Boston Globe: Getting Sporty in the Mad River Valley

The Boston Globe recently included The Pitcher Inn in a roundup story about themed hotels in New England. Crafted by travel writers Diane Bair and Pamela Wright, the roundup focuses on Mountain and Trout and goes on to cite the merits of Ski, Mallard and Calvin Coolidge. Below, an excerpt.

Getting Sporty in the Mad River Valley 

Things skew a lot more, well, Vermont, in Vermont. The theme rooms we found at the Pitcher Inn in Warren reveal an artisan touch and a wonderland of carved wood. Outside, the inn is the definition of Vermont-quaint. Inside, nine “eclectic” guest rooms are set within the main house. There are also two family- and dog-friendly two-bedroom suites located in the barn, and a creek-side private cottage with three guest rooms.

The themes are sporty and outdoorsy as befitting Vermont. Rustic-chic, the Mountain Room has a black slate steam shower, while the bedroom simulates the experience of being in a remote fire tower, with windows all around and a 360-degree-view mural of the Green Mountains. We don’t fish, but we appreciated the Trout Room’s whimsical decor, including a tree-trunk bed carved with fiddlehead ferns, plus antique fly rods and carved wood fish. A birch-framed mirror and Vermont Verde marble vanity add luxurious touches to the “I just stepped out of Orvis” vibe. There’s even a brook under the porch, filled with actual trout.

Other choices include a Ski Room (complete with a ticket booth, trail maps, and vintage signs), a reimagining of a one-room schoolhouse, and a Mallard Room decorated with antique decoys. A life-size carved Canada goose hangs from the ceiling. There’s even a room devoted to Calvin Coolidge, for fans of the Vermont-born 30th president, and history buffs.