Set in the far western part of Connecticut, in Litchfield County, is a 38.7 square mile town known as Washington. Just 3,578 residents inhabit this rural New England town which is an hour outside of Hartford, Connecticut (in case you want to pay a visit to Emily and Richard Gilmore).
Although Washington may strike a stunning resemblance to dozens of rural New England towns (a quiet town center, a seasonally decorated gazebo, and a local coffee shop) there is one differentiating factor that makes it stand out, The Mayflower Inn & Spa Auberge Resorts Collection.
This isn’t your ordinary inn. This is the inn that inspired Gilmore Girls creator Amy-Sherman Palladino to write her unparalleled hit series about a young mother and her teenage daughter with supersonic talking speeds living in a madly loveable fictional New England town, Stars Hollow.
While the name might be made up, that’s where the fantasy ends. The town of Washington has many parallels to Stars Hollow, Marty’s is Washington’s Luke’s and there’s a town hall, hardware store, rustic bookstore and other mom-and-pop shops. The Mayflower Grace Inn that Palladino was staying at when she got the idea for the show, holds many similarities to the Independence and Dragonfly inns seen in the show. There is even a small outhouse similar to the one teenage Lorelai inhabited. A stay at the Mayflower will make you feel like you’re living out your Gilmore Girls fantasy.
About The Mayflower Inn & Spa
The Mayflower Inn, which is nestled on a 58-acre plot is incredibly charming- with a spacious yet comforting and cozy interior, similar to the show. The show also pays homage to the inn’s transformative seasonal decor and award-winning cuisine that Palladino experienced in her brief stay. It wouldn’t be Stars Hollow without a Sookie, and James Beard Award winning Chef Cortney Burns delivers on farm-to-table epicurean creations that will make you want to “eat, and eat, and eat, and eat.”
While spas and pampering were more a part of Emily’s lavish Hartford lifestyle, the inn is also home to The Well- a holistic wellness destination offering acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, massage, facials and plethora of invigorating innovative treatments. All of this splendor landed the inn as the 14th best hotel in the northeast, according to Condé Nast Traveler.
If you’re a diehard fan of Gilmore Girls and want to live out your Stars Hollow fantasy, this could be a winning Valentine’s trip or getaway any time of year, especially in the autumn, which is right around the corner.
Find The Mayflower Inn & Spa Auberge Resorts Collection at 118 Woodbury Rd, Route 47, Washington, CT 06793