Featured Member: Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa
This week’s featured member, Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, is one of New England’s last great grand hotels, a landmark of White Mountains hospitality that has welcomed guests to Whitefield, New Hampshire since 1865. Perched on a hilltop with 360-degree views of 57 surrounding mountain peaks, this AAA Four Diamond resort blends more than a century and a half of history with modern luxury.
An Unlikely Beginning
The resort’s story began on a stormy spring night in 1865, when a stagecoach traveling from Boston to Montreal hit a mud hole and overturned near what is now Mountain View Road. Two soaked and weary passengers made their way to the nearby farmhouse of William and Mary Jane Dodge, who took them in for the night and served a hearty farm breakfast the next morning.
The travelers were so taken with the Dodges’ hospitality and the majestic views of the White Mountains that they extended their stay and arranged to return the following summer. That visit convinced the Dodge family that others would enjoy their hospitality too, and in the summer of 1866 they officially opened the Mountain View House, complete with a new two-story addition and a full veranda.
A Century of Dodge Family Hospitality
Word of the delectable food, magnificent views, and gracious welcome spread quickly, and the Mountain View House grew outward and upward with each passing generation. Famously, the Dodges took out a new mortgage with every addition and celebrated each payoff with a ceremonial mortgage-burning. By 1900 the property had a nine-hole golf course designed by a Harvard math professor, though much of it could not be played until the hay was harvested, since the grounds were still a working farm.
Over the decades the resort hosted a remarkable guest list. Many U.S. presidents stayed here, including Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, alongside writers such as Robert Frost, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Stephen King. Hollywood stars, business magnates, and even Neil Armstrong signed the guest register over the years. In 1965, the family built Century Hall to honor 100 continuous years of Dodge ownership, a rare milestone in American hospitality.
Rebirth of a Grand Hotel
Like many of the region’s grand hotels, the Mountain View House struggled to adapt as travel habits changed, and it closed its doors in 1986. Several attempts to revive it fell short, and the hotel sat dormant for years. Its fortunes turned in 1998, when a contractor with a vision of restoring the golden days of the White Mountain resorts purchased the property. After a $20 million restoration, the Mountain View House proudly reopened as Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in May 2002.
The resort earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 and became a member of Historic Hotels of America in 2007. In the years since, the property has added a full-service spa, a wellness studio, a movie theater, a game room, and more, continually enhancing the guest experience while preserving its historic character.
A Modern Resort Steeped in History
Today Mountain View Grand spreads across 1,700 acres and stands as the only hotel or resort in New Hampshire to earn AAA Four Diamond honors in both Lodging and Dining since 2008. Guests can dine at Harvest Tavern or the 1865 Wine Cellar, unwind at the Tower Spa with its 360-degree mountain views, play a round on the historic golf course, or relax on the veranda and take in the same horizon that captivated those first stagecoach travelers.
The resort is also known for its working farm, home to alpacas, sheep, goats, chickens, Angora rabbits, and more, a beloved feature that connects guests to the property’s agricultural roots. With activities for every season, family-friendly programming, and elegant spaces for weddings and events, Mountain View Grand offers something for every kind of traveler.
Plan Your Grand Escape
Whether you are seeking a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a memorable venue for a special occasion, Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa delivers an experience unlike any other in the region.
Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa is located at 101 Mountain View Road in Whitefield. Visit mountainviewgrand.com or call 855-837-2100 to learn more or book your stay.
