It's hard to imagine a more apropos name for a hotel than New Hampshire's historical Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa.
From the resort's spacious veranda, guests can enjoy spectacular vistas of the White Mountains while relaxing with a cold beverage in Adirondack chairs, as visitors have done since the property opened in 1866. Given the well-documented effect that a relaxing weekend in nature can have on one's well-being, it's not surprising that the resort has launched a series of wellness retreats.
"Whether you're soaking in the views during a guided meditation or simply breathing in the crisp mountain air, the landscape becomes part of the healing process," said Olivia Ashby, director of the resort's Tower Spa. On a recent visit, my family and I got to appreciate the spectacular setting and experience some of the family-friendly wellness activities the resort offers.
Set on 1,700 acres and featuring a golf course, full spa, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts and a working animal farm, there's no shortage of activities to choose from at the 141-room resort. And while there are designated wellness packages, guests can also pick and choose from the activities offered in the different itineraries, including the Peak Pursuits Adventure Retreat for Men, the Blissful Bonding Retreat for couples and the Bundle of Joy Babymoon Retreat for expecting parents.
Some packages feature visits to the resort's Tower Spa, which offers a variety of massages and other treatments in its 12 rooms. Certain spa sessions also include time to relax in the Tower Room to enjoy stunning 360-degree views of the mountains.
For those looking for a more active visit, the resort offers hiking and biking on an extensive trail network as well as professional instruction and play on its nine-hole golf course, designed by golf architect Ralph Barton. Golfers can even arrange to have a llama serve as their caddy as part of the Llama Tee Time Trek experience.
The Mountain View features a number of activities for families to enjoy together, including an oversize chessboard. Photo Credit: Bart Beeson
Let's play together
Our visit featured experiences from the Peaks & Play Family Retreat, designed to bring families together. Highlights of the trip included repeat visits to the resort's on-site working farm, where they raise goats, sheep, alpacas, llamas, donkeys and other animals.
Much to our 3-year-old's delight, the animals were extremely friendly, often rushing to the fence for a scratch on the neck or a spinach snack. We also visited for farm animal story time, where our daughter could draw on a llama-themed T-shirt, assemble and paint a birdhouse or read animal-themed storybooks.
The author's partner and daughter pay a visit to the resort's on-site working farm, home to sheep, goats, llamas and other animals. Photo Credit: Bart Beeson
On another day, the resort packed us a delicious picnic, complete with a charcuterie selection, sandwiches and chocolate-dipped strawberries, which we took to a swimming hole on the nearby Ammonoosuc River to cool down on a sweltering summer day. This was followed by a creative-movement class back at the resort, where our instructor led us through a mix of stretches, yoga and ballet moves while our daughter ran circles around the yoga studio to tunes from "Frozen."
In between the family wellness activities, we had plenty of time to enjoy the resort's other activities and dining options. Given the heat wave during our June visit, we spent hours in the outdoor pool and enjoyed the cool temps of the basement game room, featuring pingpong, foosball, air hockey and other games.
The lower level is also home to a small movie theater, where guests can choose from a variety of movies. For dining, we started each day with an extensive breakfast buffet at the Harvest Tavern and ended it with dinner at the same location, where the menu features an eclectic mix of dishes, with a focus on locally sourced food.
The resort is also home to the 1865 restaurant, a reservation-only venue set in a functioning wine cellar, where guests age 15 and older can enjoy a fine dining set menu and wine pairing.
The Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa has a nine-hole golf course on site. Photo Credit: Carley Rudd Photography/Mountain View Grand
History of wellness
While our toddler was more interested in petting goats than learning about the hotel's history, it's still a fascinating story.
Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the resort is one of New Hampshire's four remaining "grand hotels," the expansive resorts popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s where visitors would arrive by train to spend weeks or months at a time. Exploring the resort, guests can get glimpses into the property's past: a portrait of Dwight Eisenhower hangs over the fireplace in the Eisenhower Library, the favorite spot of the former president.
The Dodge Parlor, named for the original owners, is decorated with photos and memorabilia, showing menus from the hotel's early days and pictures of dances held in the chandeliered ballroom.
With the recent focus on guests' well-being, it's appropriate that the resort itself has a story of resilience and renovation. After being shuttered for years and in a state of disrepair, it reopened in 1988 after a $20 million renovation coordinated by individual investors, businesses and state officials. And in 2024, the resort completed another multimillion-dollar renovation, updating the lobby, Club House and Harvest Tavern and introducing wellness offerings at the Tower Spa.
With the recently launched wellness packages, the resort continues to make the most of its natural setting. As Ashby, the spa director, explained, "Our retreats are designed to help guests reconnect with themselves, and the setting does a lot of the work for us."
Rooms at the resort start at $229.