13 Best Resorts in Massachusetts

From the rolling, forested landscapes of the Berkshires to the legendary golden beaches of Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts offers plenty of opportunities for a family vacation or a romantic getaway for two. You'll find resorts catering to all kinds of guests, with luxurious rooms, welcoming public spaces, in-house restaurants, spas, and lots of things to do without leaving the comforts of the resort.

Some of these resorts are seasonal, especially some (but not all) beachside inns on Cape Cod and the islands. But don't think of the Cape as a place for summer only. Spring brings gardens and yards alive with colorful tulips and daffodils (especially on Nantucket, where they color the roadsides across the island), and spring is when beachcombers find the best treasures left by winter storms.

Weather in the fall tends to be glorious, with beaches still appealing through September and the cranberry bogs in their bright red fall colors. Luxury-loving skiers retire to the Lenox Gilded Age mansions after a day's skiing at Catamount of Jiminy Peak.

Whether you're looking for a peaceful spot in the mountains or a fun-filled beach vacation with your family, you'll find the right place for you in this list of the best resorts in Massachusetts.

1. The Nantucket Hotel & Resort

Accommodation: The Nantucket Hotel & Resort

Nothing says getting away from it all quite like an island vacation. It's the ultimate in summer relaxation, and The Nantucket Hotel & Resort is the quintessential island getaway. Within a short walk of beaches, the harbor, and downtown Nantucket, the resort includes a restaurant, a full-service spa and fitness center, two heated outdoor swimming pools, a hot tub, concierge services, and complimentary transport to and from the ferry.

Families love this 5-star resort for the complimentary Kids' Club Program, and kids will always remember riding in the resort's bright red antique fire truck. Especially welcome for parents is the evening program for children, so adults can linger over dinner in the Breeze restaurant.

Lodging options include bright, airy hotel rooms; one- to four-bedroom suites; and cottages that sleep up to eight guests, and the location just at the edge of town insures a quiet atmosphere. It's easy to see why it's frequently named one of the top resort in Massachusetts.

Address: 77 Easton Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts

2. White Elephant

Accommodation: White Elephant

With two separate properties, the White Elephant can be the perfect place for either families or guests who prefer the quiet of an all-adult setting. The White Elephant is in a historic property on the waterfront, with views overlooking the yachts moored below.

The White Elephant's amenities fit its 5-star rating, and include L'Occitane toiletries, luxury bedding, and concierge service. Shuttles take guests to the beaches and ferry. Brant Point Grill, the resort's restaurant, is known for seafood and for its steaks, served in a roomy setting with waterfront views.

White Elephant Village is designed for families, with lofts, garden cottages, and larger residences that are set apart from the main hotel. The location, too, is ideal for families, a few steps from Children's Beach, close to town and to Brant Point Lighthouse. Plenty of kids' activities are offered at the beach, or guests can relax in private cabanas at the heated pool.

There's also a full-service spa, concierge, and grocery shopping service to keep the refrigerator full. White Elephant has been recognized as one of the best hotels in the USA and best hotels in Massachusetts.

White Elephant

• Address: 50 Easton Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts

White Elephant Village

• Address: 19 N Water Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts

3. Mirbeau Inn & Spa Plymouth

Accommodation: Mirbeau Inn & Spa Plymouth

Built and decorated in the style of a French country chateau, the luxury Mirbeau Inn & Spa is set in the spacious grounds of Pinehills Village, next to two championship golf courses. The country estate image continues into the lily pond and gardens, inspired by Monet's at Giverny. Several seating areas surround fire pits on the lawns.

Guest rooms and suites are large and feature fireplaces, and soaking tubs in the roomy baths. Some rooms have full balconies or patios. Fireplaces also feature in treatment rooms at the full-service Spa Mirbeau, along with private sound systems.

The two 19-hole championship golf courses, one a Rees Jones and the other a Jack Nicklaus course at the Pinehills Golf Club, make Mirbeau a favorite escape for golfers, and the resort offers a Golf and Spa Getaway package. Like the rest of the resort, The Bistro & Wine Bar, is casually elegant, with the feeling of a private residential estate.

Address: 35 Landmark Drive Plymouth, Massachusetts

4. Wequassett Resort & Golf Club

Accommodation: Wequassett Resort and Golf Club

Avid golfers who want to combine time on the links with a Cape Cod beach vacation will appreciate the Wequassett, overlooking Pleasant Bay in Harwich. Guests at the resort have the exclusive access to the members-only Cape Cod National Golf Club's 18-hole Brian Silva course.

Although the traditional gray shingled cottages and chic contemporary suites are not located on the beach, the Wequassett's speedboat will shuttle you to the resort's private ocean beach across Pleasant Bay. The guest suites and cottages are spaced amid lush gardens, atop a wooded bluff with views out across the bay.

