Hotel Review

WALDEN INN & STABLES

Discover Ohio’s only AAA Five-Diamond Award-winning luxury retreat.

Aurora, Ohio

1119 Aurora Rd • 330-562-5508 www.waldenco.com

To say the existence of Walden Inn & Stables, located less than an hour from Akron-Canton Airport, is a treat is an understatement. Driving through Ohio’s unspoiled Western Reserve, one would not expect to find a world-class inn, revolutionary spa, stables and country club with an 18-hole championship golf course recently renovated by Craig Schreiner.

From the minute you enter the lobby, it’s impossible not to let the outdoors consume you. The hallway walls are floor-to-ceiling windows; the goal was to create passageways through the glass, to take nature and bring it inside. Everywhere you turn, you see the rolling greens of the golf course and the occasional guest trotting by on horseback.

This open, airy atmosphere complements the 25 individually decorated loft suites. Although just one staircase up, the 1,250-square-foot suites feel more like rustic cabins than hotel rooms, complete with high, cedar-paneled ceilings and a fireplace.

But modern touches, like a phone that doubles as a controller for the lights, temperature, TV, music and more, and a spacious Jacuzzi (which somehow doesn’t seem out of place even though the plush bed is just a few feet away), don’t go unnoticed.

The property’s newest addition is SpaWalden, touted as the only spa of its kind in the US. That may be a lot to live up to, but this beautiful retreat captures the true spirit of spa-ing. Treatments are personalized for each guest, and the 12 suites, outfitted with Kohler massage tubs and shower units, are actually private treatment rooms (two are for couples). Gone are communal locker rooms and the feeling that someone is standing outside the door, waiting for you to hurry up and stop relaxing. (There’s even a daybed in each room.)

A trip to the spa—specifically for a massage—will be essential if you saddle up at the equestrian center. Even if you don’t know the difference between riding English and Western, arrange a trail ride upon check-in. A guide will take you through scenic pastures and wooded areas—all well worth the soreness you’re likely to feel later.

If your backside can handle it, cozy up at a table in The Barn, an elegantly restored 175-year-old barn, which is Walden’s signature fine-dining restaurant. Over a relaxing meal and bottle of wine, toast not only your blissful vacation, but also Ohio’s most luxurious getaway. —Brooke Porter