Stayed here for a night in August. The location is the best part of this hotel. Its within walking distance of many bars and restaurants. Overall the hotel was clean and the staff was really nice. It does need a few upgrades and some paint here and there but again overall its an average place.

I just got back from a week-long stay participating in the New Life Hiking Spa program at the Inn of the Six Mountains.

Loved the New Life program. Most people were vacationing by themselves, like me, but there were also girlfriend getaways, married couples, and mom/daughter weekend getaways there. Average stay was 5-7 days.

The program is wonderful--lots of variety, lots of activity. Hikes were beautiful and there were many different levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced) to choose from. Spa services to choose from were varied, from traditional Swedish massage to alternative therapy treatments like Ohashi. Food was great. They offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, and have healthy snacks and water available at all times in the New Life lounge. Afternoon activities were fun. Liked that they had an outdoor 600 square foot yoga studio--was able to participate in yoga or exercise classes there and look out onto the Vermont mountains. Staff members are friendly, knowledgable, and interesting to talk to.

Yes, the hotel is tired. If you are looking for Four Seasons, go to Four Seasons. If you are looking for a great program and don't mind a just OK hotel, go here. Furniture is dinged, carpet is old, etc. People who had been to New Life before said that the decline in the hotel was noticeable. We asked the staff about it and here is how they explained it--New Life does not own the hotel, so they cannot make improvements or maintenance to it. Each hotel room is individually owned, so there is no one Inn of the Six Mountains owner--each room owner is a part owner of the hotel. So they sort of have to get together like a homeowner association to decide each year as a group how much money to put into maintenance and where that money should go. They generally don't put enough in to keep up the hotel.

Yes, water came out brown sometimes at first--for anyone who grew up with well water and not city water they understand this. Mountain water has lots of minerals--when it's not a city water system the water will pull in the minerals at first. Run water for a few seconds and it's fine. This happened on my 6th and 7th day, but not earlier. Water never tasted funny and only looked funny those last days.

Keep in mind that to get this type of hiking spa anywhere else besides Inn of the Six Mountains and you will be paying MUCH, MUCH more. I'll take the tired hotel and the GREAT New Life program for the lower cost any day!

I too participated in the New Life Hike Spa program as the June 15, 2008 reviewer but with a much more open perspective on the program. As for the hotel, my room was in very good condition- two fans, air conditoner, refrigerator, safe and plenty of pillows. I kept the windows open most of the time because it didn't get past mid 70's. My only real complaint is the bed was too hard and there was no hair conditioner provided, but there were bath salts which is different. I heard some guests had plumbing issues but maybe they were in rooms that hadn't been updated yet. Some stair wells were being repainted but incomplete. There were heavy rains in July which could have slowed down some repairs to the outside of the building which could have contributed to part of the dining room roof to fall down, and the outdoor pool being unuseable my whole stay. And some of the gardens needed weeding. The lobby and lounging areas were very nice with a big two sided fireplace and comfortable seating. I was told there were fewer people on staff during the summer because this is mainly a ski lodge so fewer guests. My thought-what's a better time to accomplish needed repairs?
As for the the New Life Spa program, it is only offered during the summer and is as personalized as one wants, just ask. All the staff was very nice, many with many years of education and experience in the health industry. There was decaf and caffinated coffee available at all meal times as well as many herbal teas, ice tea, water and lemons. There was always a vegetarian option to all meats. The meals were very flavorful and taught portion control to many guests. The wait staff would always make a note as to food restriction, for the kitchen, for guest as soon as they were told about them. And a chicken breast was always available if the protein item was disliked. As for the hiking portion of the program there were always three to four different levels of difficulty plus an indoor alternative; from nature walks to advanced hiking straight up ski mountains. We were told to go at our own pace and drink water along the way. We always stopped for a fruit break and rest about half way through the hike. My advice is to not over estimate your ability. Start on a lower level than you think you can handle, mountain hiking is different from city walking. There was always one to three guides on each level of hikes depending on the size of the group and experience levels within the group. They ranged in age from college to mature adult, and knowledge of the area and were always equipped with bug repellant and band-aids. There were a variety of classes both physical (yoga, fit ball, etc.) and educational (healthy eating, shopping, etc.) every afternoon for the choosing, but the staff was not going to baby-sit the guest to make them go to classes, they emphasized listening to your own body and trying a variety of classes. Over all it is a very refreshing and cleansing experience. One can get out of it what one chooses to put into it and if they are willing to not get hung up on the cosmetics. Bonus with the spa: a massage for every three nights stay!

Yes, the hotel was very tired and in need of a good clean. And yes, the food was not exactly "spa cuisine" - but over all everything was fine and the price was right. The walks thru the lovely Vermont scenery were truly lovely. I lost a ton of weight and can now get into all my Summer clothes--- which is the entire reason I went in the first place. And as an extra bonus, I seem to have all this energy! How could I possibly be unhappy with a place that helped me do that?!

My advice to anyone who goes to New Life is to stay as long as you can afford, buckle down, do the program, make some friends and never mind the odd dingy carpet.