The Mayflower Inn & Spa — Washington, Connecticut

The once-in-a-while splurge in Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills — an Auberge country hideaway, and the real-life muse for Gilmore Girls’ inns.

The short version

• A grand Auberge country hideaway on 58 acres of gardens and woodland in the Litchfield Hills.
• A serious spa, beautiful grounds, and farm-to-table dining — the once-in-a-while splurge.
• The real-life muse for the inns in Gilmore Girls.

What is it?

The Mayflower Inn & Spa, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, sits on 58 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland around Washington Depot. It’s one of the Northeast’s most distinguished country retreats — and, fittingly, the inn that inspired the Dragonfly and Independence in Gilmore Girls.

Why stay here?

Honestly, we’ve spent time on the grounds but haven’t stayed the night — even so, it’s the special-occasion splurge we’d save up for, for three reasons. The gardens: 58 acres of them, including the Shakespeare Garden you can breakfast beside. The food: the Mayflower Dining Room leans local and seasonal, with the Garden Room and Tap Room rounding it out. And the spa: indoor and outdoor pools, a whirlpool, hammam, thermal sanctuary, and yoga. For a Litchfield Hills anniversary — or a Stars Hollow pilgrimage — it’s the one.

Good to know

• Where: Washington, Connecticut, on 58 acres in the Litchfield Hills.
• Spa: indoor & outdoor pools, whirlpool, hammam, thermal sanctuary, yoga.
• Dining: the Mayflower Dining Room, the Garden Room (by the Shakespeare Garden), the Tap Room.
• Price: top of the range — a genuine splurge.