The Essex, Vermont's Culinary Resort & Spa Review

Romantic inn in the hills of vermont, awesome food, cozy room, good selection at the taverne, great staff.

Beautiful resort! Breakfast in the restaurant was delicious. Friendly staff.

Could be a 5 star retreat, but the renovated rooms still have old wood odor. Hard for me to get used to it. The Spa is just a marketing gimmick.
Front desk is friendly, free pastry: excellent pastry. Had bad experience at the Resort Restaurant. Arogant waiter, poor dishes, forgettable experience.
The resort is pretty far from the city, but the hotel offers a shuttle - not very reliable - had to wait in excess of an hour to make it back. They do try, but they need another van. ASK for bikes, they offer free rental bikes at the front desk. Would have been a 3 if not for the effort of some employees. Still, cool city to visit especially in the Fall.

The rooms are great. Spacious. Clean. Inviting. Comfortable. The food is great and the access to the spa as a guest is a great selling point

I got a custom massage for 50 mins and it was awesome. Spent 3 hours there with my mom. Thank you so much.

Great place, golf at The Links at Lang Farm, dinner at the Junction restaurant sitting at the chef's table, massage in the spa and tours of the local craft breweries and cooking classes. The staff is very friendly and accommodating.

The Essex really has gone above and beyond to ensure minimal cross-traffic, to ensure the safety of their guests. The restaurants have done a wonderful job to accommodate seating, and keep record of everyone staying, per Gov. Scott's requirements for restaurants, which I have unfortunately not seen others do.

Rooms were clean and tidy. Minimal issues there. Dead bolt wouldn't lock, unsure of reason behind.

Room cost was acceptable, slightly above desired amount. Understandable given reduced occupancy allowance.

Would recommend, value is more appropriate with optimal use of amenities (pool etc).

Not prior informed of sauna steamroom and hot tub being closed, but happy to hear due to being unable to before minimum 6ft distance.

I went for Thanksgiving, the food was good, the price did not match the quality. The service was great though.

Great ambiance and amazing waitstaff. Fairly limited menu, though.

Beautifully located in Essex VT, the Innn has amazing food and an excellent atmosphere! My wife and I got every week.

What a great place to unwind. Great restaurants, cooking classes, indoor lap pool and outdoor fun pool, hot tub, spa, gym, lawn games, bikes to ride around the immediate area. Really wonderful.

We visited The Essex for our mini moon to Burlington. Our room was very nice and we enjoyed the fireplace every night. The food at both restaurants was delicious and decently priced. We ordered room service our first night there and were impressed by how fast the food was delivered. Definitely check out the packages available on the website as many of them include certain meals and treatments at the spa. We spent one day at the spa and received massages and facials. The staff was friendly and helpful. I highly recommend the hot air balloon ride with Above Reality. They pick you up right from the hotel and bring you to the takeoff site. We will definitely be back to visit!

Friendly staff clean rooms and great location just a short ride to Burlington

Staff was very friendly and the room was neat and quiet. I got a good night sleep with no interruptions.

This review is concerning salon only. Booked an appointment for my wife for the signature manicure and confirmed price of $45 before gratuity. After the appointment the cost ended up over 70 and my wife even downgraded from signature to basic. Work was fine but issue with the bait and switch. Would avoid unless cost not an issue.

Just had a great anniversary weekend with my wife. A great location and helpful staff. We're coming back

Great time great help would definatly come back. Thank you

Room was nice. Liked the bar. The in room breakfast was pretty bad tho.

Very delicious food. Also a very nice and quaint "pub" area.

There was excellent live music out on the patio. The gas burners weren't operating due to no propane, so some cold spots. I ordered the winter squash bisque which was slightly warm/cold and not in a bisque form. I also ordered the bourbon burger. It came with burned bun, which I handed back to the server. The bacon wasn't hot which explains why the cheese wasn't melted. It came with fries which I asked for crispy and unsalted. They came unsalted but not crispy. I blamed myself since I was hungry and didn't send it all back immediately. As a culinary spa/restaurant, I expected better. Clearly, the cook, the server and the food runner had an opportunity to correct this prior to bringing it to the table. This was a birthday dinner that was a gift from my family, so I didn't want to ruin everyone's night. Good luck with your visit.

We were really quite disappointed. I've never left a negative hotel review, but the Essex was simply subpar.

