The Equinox Golf Resort and Spa (Benchmark) (Nicole/Geraldine)

Considering the Equinox? Don't. The Equinox is clearly trading on historical reputation. If your idea of "Vermont Charm" includes a hotel that stinks of mildew, has filthy carpeting in rooms and hallways, has chipped, peeling and dirty paint everywhere, has loose bathroom fixtures and a bell staff comprised of college kids more interested in talking to each other at the entry than actually assisting guests - this is your place! We were here over a weekend to attend a wedding and had the opportunity to visit with guests staying down the road at the Hampton Inn which was better in EVERY respect at a fraction of the price. If any Equinox management is reading this - maybe go take a look at room 400. Find a better location for the mini fridge and microwave instead of just out in the middle of the floor, fix the broken drawers in the dresser, find a way to actually install a closet that can accommodate a long dress, fix the loose sink fixtures, replace the floor lamp that is shorting out and for God's sake do something with that crusty carpet and chipped, peeling and dirty paint.

Overall a very tired "resort" that is need of a big make over. the ventilation system sounded like a leaf blower. Had to turn it off to sleep, didn't work anyway. Phone didn't work so I had to walk around to find someone to look at the a/c. One chair but 2 people so we had to take turns sitting. Restaurant options very limited and the menus were even more limited but very expensive. Overall a very tired "resort" that is need of a big make over.

A miserable experience. Do not stay in the townhouses. Well, I waited to post this until I sent an email to the front office. That was on July 23, and I have yet to receive a response. So here is that email in its entirety: I had tried to send this via your automated review site that I received in an email, but was unable to do so due to the length of my review. I wanted to send this to you directly before posting it on TripAdvisor. I had planned what I’d hoped would be a lovely three-night stay in one of the Sugar Maple Townhouses so that we could celebrate my mother’s 85th birthday – so three bedrooms and three bathrooms with a kitchen and living area sounded perfect for my mother, my aunt, and my two sisters and me. Unfortunately. the disappointment we had with our stay at the Equinox is going to be a sad memory for us all. I must state from the outset that everyone we dealt with at the Equinox treated us kindly and courteously, and heard our complaints sympathetically. That said, the wait to have our complaints addressed was unreasonably long, and we often had to follow up for a response after making initial complaints. And were there things to complain about! With the basic stipulation that moving two elderly women is difficult and time-consuming at any time, having to move from townhouse to townhouse because the conditions were intolerable only magnified our situation. Our troubles began immediately: In Townhouse 501-503 the air conditioning upstairs didn’t work, there was no remote in the downstairs master suite, the baseboards and bathroom walls clearly needed cleaning, and the bathroom grout dislodged underfoot. In 581-583, which we were moved to the next afternoon, we didn’t realize until the next morning that there was no hot water in the unit. So Tuesday morning, with one night left, we were moved to 551-553 – which, while it had air conditioning and hot water, and had a decorative pillow that led us to believe it was used more frequently than our previous rooms, had unsettlingly damp carpeting and a disconcertingly slimy kitchen floor, and one room seemed to be infested with spiders. The quality and comfort level of the townhouses’ furnishings were well below that of an average chain motel on an interstate highway. The furniture was scratched and drawers difficult to open; Keurig machines barely worked; and every townhouse had a different configuration or collection of toiletries in every bathroom, usually not all that we needed. We have stayed at the Equinox in the past, and were consequently expecting hotel accommodations commensurate with the level we had experienced in the main hotel. Those expectations were not met in any way. The management was kind enough to send us wine and cheese, and reduced our total bill by half – but that still isn’t enough to compensate for the extreme inconvenience, disappointment, and frustration we experienced. I hope that the hotel will rectify these conditions so that others don’t have similar experiences.

A very badly run enterprise—-go elsewhere! My wife and I stayed at the Equinox in July 2024. We were charged for a meal at the restaurant even though we didn’t dine there. After FIVE calls disputing this charge, we never heard back. I STRONGLY DISCOURAGE anyone from staying at this hotel, and I would redirect anyone planning on staying in the Manchester area to the Hotel Taconic, which is a newer, cleaner, and better run hotel. The Equinox may have been a grand hotel in the past, but it is past its prime and VERY POORLY RUN. In my many years of staying at hotels, I’ve never been to one as poorly managed. As an aside, I would say that the wine list in the bar leaves much to be desired. The Hotel Taconic has a far more interesting selection of wines., The list in the Equinox, in contrast, is from the 1970s, with only domestic options available by the glass.

Bucket List Item I'll stick with the positives. We've been wanting to stay at the Equinox forever. Celebrated our Anniversary there and had a great trip. Most of the staff was great. Stayed in one of the high-end main inn rooms and it was awesome. Having lived in a 150 year old house, we loved the "character" of the property. Best French Toast I ever had. I can strongly recommend The Equinox Resort for anyone who always wanted to stay there, likes unique experiences, has the cash, and can get a smoking mid-week deal. I do not recommend the Equinox Resort for a full-priced weekend stay in modern luxury.