Now that winter is finally upon us, there’s no better time than the present to book that winter getaway. Most of our favorite winter getaway places can be found among the members of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The more than 300 member historic hotels in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. Each is distinctive, with its own character.

The Sagamore
The Sagamore, a grand historic hotel dating back to the 1880s that sits on a private 70-acre island on Lake George, is a sensational self-contained world-class resort in one of America’s oldest tourism destinations. It is just 45 minutes from Gore Mountain, one of the best ski destinations in the East, certainly in New York State (a shuttle is provided); also nearby is West Mountain (downhill skiing, tubing, night skiing) and Crandall Park (cross country skiing, night skiing). The full-service resort offers ice skating, snowshoeing, indoor pool and spa.

Mohonk Mountain House
Mohonk Mountain House has been enchanting guests for more than 100 years. Founded by the Smiley Family in 1869, the Victorian castle resort, a National Historic Landmark, is set on cliffs overlooking a lake, nestled in the Hudson Valley surrounded by 40,000 acres of pristine forest, only 90 miles north of New York City. Mohonk offers a world-class 30,000 sq ft “eco-friendly” spa, indoor pool, a spectacular skating pavilion, rock climbing, 85 miles of trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Winter “wellness” programming is designed to help guests combat the “winter blues” and embrace the beauty of the season, with new mindfulness offerings that include fireside meditation, winter forest bathing and mindfulness lectures. If you can pull yourself away from its warm embrace, downhill skiing in the Catskills (Hunter Mountain, Belleayre, Windham) is an hour away.

The Woodstock Inn & Resort
The Woodstock Inn & Resort in the quintessentially New England village of Woodstock, Vermont, defines country sophistication in one of New England’s most charming and popular year-round vacation destinations. The 142-room, AAA Four Diamond Resort and a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts LVX Collection, offers award-winning dining in two restaurants, ranked among the finest in New England. The resort’s 10,000 square-foot LEED-designed Spa offers nature-inspired ambiance that features nourishing, seasonal treatments and organic products. Outdoor activities include downhill skiing at the resort’s historic Suicide Six Ski Area along with cross-country skiing and snowshoeing from the Nordic Center. The family-favorite retro Game Room is draped in Vermont flannel and fully equipped with a giant Scrabble board, foosball table, vintage pinball machines, board games. Also be sure to visit nearby Billings Farm & Museum.

Omni Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods
The elegant Mount Washington Hotel – “a favorite New England retreat of presidents, poets and celebrities” – is just across the road from New Hampshire’s largest ski area, Bretton Woods (yes, that famous mountain hotel where world leaders signed the 1944 Treaty of Bretton Woods ending the gold standard in, fittingly, the Gold Room), with numerous trails and glades and three terrain parks. The grand resort has its own cross-country skiing on the golf course; one of the longest zip line tours in New England (year-round); a full-service 25,000 sq ft spa; two Four Diamond dining rooms (one is a former speakeasy) and sleigh rides.

The Red Lion Inn
One of the most atmospheric inns is The Red Lion Inn in the heart of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, another utterly picturesque New England village which is like a Norman Rockwell painting of Americana – in fact, its Main Street is immortalized in Rockwell’s “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas”. The Red Lion has been welcoming travelers to the Berkshires since 1773, one of New England’s few inns that has been operated continuously since before 1800. It is beyond charming – with early American furnishings, much of which has been in place for a century. It has hosted five presidents and other notables including Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Cullen Bryant, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. And much to do in Stockbridge, including the not-to-be-missed visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum, as well as Arrowhead Museum, the home of Herman Melville, in Pittsfield. Skiing is also available nearby at Jiminy Peak.

Discover more exciting winter getaways recommended by The Island Now here.

About Historic Hotels of America®
Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest Historic Hotels. Historic Hotels of America has more than 300 historic hotels. These historic hotels have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America, including 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Historic Hotels of America is comprised of mostly independently owned and operated historic hotels. More than 30 of the world’s finest hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance.