My wife and I recently spent a weekend at High Hampton with our seventeen year-old daughter. My last visit was in the summer of 1965. I had arranged our room through the website and when we arrived the front desk did not have a record of our Friday to Sunday reservation. A bit of quick searching on their part showed they had our reservation but reflected a Sunday to Tuesday booking. The young woman quickly righted matters, reviewed which room we had been assigned to and consulted colleagues to see if there were a better room for three folks. Soon we were re-assigned and shown to our "cottage" (really a section of cottage.) The room was rustic and charming, spacious with a beautiful view overlooking the lake and a tremendous sense of peace and privacy. We dutifully dressed for dinner and made our way to the lodge where a cheery fire was burning in one of the four massive stone fireplaces. On a mid-September evening it was wonderful. In the dining room the buffet was laid out and service was much as described by other reviewers. Phillipine servers tried hard but missed the mark often based upon linguistic and cultural differences. Nonetheless, the sincere efforts felt welcoming. The Food at Breakfast was wonderful, lunch was adequate and dinner had hits and misses. My family is a bit foodie so I knew it may be a challenge but the charm of...My wife and I recently spent a weekend at High Hampton with our seventeen year-old daughter. My last visit was in the summer of 1965. I had arranged our room through the website and when we arrived the front desk did not have a record of our Friday to Sunday reservation. A bit of quick searching on their part showed they had our reservation but reflected a Sunday to Tuesday booking. The young woman quickly righted matters, reviewed which room we had been assigned to and consulted colleagues to see if there were a better room for three folks. Soon we were re-assigned and shown to our "cottage" (really a section of cottage.) The room was rustic and charming, spacious with a beautiful view overlooking the lake and a tremendous sense of peace and privacy. We dutifully dressed for dinner and made our way to the lodge where a cheery fire was burning in one of the four massive stone fireplaces. On a mid-September evening it was wonderful. In the dining room the buffet was laid out and service was much as described by other reviewers. Phillipine servers tried hard but missed the mark often based upon linguistic and cultural differences. Nonetheless, the sincere efforts felt welcoming. The Food at Breakfast was wonderful, lunch was adequate and dinner had hits and misses. My family is a bit foodie so I knew it may be a challenge but the charm of the place and the retro nature made the buffet tolerable. Would I happily pay more for better food? Yes but more important to me is that High Hampton survive and if this model works it is ok with me - actually the whole family loved it for all the reasons of charming, retro and rustic culture. Aside from dining room service the entire staff was warm, welcoming and gracious. There is simply something about the place that makes you feel you are back in 1950 and it is so unbelievably peaceful. It seems ideal for multi-generational family retreats with something for everyone. We met a thirty-something mother of three who was there with her in-laws and the three generations seemed to eat it up. I was gratified to hear her say this was their fourth visit and every time the in-laws propose a change in venue the (thirty-something) kids and and grandchildren reject it and want to return to High Hampton.

It is not for everyone but if it is for you it is unique and a national treasure. It is so peaceful and relaxing. The lousy cell service and lack of telephones and internet is a dream. If only the tv were...More