Family Travel: A Visit to The Essex Resort and Spa in Vermont’s Green Mountains

My daughter and I were sponsored to experience the Essex Resort and Spa along with a preview of their Cooking Camp for Kids. All opinions are my own and not influenced by any form of compensation.

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I had the pleasure of spending a mother-daughter weekend at the Essex Resort and Spa in Essex, Vermont. The resort was founded in 1989 and is set on 18 beautiful acres with views of Vermont’s spectacular Green Mountains. Known as Vermont’s Culinary Resort and Spa, The Essex is a wonderful family travel destination that provides experiences to delight all of your senses.

There are three main buildings for 120 guest rooms, two restaurants, and three public teaching kitchens in the Cook Academy. A separate building houses the indoor pool, fitness center, spa and salon. The grounds are full of lovely gardens. An herb and vegetable garden is used by the chefs for the restaurants and cooking classes. There are dozens of walking trails for a morning stroll, perhaps with your pet since The Essex is also pet-friendly.

Our room was quaint and comfortable with a country feel. My daughter LOVED her bed, and the plush robes provided made for a cozy walk to and from the pool. Speaking of, the indoor pool was fantastic with cathedral ceilings and windows looking out to the gardens and surrounding woods. There is a lovely hot tub just outside as well. The outdoor pool is also gorgeous. It’s a favorite destination for families in the warmer weather.

We often cut through the spa lobby to get to the pool. It is a modern and spacious room with the soothing scents of hand made soaps and aromatherapy.  We were also given a tour of the women’s relaxation area and locker rooms. Too bad I did not have time for a spa treatment. My daughter did enjoy a haircut in the salon, which was also very nice.

We visited the main restaurant 4 times during our visit (yes, it was THAT good). We enjoyed two spectacular dinners, one breakfast and one brunch. All meals were delicious! My daughter LOVED the pancakes with powdered sugar and strawberries. I loved the Colassal Crab Griddle Cakes and the S.L.T. (A fun twist on a tradition B.L.T., but with “salmon bacon.”)

In addition to cooking classes for anyone, the resort also hosts a cooking camp for kids. We enjoyed a preview of what these kids experience each day. It was so much fun that it warrants it’s own post. Hop on over to our review of Camp Cook for more details.

If you have the chance to visit Vermont, I highly recommend The Essex Resort and Spa. I can’t wait to return with the entire family. Next time, we’ll also take the complimentary bus into Burlington for even more site seeing fun. We’ll also rent bikes to tour the area a bit more and get some exercise. Ah, so much more to see and do. I can’t wait!

Sharing is caring!