The Goodstone Inn & Estate (540-687-4645) is the area’s most luxurious inn. On 265 acres in the heart of Hunt Country, the property includes 18 guest rooms spread among six “residences”—from an elegant stone manor house to a converted barn with exposed-wood beams and a private garden.
The service is first-rate: Residences are stocked with freshly baked cookies, coffee, and tea; guests are greeted with a half bottle of wine; and James Blunt, Goodstone’s attentive host, is available to answer questions and make arrangements for activities.
The centerpiece of the estate, the Carriage House, hosts an excellent full breakfast as well as afternoon tea around a big stone fireplace. The ruined facade of the estate’s original mansion—now covered in ivy—forms a backdrop for the heated outdoor pool. There’s also a scenic three-mile hiking trail, and guests can borrow canoes and mountain bikes.
All of this solitude and pampering doesn’t come cheap: Summer weekend rates, including breakfast and afternoon tea, are $320 to $715.
For a quainter experience, try the Red Fox Inn (540-687-6301). Legend has it that George Washington visited the building that now houses the Red Fox Inn in 1748 when he was working as a surveyor. Built in 1728, the main stone building is on the National Register of Historic Places and has become one of the most celebrated sites in Middleburg. It’s also in the heart of downtown, making it a good place to stay if you want to be within walking distance of shops and restaurants.
The inn has 14 rooms in two buildings. The decor is Colonial—dark-wood four-poster beds, Persian-style rugs. But you’ll also find modern amenities such as free wireless Internet access and thick cotton bathrobes.
Each guest receives a $7.50 voucher toward breakfast in the main dining room—a hearty menu that includes country standards such as corned-beef hash and biscuits with gravy.
Rates are $195 to $375.
This article appears in the June 2011 issue of The Washingtonian.
