We had a great, low-key NYE at Spicer Mansion in Mystic, CT - the same little seaside town that we got married in a year and a half ago. Spicer Mansion is managed by the same team behind the Ocean House, where we stayed last winter. Chris and I have a little tradition of a luxurious overnight stay over Christmas break. I highly recommend the Mansion if you want to experience a stunning restored Sea Captain's House filled to the brim with detail and special touches. The service was top-notch (thanks Laura + Bruce!!) and the property is truly unreal. The Ocean House wins in terms of beachfront location and grandeur but C and I LOVED the personal service and quaint size of the Mansion.
If you stay:
- Ask for a room on the second floor - we were on the third floor and while the view was great, the windows were tiny + sealed shut (!) so it was dark + got extremely hot in the middle of the night! Rooms on the second floor had balconies and we heard from other guests they were key for temperature control :)
- The good thing about being on the third floor was that our room was right next to the Belvedere, a stunning overlook at the top of the hotel with panoramic views of Mystic. We had the whole place to ourselves every time we went up - including at midnight, when we rang in the New Year!
- There is a restaurant on the premises that has been called the "East Coast French Laundry" - other guests raved about the experience but didn't recommend going if you were actually hungry ;) We skipped the dinner option so that we could eat back where our rehearsal dinner was, but we did enjoy drinks in one of the three salons while we worked on a ((really hard)) puzzle and they were DIVINE. I actually loved that there wasn't a busy restaurant or bar on location - probably another reason our stay felt so personal!
- On that note, look for the bookcase to the left of the check-in desk- it's a door!! And rumor has it there are plans for a speakeasy...
- The property has a deal with BMW where they lend them a few gorgeous cars and offer them to guests for test drives. Since we just bought a new car (def not a BMW...) we opted out of the test drive but did appreciate that they drove us to and from our NYE plans, gratis!
- Other note- both Spicer Mansion and The Ocean House include all gratuities in their service fee. The staff is adamant about it so it will be awkward if you try to tip (might be speaking from experience...) so do not tip + don't feel bad about it!
Anyway, it was a fantastic place to ring in the new year. I can't muster a full New Year's resolution post but I can share my (single!) resolution - think long term. I get really stressed out pretty frequently and I think it's usually because I'm stuck on the rightnow implications and challenges. I think I will feel a lot more proactive and positive if I can keep my focus on the long-term plan. There are a LOT of specific reasons and justifications for this but I'm sure I'll share more as they come about. I'll keep you posted!
My second mini-resolution is to take better care of my skin. I'm at that age where I'm starting to see the damage I've caused via the sun, not drinking water, too much wine, etc. and it's time to do a little preservation!
((Also FYI, C's resolutions are to a) stop bickering so much (good one!) and b) to give Miles more baths... HAHA! #dogparentsoftheyear))