The Best Resorts & Spas

Balsams Grand Resort Hotel (Dixville Notch, New Hampshire; tel. 800/255-0600 or 800/255-0800 in N.H., or 603/255-3400): This place is like staying in your own castle in a small country. Set on 15,000 acres in far northern New Hampshire, the Balsams has been offering superb hospitality and gracious comfort since 1866. It has two golf courses, miles of hiking trails, and, in winter, its own downhill and cross-country ski areas.

Mount Washington Hotel (Bretton Woods, New Hampshire; tel. 800/258-0330 or 603/278-1000): The last of the grand Edwardian resorts, the Mount Washington has come back from the brink of bankruptcy with its famed flair intact. This is the place to golf, climb Mount Washington, or just sit on the broad porch and feel important.