Manchester Village, Vermont – Since 1769, The Equinox has served as one of the country's most historically significant resorts. "Serving the Republic since before there was a Republic," the hotel was a meeting place for the fathers of the American Revolution, hosted American presidents (including Taft, Grant, Harrison and Teddy Roosevelt), and has served as a favorite vacation destination for well-heeled, well-traveled visitors looking to experience the year-round offerings of New England's most scenic location.


Owned by HEI Hotels & Resorts, the iconic 195-room resort underwent a $20-million dollar restoration in 2008 including new luxury amenities, accommodations, dining options and lounges. The sophisticated transformation is a blend of New England charm and contemporary luxury that will uphold the resort’s legacy as an American classic. 


The Equinox brought in renowned designer Geoffrey Bradfield to helm a multi-million dollar refurbishment which was completed in July 2008. Widely known as one of the foremost designers of his generation and consistently recognized by Architectural Digest as one of the top designers in the world, Bradfield specializes in creating daring, graceful and opulent spaces that incorporate fine art and antiques. At The Equinox, Bradfield brilliantly infused the whimsical designs of 20th century Swiss sculptor, Diego Giacometti, who is most recognized for his furnishings and fixtures work featured in the legendary Picasso Museum in Paris, France. The influences of Giacometti play out through specially commissioned works that are featured throughout the common areas. As with many Giacometti pieces, the consoles, large hand-woven area rugs and ceiling lamps that were chosen for the resort depict a menagerie of creatures – frogs, deer, turtles and birds – which link these domestic objects to the verdant forests, ponds and peaks that surround the property.


Accommodations at The Equinox


Bradfield worked with Baskervill, the architecture, engineering and interior design firm, to create luxurious public spaces and guest rooms. The new guestrooms at The Equinox feature classic high ceilings, a muted color palette of slate blue, dark brown and beige and are accented with custom-made, hand-carved wardrobes. One wall of each guest room features a large black and white photograph of The Equinox in the early 1900’s. Custom-made beds, marble vanities, dramatic floor length drapery and plush leather armchairs add the finishing touches in the resort’s new deluxe accommodations.  Additional lodging options at The Equinox include the Orvis Inn, the elegantly restored former home of Orvis founder Charles Orvis, and the recently acquired 1811 House, the former summer home of Abraham Lincoln’s grand daughter and the Townhouses, perfect for extended stay accommodations.


Dining at The Equinox


The Equinox has always been among the notable culinary hotspots in the region. The Falcon Bar and Chop House are the most recent additions to the resorts renowned dining options. Falcon Bar is the heart of the resort, a place to start and end the evening.  Window-paned doors open up onto the open-air fire pit deck where guests can enjoy incredible mountain vistas. Falcon Bar offers an extensive collection of single malt scotches and a comprehensive wine list with over 30 wines available in flights, or in three, six or nine ounce servings. A menu of locally sourced cheeses and delectable Knipschildt chocolates, rated one of the top three chocolates in the world by Gourmet Magazine, are served.

Chop House, serves up delectable steakhouse fare. Representative of a beautifully refined hunter’s lodge, the Chop House is warm and sensual with browns, burgundies and reds and old hardwood floors.  Leather banquettes and chairs surround oversized tables designed to comfortably accommodate the typically oversized steak house fare. Chop House is located at the original site of The Equinox House Hotel built by Franklin Orvis in 1853, and it maintains the original stone hearth.


The Marsh Tavern has been the favorite watering hole of presidents since 1769. It accommodates guests for lunch and dinner, a bar menu is also available. The menu is sophisticated, New England-style cuisine full of nostalgic flavors and simple, farm fresh ingredients.  Meals at The Tavern are hearty, healthy and leisurely paced.  The bar specializes in an extensive selection of beers and ales and features snacks such as pretzels served with Raye’s Mustard from Maine, the last stone ground mustard mill in the country.   Open seasonally, The Dormy Grill is located on the deck of the clubhouse at the prestigious Golf Club at The Equinox.  Situated at the foothills of the Taconic Mountains with an all-embracing view over the front nine of the course, it is the perfect spot for an open-air, informal lunch. The Colonnade’s elegant setting offers breakfast every day as well as special events and festive seasonal holiday buffets during Christmas, President's week, Easter, and Mother's Day.  The Colonnade Ballroom also provides an ideal setting for weddings and other special celebrations.


Activities at The Equinox


Spend your morning maneuvering a Land Rover on rough terrain, midday practice your aim with recurve bows and in the afternoon try field hunting alongside a majestic hawk. The Equinox offers the ultimate outdoor Vermont adventure experience with a variety of activities such as falconry, archery, fly-fishing, shooting and Land Rover off-road driving that combine distinct and distinguished sporting programs in the most picturesque setting.


