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World's Best

Travel + Leisure Readers' 10 Favorite Resorts in New England of 2023

From seasonal summer retreats to year-round adventure hubs, readers adored these charming New England getaways in our annual "World’s Best Awards" survey for 2023.

By

Hannah Walhout

Published on July 11, 2023

Easily accessible from several major cities, New England offers a plethora of seasonal delights: beloved beaches for the summer, brilliant fall foliage, winter sports and scenic ski trails, and forests and fields of wildflowers for when winter turns to spring. And as Travel + Leisure readers will attest, there’s no shortage of divine resorts — historic inns, contemporary country getaways, and everything in between.

How Voting Works

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).

Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:

Rooms/facilities
Location
Service
Food
Value

For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.

View of the water from a covered porch at Quisisana Resort — Meredith Purdue/Courtesy of Quisisana Resort

What Readers Loved

In this year’s survey results, four of the best resorts in New England can be found Massachusetts, which draws vacationers with its 1,500 miles of coastline. Two of readers' top choices are on Cape Cod, popular for its shoreside hotels and picturesque fishing villages, and two are a 30-mile ferry ride south on Nantucket. Among the latter destination’s many storied resorts is The Wauwinet, a Relais & Châteaux property with 32 rooms and four cottages that comes in at No. 2. “An amazing location with a one of a kind view,” remembered one survey respondent. “I could write a book, read a book, and not be affected by the rest of the bustling island.”

Many popular seasonal getaways are represented on the list, including Newport, Rhode Island, the historic high-society resort city that’s home to two of the top 10. But some destinations are less nationally known. Take the lakeside town of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where you’ll find the landmark Pickering House Inn (No. 4). The family-friendly 10-room property is situated in the heart of town, making it easy to explore shops, restaurants, and Lake Winnipesaukee, the state’s largest. “A special, special escape,” wrote one reader. “The attention to detail in this historic building is exceptional.”

Many of the properties come alive during winter, too. Twin Farms (No. 6), the ultra-luxury all-inclusive in central Vermont, has its own ski slopes and 300 acres for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Plus, as one reader wrote, “an amazing private Japanese bath,” or furo — “with Krug service if you like.”

This year’s No. 1, though, is all about summer nostalgia — in a state we haven’t mentioned yet, one of the country’s most ruggedly beautiful. Read on for full list of reader favorites sprinkled across New England.

The Winner

Quisisana Resort: Lovell, Maine

View of the water from the porch at Quisisana Resort — Meredith Purduecredit/Courtesy of Quisisana Resort

For many readers, this collection of cottages on the edge of Maine’s Lake Kezar is summer incarnate. Families come back year after year for the all-inclusive, sleepaway-camp vibe. Kids are free to roam without supervision, and communal dinners (per one reader, “the food is mouth-wateringly great!” ) are held in the rustic dining room. But Quisisana also offers something unique in New England. Built as a summer retreat for NYC socialite Kate Strauss, who loved to entertain her circle by bringing in guest musicians, it’s been owned by music-lovers — a violinist, then a trumpeter, then a saxophonist, and so on — ever since. Music and theater are still the main attraction: the resort staff are all working actors, singers, and instrumentalists who you’ll see in action during your stay. Bookings during the main summer season start at one week, minimum — so you can see the full performance lineup, of course.

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