How one views a hotel stay is I think, in large part, dependent on what one expectations were. My wife and I live within 50 miles of the Trapp Family Lodge and and have driven by it innumerable times when visiting Stowe. Living so close, we would probably not have ever stayed there had it not been for receiving a gift certificate. We went there with the impression that it was probably living off its Sound of Music reputation and was rather touristy. We were actually pleasantly surprised.
The Pros: the size of the room--nice, large and clean with tasteful furniture and a comfortable bed; a very pleasant staff; fantastic views, a number of relaxing lounges which contained multiple sofas and easy chairs. The cons: the layout is somewhat confusing with wings going in various directions; the library, which should ditch the National Geographics and be relocated away from the bar/lounge, the lack of a Great Room.

Sadly, the rustic days of Austrian/Vermont homespun ambiance have passed from the Trapp Family Lodge. I had visited several decades ago and remembered a place that was small, cozy and unique. The conversion of the Lodge to a modern hotel resort has removed much of that charm; and it was the charm that I was expecting for the price.

The obstruction of the views by the new buildings, the thin walls, the bland, modern decor, and the sprawling layout made me feel that i was staying in a nice Hilton, not THE Trapp Family Lodge.

I was especially saddened to see many new design choices that seemed like they were made to prevent my view of the extraordinary landscape. The hot tub view was blocked by safety fences that could have been placed further down the hill, and where an attempt had been made to provide a view through the fence, it was blocked by flower boxes!
Neither the Lounge nor the Dining room take advantage of their position for a decent view and the Library is really just tragic - no fireplace, no decent books or info about the area, just old national geographics, no newspapers of note, no comfortable reading chairs, no view, no sunlight and too close to the Lounge to allow anyone in there to read in peace.

The room was large and comfortable, but bland.

On the plus side, the staff was friendly and quick to respond when we had some trouble with the heating in our room.

I feel, for the price, a good B&B is the way to go.

I wanted to love this place, I really did. I mean, who doesn't like the Sound of Music? But the hotel feels cheap and there's really no thought behind anything they did here. Maybe it was the cracks in the ceiling and the motel-6-like curtains on the windows. It really feels like they skimp where they can. I can't believe people gave this place 5 stars. I have stayed at other
Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) of the world and this hotel does not even come close.

The front desk people are fantastic. When we arrived after dark, they valeted our car and took our bags to the room, and changed our dinner reservation. That was terrific. But dinner was where it started to get bad. The service was non existent and the wait staff seemed unhappy to be there. I'll risk sounding like a snob saying this, but for $347 a night and $25 - $30 entrees, I expect my water glass to be refilled and the waiter to come by and ask me if I need anything once in a while. It would have been faster to refill my own glass! The food tasted good, but it was cold when it arrived.

The rooms are plain, non-inviting, not romantic, and have thin walls. And that's in the New Millenium wing! I always thought of the Sound of Music as being friendly and warm - the rooms at this place are just the opposite.

The good news is that the bed was comfortable. It took all the romance we brought with us to make up for the starkness of this property!

The grounds are beautiful and the lodge looks very welcoming from the outside, which just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover.

My husband and I just completed a 7day New England trip, ending in Stowe, Vermont at the Trapp Family Lodge. After reading some of the trip advisor reviews we were somewhat nervous. We contacted the hotel and the management assured us that we would enjoy our stay. Upon check in, the manager we spoke to on the phone earlier, greeted us and checked us in to the lodge.

The Trapp Family Lodge EXCEEDED our expectations. From the personal assistance upon check in, we proceeded to a room that was immaculate, fresh linens/ towels. The room was spacious with a table, sofa and a chair. A nice quaint balcony facing the mountains with a spectacular view.

We participated in the meal plan which included a 3 course dinner and breakfast. The dining room had white table cloths, fresh flowers and new candles on each table. The staff was excellent and the food was fantastic with plenty of options.
The staff was careful not to rush anyone and we listened to wonderful harp music during dinner.

The Lodge is filled with tasteful seasonal decorations. There is history of the Trapp family throughout the lodge which we enjoyed.

The entire hotel is spotless and all of the staff is so friendly.

Breakfast consisted of so many delicious items on the buffet. We stayed until the last minute and I would return in a second.

Thanks again to the staff. It was wonderful.