The bed sagged really badly; when we asked that it be addressed they replaced it with a similarly damaged mattress and box spring. My back is still a mess almost a week later!

Additionally, the housekeeping was terrible (I honestly wonder if they aren't experiencing financial difficulties): missing towels and mugs on arrival, coffee was never refilled, no extra roll of toilet paper (seriously!), empty kleenex boxes and the list goes on...

Luckily we spent more of our time outside of the resort than on-site.

Clean, well lit, warm and open with lots of natural light.

Elegant food. Friendly and prompt service. Beautiful surroundings.

The restaurant was delicious and the staff was fantastic

Friendly and accommodating staff and very comfortable rooms.

Great restaurants. Really good food, and I love the pecan tarts.

I am impressed by the large rooms and the warm service they provided. I also enjoyed the fitness center.

I will not recommend staying at The Essex. We decided to stay here as the website stated that the tennis program. When we arrived, the representative at the front desk, had no idea there was a tennis program and was not interested in offering any additional help. We were told that there was no longer a tennis program available.

The buildings are beautiful, but inside the buildings felt like I was staying in a retirement home. I do not think that inside the buildings have been updated since the seventies. Our room was nice and had all the amenities needed for our stay.

On our walk through the grounds, we found the tennis courts. There were six clay tennis courts. These courts were not very well maintained as there were patches of weeds/grass growing on most of the courts. We finally found the pro and was told that we needed to interact with him directly and pay him directly for any clinic or private lessons we wanted to do. I decided not to take any lessons or a clinic as a few of the guests told me that the tennis balls were mostly dead and the level of play was ok.

The food at the resort was good (not great) as the menu was just basic (salads, hamburger, salmon, etc.). I was expecting some creative foods as this is listed as a culinary resort. The service was good as the staff was helpful but was not exceptional. During our meal one evening, the staff started cleaning (sweeping) the floors next to our table. We were just horrified.

I think that this was once a wonderful and a top notch place to stay many years ago, but now, it is not worth staying here as we were very disappointed (especially with the tennis).

Had dinner here and it was amazing lunch however very lack luster in comparison

It is to bad when new manager comes aboard they get rid of all the good help.

Great bakery. I go out of my way to get stuff from the Essex bakery!

Love this hotel! Not only beautiful but also relaxing.

i love this foody place. not too full of itself and reasonably priced. nice staff. nice room

Stayed for Friday and Saturday night. Very nice and relaxing.

Delicious food. Fun classes, gorgeous gardens, lovely spa and goats. I do love goats.

Waited 1 1/2 hours for a table. Bar is noisy, food was ok. Staff friendly.

Everything poor quality. Shabby, broken furniture, huge cobwebs, cheap plastic shower. The list is long. It's an overpriced Super 8.

Beautiful hotel resort. The food and pastries are out of this world

Nice place to stay. Lots of activitrs and good food.

Quaint, beautiful housing. Great rooms and service.

These rooms would be OK if they were $100 less. If you're looking for a place to eat, do yourself a favor find somewhere else to eat besides their Junction restaurant unless you want slow services mediocre food at astranomical prices.

This place exceeded every expectation. The rooms are cozy and clean with a rustic feel with the must-haves amenities. The Hotel itself is gorgeous and very well decorated. The food is amazing. I ate quite a bit while I was there and never tasted a bad thing. Make sure to check out the restaurants located inside of the hotel. I made sure to get several treats to take home to share with my friends and family. Also make sure to take advantage of the gym and Spa. I can't wait to come back. Lastly but not least, the staff were all very knowledgeable and super friendly.

Gorgeous property and fabulous restaurants. The Essex has for a long time been my favorite spot in Vermont.

That was our first time in a resort and she couldn't have picked a better choice. We stayed for the weekend and it was a very good time from friendly staff to delicious food at their restaurant. Will go again. It was beautiful

Fun cooking class. Easily explained, fun teacher, clean environment. Went home with the recipe!

Really nice hotel with very comfortable beds and a cozy room.

Rooms are dated and not high class or quality fixtures. Linoleum flooring, plastic showers ect. Not what you'd expect from a high class destination resort. Was here for a wedding and the food was awful too. The restaurant and tavern were very good though.

