Balsams Grand Resort Hotel

The Balsams is tucked deep in the northern forest, in a gem of a location. On 15,000 acres in a valley surrounded by 800-foot cliffs, it's one of a handful of the great 19th-century New England resorts still operating. Yet this Victorian grande dame stolidly refuses to capitulate to modern times; rooms are spare and simple (some say they're getting a bit tired), without the flatscreen TVs or other luxury additions. Bathing suits and jeans are supposedly prohibited in public areas; managers of the fine tennis and golf facilities request you be neatly attired; and men are required to wear jackets to dinner. So long as you know all this going in, it's not really a problem. The summer buffet luncheons are an event, and free snowshoes in winter are a bonus, when the resort is usually piled high in snow and quite pretty.

Facilities: 2 restaurants; 2 lounges; outdoor pool; 2 golf courses; 6 tennis courts; health club; Jacuzzi; sauna; free watersports equipment; bike rental; children's programs (summer); concierge; shopping arcade; salon; limited room service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; cross-country ski shop

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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