Our Story

Captain Israel Richardson built one of the first lodging accommodations in the newly designated shire town of Woodstock, Vermont. Over the next 50 years, the original two-story Richardson’s Tavern changed ownership many times, undergoing numerous alterations and additions, quickly exceeding capacity as the arrival of the town’s first railroad brought many new visitors to the area.

Moody Heath, an expert carver and a local cabinetmaker carves a large golden eagle that is mounted above the Tavern’s entrance. Richardson’s Tavern is renamed The Eagle Hotel. The original eagle is preserved in our Rockefeller ballroom, the Woodstock Inn incorporated the eagle symbol into their brand identity and remains so to this day.

Responding to the tourism boom of the mid-19th century, the new Woodstock Inn was built on the site of the original Eagle Hotel for $120,000 and was celebrated for its grand architecture, 400-foot verandah, and more than 100 guest rooms. The Inn quickly attracted many affluent visitors and became known as Vermont’s first winter-sports center for tourists, with “riotous” winter parties that were the talk of Boston and Montreal. (Source: The Green Mountains of Vermont)

Over the years, basic improvements were made to the Inn, but a major renovation was needed to modernize the building. Laurance S. Rockefeller was approached by the Inn’s resident manager David Beach to help with the remodel. After some research it was determined that even a superficial remodeling would cost $600,000 and experts agreed that tearing the Inn down and building a new one would be the only feasible approach. In November, Mr. Rockefeller purchased the Inn with plans to tear down the neglected building and construct an entirely new hotel.

Since the opening of the new Inn, the resort has been expanded 4 times with revisions to guest rooms and public spaces. In 1970 the Woodstock Ski Touring Center was opened, and in 1986 the Woodstock Racquet & Fitness Club opened south of the Golf course. In 2010 our 10,000 square foot, LEED-certified Spa facility was added, featuring 10 treatment rooms, a bridal suite, and locally sourced products.

The completion of Phase 1 of our enhancement project was revealed in May of 2016.

Public “Living” Spaces, Front Lawn and Entry were enhanced with a $2.6 million investment.

These enhancements included a completely new lobby and library that were designed to create a community “living room” in keeping with the Inn’s classic New England Federalist structure. These changes offer guests significantly improved service levels with a new check-in process and expanded concierge presence. In addition, we have made beautiful upgrades to our front lawn and entrance with improvements completed to the porte cochere, front steps, entryway, landscaping, and more.

In 2018, we renovated all 142 guestrooms and suites for $6.5 million, adding two new luxurious categories to celebrate the history of the village, the beauty of the land, and the adventurous spirit of the resort.  These include our Legacy Suites and Woodstock Collection Rooms.