We had been curious about the Mountain View Grand -- one of only a handful of grand hotels left in the White Mountains -- ever since it reopened in 2002 after a $20 million renovation. A Romantic RendezVIEW for Two package provided the incentive for a visit.
Booking a month ahead gained us an upgrade to a "Majestic" room. On the second floor, it was about 14-by-20 feet, with cream-colored walls, a king bed with mahogany headboard, matching night tables, and a desk. A round table and two armchairs were placed by the windows to enjoy the view. The modern white bathroom had a pedestal sink and tub/shower combination. One of the best features was a walk-in closet large enough to swallow two suitcases, ice skates, and snowshoes.
Our quarters were lovely, though we would probably reserve "majestic" to describe the long lobby with its dark flowered carpets, columns, coffered ceiling, grand piano, and leather sofa by a big fireplace. The equally gracious Eisenhower library (named for the president, a frequent guest) had three walls of books, a fireplace, and a wall of windows. Tables in the similarly spacious game room were set up with a different game on each (chess, Scrabble, checkers, Go). Photos along one wall traced the evolution of the property since the first boardinghouse opened as an attachment to the Dodge family farmhouse in 1866. The last of eight additions was a "sports house" constructed in 1939 of lumber sawed from logs salvaged after a 1938 hurricane.
Our package included a casual meal in Nicky Finn's the first evening and dinner in the dining room the second night. Nicky Finn's is a bar with a billiards table and only a few cafe tables for dining. Additional seating is available in booths in a side room that sometimes doubles as a comedy club. Excellent burgers from the bar menu were far more appealing than the red-and-black decor that was more Granite-State Vegas than classic Grand Hotel.