Brick paths wind through the gardens, inviting leisurely strolls to admire the seasonal displays of tulips, roses, and annuals. Ground-floor suites in the newer Water View buildings have patios with fire pits or fireplaces, and all these stylishly decorated rooms have indoor gas fireplaces and air-jet soaking tubs.

Besides golf, an outdoor pool, and the beach, the Wequassett offers many more things to do, including boating, tennis, and dance classes. Five restaurants serving locally sourced specialties give guests plenty of choice.

Address: 2173 Route 28, Harwich, Massachusetts

5. Wheatleigh

Accommodations: Wheatleigh

Picture a 16^th-century Florentine palazzo set on more than 20 acres of green landscape with views of the Berkshire mountains. Add beautifully appointed rooms, flawless service, and a five-diamond restaurant, and you have Wheatleigh.

Fresh from a multimillion-dollar renovation, the 1893 Gilded Age mansion has the feel of a private estate: luxurious and elegantly appointed - much of the materials and more than 100 artisans were brought from Italy to complete its decoration and construction - but comfortable and inviting.

Nineteen guest rooms and suites have high ceilings and are decorated in understated elegance, with fine antiques and original art. Each has its own unique style and features: the Terrace Suite is a ground-floor suite with a sitting area opening onto a 40-foot covered private terrace with a view of the mountains. All rooms have large soaking tubs.

Guests play tennis in tree-shaded courts surrounded by gardens, stroll through the park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, sip cooling drinks on the terrace, and sit around the fire bowl in the evening after dinner in the Dining Room or the more casual Library.

Wheatleigh is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Address: 11 Hawthorne Road, Lenox, Massachusetts

6. Chatham Bars Inn

Accommodation: Chatham Bars Inn

Overlooking a private quarter-mile beach, Chatham Bars Inn looks and feels just as you have always pictured a Cape Cod beach resort: Wide wraparound porches with comfortable rocking chairs, croquet on the lawn, tennis courts, cabanas on the sand, a heated beachside pool, a décor that echoes the colors of sand, sea, and sky - all the ingredients of an old-fashioned summer by the sea.

Guest rooms in the historic Main Inn and in the classic Cape Cod shingled cottages that line the beach have been stylishly renovated to include all the modern amenities without losing their seaside charm. All four of the inn's restaurants - STARS, The Sacred Cod, The Beach House, and The Veranda - serve meals created from fresh local seafood and produce, much of which is grown on the inn's own eight-acre farm.

A tennis pro is available for clinics and lessons, and adjacent to the inn is a nine-hole golf course that's good for a relaxed round or for introducing young people to the sport. Thinking of sailing or taking a sightseeing cruise? The inn has you covered. You can sail aboard the inn's sloop, Stars & Stripes; take a harbor cruise; or hop aboard the complimentary boat shuttle to the Cape Cod National Seashore's North Beach Island.

There's a full-service spa, and families love the children's programs, which feature hands-on and innovative activities in the morning and in the evening, so parents can dine at leisure.

Address: 297 Shore Road, Chatham, Massachusetts

7. Blantyre

Accommodations: Blantyre

Set in 110 acres of woodlands and well-manicured lawns, Blantyre was one of the many mansions built during the Gilded Age, when wealthy city people retreated to the Berkshires countryside to escape the summer heat. The 1902 mansion is built in the Tudor style and today preserves its elegant decorative details, such as wood paneling, fireplaces, stained-glass windows, and crystal chandeliers.

Guest rooms in the Manor House are decorated in restful pastels, with a mix of modern furniture and period details; some rooms have fireplaces, and all include luxury linens and Molton Brown bath amenities. Rooms in the Carriage House, near the spa, feature private balconies or garden terraces, and the cottages placed throughout the property have full kitchens, dining areas, terraces, and wood-burning fireplaces.

Guests can enjoy the spa, and play tennis or croquet, swim in the pool, stroll woodland paths, or relax on lawn chairs. Blantyre is known for its regional farm-to-table cuisine, served either in the formal Café Boulud or the casual Bistro. The resort is a member of Relais & Châteaux.

While its price tag and formality (you must wear proper "whites" to play croquet on the lawn) may not be for everyone, none can deny that Blantyre is a class act.

Address: 16 Blantyre Road, Lenox, Massachusetts

8. The Wauwinet

Accommodation: The Wauwinet

Set among the dunes with two private beaches (one on Nantucket Bay, one on the ocean) and at the edge of the picturesque Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge, The Wauwinet is all about escape. The all-adults resort offers peace and quiet and a lot of options for land and water sports on the legendary island of Nantucket.

Besides the beaches and tennis courts, there are paddleboards, kayaks, and bicycles rentals; the resort's long list of amenities includes yoga mats, beach chairs, and umbrellas, complimentary hourly shuttles to town, and water taxi service on the Lady Wauwinet.

