A renovated courthouse in the center of Litchfield’s historic downtown becomes a chic and cozy escape for travelers…We just returned from a lovely fall weekend in the Litchfield Hills here in Connecticut. We always plan a weekend trip or day trip to this area once the leaves change, since it is less than an hour from our house. This visit, we stayed at the charming Abner Hotel located right in the center of the historic downtown in Litchfield. The Abner Hotel is the town’s historic courthouse that has been renovated into 20 rooms and suites, an on-site restaurant, and rooftop bar. Here are the details from our October stay.

the lobby

our room

We stayed in a king room outfitted with luxury bedding, Further bath products, robes, and an a la carte food and beverage bar. The interiors felt artsy and eclectic. Our room was very cozy, and smartly outfitted with a sitting area and dining area.

breakfast

Breakfast was provided for guests 8-10 am each morning in the restaurant. It was a nice selection, and served buffet style atop the bar. We loved starting our day with breakfast by the fire in The Parlor.

around town

The Abner has a prime location right the middle of the downtown. Everything in town is walkable from the hotel. There are plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and galleries to enjoy during your stay.

Also, it’s a lovely area to get your steps in each morning. I enjoyed my morning walks around the town green and the neighborhood streets lined with gorgeous New England homes.

We shopped in town the afternoon we arrived in Litchfield. A few in town shopping favorites include HTC home store, I Ching Antiques, Hayseed, Hope & Honey Bookshop, R. Derwin Clothiers, and Sister Parish (by appt. only).

For other coffee & restaurant options in town, we enjoyed getting a brew and baked good at Espresso 59. The West Street Grill is another popular lunch and dinner place that I recommend in Litchfield. There are a few others right outside The Abner that I haven’t tried, so I can’t speak to them. Every restaurant was pretty busy since it was a weekend during leaf-peeping season.

There are so many great dining options in the region, and Arethusa al tavolo is one of our favorites right next door in Bantam. It is less than a 10 minute drive from the hotel. You’ll want to reserve it ahead of time.

You can read my Litchfield Hills Travel Guide for all my recommendations for dining, shopping, and things to do.

rooftop bar

We were lucky that the hotel’s rooftop bar, Verdict, was still open for our stay in late October. You never know what the weather will do that time of year in New England. It was so nice to unwind up there with a seasonal cocktail and light bite after a day out and about.

dinner at The Courtroom

Our first night we secured a reservation at Arethusa al tavolo. The second night of our stay, we dined at the hotel’s restaurant, The Courtroom. It was a great atmosphere all around us with a bustling bar, and a full house enjoying their dinners. The menu had some globally influenced dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients.

We decided to indulge and get their seasonal focaccia appetizer with our salads. It was so incredibly good! I will be dreaming about that bread, ha-ha! We ordered a couple of mains including their cod and bolognese pasta to share too.

We enjoyed an after dinner cocktail in The Parlor before heading up to our room that night.

day adventures

If you are dreaming of an idyllic New England fall trip, the Litchfield Hills has it all. Covered bridges, charming towns, gorgeous country roads, lakes and rivers, farms, orchards, fall foliage hikes, and cozy dining with some of the best restaurants in Connecticut.

This trip, we stopped by a few favorites including Thorncrest Farm in Goshen for their milk house chocolates, Hidden Valley Preserve for a hike, New Preston for shopping (my favorite shops in the region are here), a leisurely fall foliage drive to the West Cornwall Covered Bridge, and a stop in Washington Depot for lunch at the G.W. Tavern, and to pick up some new reads at the Hickory Stick Bookshop.

I always tell people to just drive. It’s so gorgeous for leaf-peeping with all the mountains and abundance of trees. Every drive you take has roadside markets and farms on your way to the next town. Some of my favorite towns to visit include Litchfield, Washington Depot, New Preston, and Kent.

You can read my Litchfield Hills Travel Guide for more ideas.

It was one of those perfect New England fall weekends, and The Abner Hotel is definitely on our recommendation list for places to stay now.

xx Kristy

We’d like to thank the lovely staff and team at The Abner Hotel. We are very selective with the hotels and properties we partner with, and only want to bring the best to our readers.