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A classic, old-fashioned resort set on 200 acres in the village, this inn has a quiet, settled air, which is appropriate because it was built to house patients of Dr. John Gehring, who put Bethel on the map by treating nervous disorders through a regimen of healthy country living. (Bethel was once known as "the resting place of Harvard" for the legions of faculty treated here.) The quaint, homey rooms aren't terribly spacious, but they are pleasingly furnished with country antiques. More luxurious are the 16 modern rooms and suites added to the inn in the late 1990s. You give up some of the charm of the old inn, but gain elbowroom. The dining room remains the resort's Achilles' heel -- the preparation and service often fail to live up to the promise of the surroundings.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.