Newly renovated to update guest room décor and facilities, the inn still maintains the leisurely charm of a classic seaside resort. Dining is at the award-winning Topper's restaurant.

Nantucket's only member of Relais & Châteaux, Wauwinet is consistently listed among New England's top hotels.

Address: 120 Wauwinet Road, Nantucket, Massachusetts

9. Winnetu Oceanside Resort

Accommodation: Winnetu Oceanside Resort

Directly on Edgartown's South Beach, on Martha's Vineyard, Winnetu Oceanside Resort offers choices of air-conditioned studios and suites or one- and two-bedroom cottages. Rooms are spacious, with sitting areas and ocean views.

A favorite of families with young children, Winnetu has a complimentary Children's Day Program in season, and there is also a Parent/Toddler Program and an evening program with dinner and movies. Sand pails, shovels, and a selection of beach toys are always available. The day program includes beach activities and often trips to island attractions.

The resort is designed to be just as welcoming to couples seeking a romantic getaway. The new heated swimming pools, tennis courts, a fitness center with yoga and fitness classes, a life-sized outdoor chess board, along with breakfasts in the spring and fall seasons are complimentary for all guests, as is the shuttle service to Edgartown.

The upscale Dunes restaurant is family friendly and casual, with a seasonal menu that showcases products of local farms and fisheries enlivened with tropical flavors of the Caribbean.

Address: 31 Dunes Rd Rfd 270, Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

10. The Mansion at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club

Accommodation: The Mansion at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club

Even if you're not an avid golfer, you'll find plenty to do at The Mansion at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club. There's the luxury Beach House Spa, nine clay tennis courts, a bike trail, and five pools, plus the private beach.

Upscale rooms in the turn-of-the-century mansion (which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places) and the newer separate villas offer a variety of features, some with whirlpool tubs, gas fireplaces, or private balconies; all are stylishly furnished and decorated in soft seaside colors.

The private Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole golf course is a 439-acre paradise for golfers, its tree-lined fairways and undulating terrain providing both challenges and beautiful views. The club offers private instruction, junior golf camps, and half-day golf schools, and the resort has several golf and stay-and-play packages.

Multiple dining options offer a variety of menus and venues, from terrace dining to snack cabanas like the poolside Shark Bah's menu of kid-friendly sandwiches and soft ice cream.

Address: 2907 Main Street, Brewster, Massachusetts

11. Miraval Berkshires Resort & Spa

Accommodation: Miraval Berkshires Resort & Spa

The former Cranwell Spa and Golf Resort has been reinvented as a life-enhancing sanctuary, free of digital devices, designed for relaxation, rebalancing, even inspiration. The 1894 Tudor-style Wyndhurst Mansion sits on a hilltop overlooking extensive grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and surrounded by 380 acres of woodland.

Activities, experiences, spa treatments, and luxurious guest rooms are all designed to help guests unplug and renew.

In addition to the full-service spa, options include golf, swimming, hiking, biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, yoga, meditation, art and photography workshops, cooking demos, beekeeping workshops, archery, and an equine program.

In the winter there are trails and equipment for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. New to any of these? An array of lessons, workshops, and programs can introduce you.

Address: 55 Lee Road, Lenox, Massachusetts

12. Harbor View Hotel

Accommodation: Harbor View Hotel

As the name suggests, the Harbor View Hotel overlooks the Edgartown Harbor on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Rooms in the 1891 building, completely renovated in 2020, also look out onto the beach at Chappaquiddick Island, a short ferry ride away. The ferry landing, as well as village shops and restaurants are a short walk from the hotel.

Choose rooms with balconies or, for the ultimate luxury, the penthouse. Apartment-sized rooms with kitchens are perfect for families. There's a saltwater pool with cabanas, and a farm-to-table restaurant that's rated among the best on the island.

Address: 131 North Water Street, Edgartown, Massachusetts

13. Cape Codder Resort & Spa

Accommodation: Cape Codder Resort & Spa

Family vacations on Cape Cod, complete with long hours playing in the water, needn't be limited to summer. At least not at the Cape Codder Resort & Spa, where the giant 30,000-square-foot water park is open all year-round.

The three-story aquatic playground keeps kids wet and happy in the wave pool, waterslides, rapids, theme pools, and water games. Even the outdoor pool with its colorful waterfall is heated and open in the winter. Activities are scheduled daily throughout school vacations and include an outdoor movie theater and game courts.

Large rooms, moderate rates, and two dining options make every part of the resort family friendly, and adults aren't forgotten - they can play with the kids or visit the fitness center or Beach Plum Spa, joining the kids for evening s'mores around the fire pit.

Address: 1225 Iyannough Road, Hyannis, Massachusetts

Map of Resorts in Massachusetts