear in the lobby every afternoon.

You could easily fill a week without leaving. There are two golf courses, the Bretton Woods Ski Area (its gondola runs scenic rides in autumn), guided hikes, fly-fishing, horseback riding and a 25,000-square-foot spa. The newer Presidential Wing, opened in 2021, has 69 rooms most with balconies and deep soaking tubs — plus quick access to the heated outdoor pool, ideal after a day on the trails. Rooms in the original Historic Wing have also been recently renovated.

Food-wise, Stickney's is the cosy steakhouse of choice (the scallops and a seasonal pumpkin espresso martini get a nod), Fabyan's Station is a pub set in a restored train depot near the ski area, and The Cave — a stone-walled, Prohibition-era speakeasy — doubles as an event space, hosting everything from nightcaps to astronomy talks.

The location also works as a base for the wider White Mountains. Crawford Notch, Franconia Notch and the Mount Washington Cog Railway are all within reach, and the towns of North Conway and Jackson make easy day trips. Visit Jackson in October and you'll catch its annual Pumpkin People display, when businesses around the village build elaborate pumpkin-headed figures.

For travellers weighing up a New England foliage trip, the draw here is simple: you get proper outdoor adventure and old-school grandeur in one stay. Hike by day, then come back to a firelit lobby, a marble bath with salts waiting, and mountain views from nearly every vantage point. It suits families, groups of friends and anyone who wants a big, comfortable resort as a home base rather than hopping between small inns. The nearest practical gateway is Boston, roughly a three-hour drive away, and the scenic route through small New England towns is genuinely part of the experience rather than a chore.

Story via Condé Nast Traveler.