linda

We have been invited for dinner at the Griswold Inn and need a place to stay in or near Essex. We are not fond of "antiquey" hotels and prefer the comfort and amenities of something more modern than the Gris - especially if there is a pool for the kids. Does anyone know of something on the order of a Westin or Four Seasons kind of hotel in the area?

Jeff

I assume you're kidding about the Four Seasons comment.
There isn't a 5 star hotel (non-antiquey, Mayflower doesn't count) in the entire state of CT, and certainly nothing near Essex.
You can find a Westin over in Providence RI. That's the closest you'll get (and that's not a stellar Westin) to anything like you're thinking of.

linda

So where would the President stay if he were visiting his alma mater? With one of the highest per capita incomes in the country, why doesn't Connecticut have better lodging?

Craig

The President would probably stay at the Goodwin in Hartford.

Jen

Linda, be logical; per capita income is based on the residents who already live there. They don't need lodging. There are no attractions or resorts in the area that would attract visitors wtih big bucks, hence no need for appropriate accommodations.

Gary

People in CT don't vacation in CT.
The large businesses in CT (GE, Xerox, etc) are all close to NYC down in the SW corner of the state.
Hartford is only 150,000 people.
As such, there is no real market for nice hotels in CT, though there are a couple small older hotels up in the northwest hills (Litchfield area).

nina

To answer Linda's question, the president probably wouldn't stay in an inn or hotel in CT, he'd stay with friends in Greenwich or some other nice town, or in one of their guest houses.

It's true, there are no resorts in CT, although the Casino - Mohegan sun, which is somewhere in the vicinity of Essex (I've never been) has just built a resort. If you're looking for modern, it should fit the bill, it's modeled on the Las Vegas style hotels, which makes sense. I'm sure the president wouldn't stay there though.

Chappaqua

The former president's home is only 5 miles from the western CT border.
It would only be a couple hours' drive tops from New Haven.

katie

There's an Omni in New Haven. Or the Goodwin in Hartford. No pool at either one. Both are at least 45 minutes from Essex.

hmm

Stay in NYC and take the train. New Haven line leaves from Grand Central and heads up the coast of CT. Can someone pick you up near essex? Make a NYC/CT weekend out of it.

seamus

The Gris is one of the old fashioned great old hotels in CT. If you don't think you would like to stay there, then I'm pretty sure you won't like to dine there. Why don't you just skip the whole thing.