This venue is incredible! My sister had her wedding reception here and a handful of guests also stayed overnight for the event. The staff is incredibly helpful and the whole property is very beautiful. Easy to get to, food is amazing, very clean and hospitable.

Although a nice place from the exterior the rooms are very drafty at time feeling like a breeze is literally blowing through your room. The restuarant and bars on site are pleasant although under staffed at the time we were there. Wait times for a drink and meals were excessive!

Dinner there was delicious, and the area is very nice.

This is a great place. We really enjoyed our stay. I was a bit pricey but not to bad.

The soup is so good it makes the rest of your meal taste like meh.

A nice spot near Burlington, VT with really big rooms. The restaurants are over-priced but not a big deal because there is so much good food nearby.

The grounds are beautiful and the rooms are impressive. I've had alot of fun renting the free bicycles to ride around the local town. They also have there very own pokemon gym if you are a go player.

Great service with amazing spa facilities; not too far from Burlington and Waterbury

A fun place to stay. Great atmosphere. Beautiful surroundings. The restaurant and bakery is fantastic. Comfortable rooms with a fireplace and marble shower.

I visit here every now and then to enjoy the tavern for dinner or breakfast out on their garden patio. Food is gourmet yet affordable.

How would you describe perfection? Whatever that may be, it's what The Essex brings to the table. This place is great whether you are coming for a family vacation, a romantic getaway or getting some alone time. The staff is always friendly and helpful and will go out of their way to help you out. The food is out of this world at both of their restaurants and the bar has a great selection of beer. I've been here three times already and my family can't wait to go back again. Try booking through Travelocity as they tend to have great deals. Also pet friendly, just let them know you're bringing your furry friend with you when you book.

Went to restaurant week brunch, it was a great time the food was awesome and all the staff were helpful and polite!

Dinner was excellent. Beautiful location. Breakfast was ok.

Family gathering. The food was delicious and the company was fantastic!

My second time here. One of the nicest hotels I've been in. Amenities are great, and easy to get to. Well be back again!

Very high by the glass wine prices! Only one cabernet at $14 a glass that is mediocre. Wine used to be better and less expensive (i.e. The Show). Bar service slow even when sitting at bar before going to a booth with our group... they need another bar tender.. one is not enough. Had chicken pot pie..while it had good ingrediants it was way too dry. Excellent maple wings and onion ring appetizers. WAY too loud in bar restaraunt.. hard to talk... have to shout...they need to add acoustic tiles to absorb sound.

My husband and I visited The Essex Resort & Spa for our honeymoon and it was absolutely wonderful! The staff was fantastic and welcoming, the spa itself was relaxing and full of amenities, the restaurants were delightful, and our room and the grounds were absolutely perfect. I am so glad we had the opportunity to visit and spend our honeymoon in beautiful Vermont, and neither of us can wait to go back!

We were there for a food event. Staff was friendly and attentive however. Good time!

Such a beautiful and elegant place. The food, Customer service as well as experience was just amazing. This place was amazing!!!!

We had a lovely stay, beginning as we walked into the resort and were greeted by friendly hosts. We, as chefs ourselves, thoroughly enjoyed our meals in The Junction, which had a very impressive interactive kitchen, and also in The Tavern, which their burger and wedge salad was extremely enticing. Although we did not get a chance to visit the spa, we certainly took advantage of the outdoor hot tub during a snowfall. The location was very convenient, with serveral surrounding attractions. We are eager to return in the warmer weather to experience all other amenities this wonderful resort has to offer!

The location was beautiful. BUT for some of us the beef was black and blue inconsistant in sizes and no steak knife. Great GF brownies and maple glazed donuts. The personnel was great.

Went to the Tavern for dinber. Amazing food and some of the best chicken I've ever had

Great place, staff super friendly I loved it except that we eat at their restaurant and we got a $20 dollar hotel fee for no reason, we didn't like the fact that they didn't say that by eating at the restaurant we would pay a fee.

This is an awesome old Country Lodge, nice restaurant and bar, great big pool and a great big whirlpool. It's a great location and the people are very nice.

We stayed during this difficult times and this place is awesome. It is simply perfect. Reception is excellent, offering and guiding you in the best way. Tavern, food and beer and service great. They have spa, massage, pools, 4 tennis courts. Tables to sit while grilling. Nothing else to compare to this resort, definitely highly recommended.