The Land Rover Experience Driving School features off-pavement driving instruction in the spring, summer and fall, as well as snow and ice driving techniques in the winter. Using the latest Land Rover line-up, including the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Land Rover LR3 and Land Rover LR2 vehicles, participants will learn to properly navigate all manner of terrain on the 80-acre purpose-built course. The degree of difficulty ranges from introductory courses to more advanced off-road training sessions on an extensive trail system that runs through the stunning Green Mountains. All vehicles have limited speeds and include instant shut-off to ensure safety.


The British School of Falconry is the nation’s first school of its kind to offer hands-on lessons. Guests at The Equinox are invited to try one of the world’s oldest sports, a sport of kings, in the beautiful setting of Hildene Meadows and enhance their appreciation of these magnificent birds. During a session at the British School of Falconry, guests will be trained how to handle and fly Harris hawks, take their hawk into the hunting field and learn how to work in harmony with a specially trained dog and gain knowledge of the importance of falconers in the conservation of raptors. Introductory lessons, “hawk walks” and hunts are offered. Innovative team building sessions are also available for groups.


The Archery School at The Equinox offers the rare opportunity for guests to learn this ancient sport under skilled supervision. The program is the first of its kind at a resort in New England and caters to archers of all levels. Based in the lush Hildene Meadows, the school’s team of instructors specializes in teaching adults, teenagers and children ages 8 years old and up to master recurve bows at the school’s specially constructed archery range. Guests are also invited to experience Field Archery. Led by an instructor, they will enjoy the natural sights and sounds of the woodlands as they navigate trails stopping at 14 realistic animal targets to test their accuracy.


The Golf Club at The Equinox, managed by Troon Golf®, is widely recognized as one of America’s best resort golf courses. Built in 1927 by Walter Travis and restored by Rees Jones in 1992, the 18-hole championship-quality golf course combines a dramatic blend of the past and present within the picturesque mountain setting of The Equinox property. The Golf Club at The Equinox is a repeat recipient of Golf Magazine’s prestigious Silver Medal Award, has been praised by Golf Week and voted one of the world’s “Top Resort Golf Courses” by Travel + Leisure.


The Spa at The Equinox encourages guests to awaken their spirit and reconnect with nature.  The Spa offers a variety of treatments that incorporate and utilize products indigenous to the surrounding Vermont region, including maple sugar, wildflowers and mineral clay. The state of the art fitness center, Olympic sized indoor pool and Movement studio which features yoga and Pilates classes enable guests to maintain their fitness regimen while away. The 13,000 square foot full-service resort spa reflects the beauty and nature of Vermont’s pristine environment in both its treatments and the spa’s interiors.


Fly Fishing and Shooting Guests can learn the finer points of fly-fishing at the world-famous Orvis Fly-Fishing School at The Equinox. The Orvis Shooting School and Tinmouth Hunting Preserve offer private upland bird shooting and sporting clay shooting. Grouse and deer hunting are also available in season.


Seasonal Activities Nestled on 1300+ acres between the Green and Taconic mountains, the spring, summer and fall seasons at the resort are perfect for mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, horseback riding and much more; while the winter season means pristine downhill and cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and sledding, snowmobiling and ice-skating. Indoor and outdoor tennis courts are available for year-round use.


Shopping Manchester is widely known to be a haven for shoppers. Our shops and boutiques carry premium brands offering the finest variety of shopping in New England, and the specialty shops in Manchester Village offer unhurried shopping worth experiencing. The Manchester designer outlets are located only minutes from the resort. More than 100 designer outlets include Giorgio Armani, Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, Coach, J. Crew, Lilly Pulitzer, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tumi. The famous Vermont Country Store is within a half-hour’s drive of the hotel, along with 26 other fine antique shops. The Village Shops at The Equinox, located just across the village green from the hotel, feature "the best" in distinctive Vermont clothing, crafts and antiques.


Functions and Meetings


With the Charles Orvis Inn boardroom, the Colonnade Ballroom and The Rockwell Ballroom, The Equinox has 10 individual rooms available for business meetings or private functions and the spectacular Pond Pavilion serves as the picture perfect locale for any special off-site event. The hotel also offers the latest audio/visual equipment and high-quality, in-house catering to ensure that every need is met and that guests’ corporate functions or events run smoothly. The Equinox also delivers the ideal romantic setting in which to say “I do”. With idyllic outdoor gardens nestled in the shadow of the beautiful Green Mountains, The Equinox is the ultimate location for any grand country affair, a themed event, or an intimate personal celebration. The stately indoor and outdoor venues can accommodate more than 200 guests in an awe inspiring setting.