4-star hotels in Manchester

Manchester sits between the Taconic Mountains and the Green Mountains, with Mount Equinox rising to 3,848 feet on the western side and the Battenkill River running through town. The town splits in two: Manchester Village, the historic southern half with marble sidewalks and white-column hotels, and Manchester Center to the north, where outlet boutiques occupy restored 19th-century timber buildings.

Most of these hotels sit on or just off Main Street in Manchester and Manchester Center, with a few further out. The Reluctant Panther Inn and Restaurant, Kimpton Taconic Hotel by IHG, The Equinox A Luxury Collection Golf Resort & Spa Vermont, Picture Postcard Mansion in Manchester Village, Equinox Resort Residences, The Village House and Back Nine Bluff all use Manchester addresses, while The School House is on Bonnet Street and the Historic Renovated Barn at Boorn Brook Farm is in Manchester Center. It suits couples and families on a two-night base for southern Vermont, and business travellers using the resorts' meeting space.

Getting there and around

Manchester sits at the junction of US-7 and VT-11/30 in southwest Vermont. The fast approach from the south is US-7 from Bennington, about 25 minutes, while the scenic parallel VT-7A takes you through the Village. Albany International is the closest major airport at around an hour and fifteen minutes, with Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express stopping in Rutland an hour north. A car is essential here: there is no rail station and no meaningful local transport, so plan to drive between the Village and the Center, two miles apart.

When to go

Late September into mid-October is peak foliage and the busiest, most expensive stretch, so book months out. Summer is for the Battenkill and the trails, December through March for skiing. The outlets stay open year-round, which keeps shoulder seasons busier here than in most Vermont towns.