Topnotch Resort

Top notch resort used to be a 5-star classy top notch place. Not anymore! It has declined to 3-star resort at best in both decor, accommodation and food services. The worst part is the AMBIANCE: The bare one- desk one- table entrance ( no leather seats or sofas) …..connected to what looks like a simple “camp cafeteria” and bar in a same open space, all noisy with wooden bare tables ….. killing what a separate small but elegant and warm main restaurant with light music and tablecloths could have offered The problem is the unsophisticated design( of the designer ) and poor taste ( of the owner), and has nothing to do with having the needed space or having the budget for expensive decor. Trying to look modern ended up looking cheap and cold The restaurant, hampered and hindered by the casual below average decor, is also average at best in terms of cuisine and food quality Rooms fees are high but decor average, and comes with old noisy bathroom fan. And. ….not a single bottle of water in the room! We will not be coming back.

This lodge may have been lovely at some point. However, despite looking forward to my stay on the advice of friends and colleagues, it was quite a letdown. The staff at the front desk was less than helpful. The "concierge" was a joke - barely acknowledged my presence. I was left to sort through the various pamphlets myself, while she sat and looked at a computer screen. The only shining star of the whole place was a gentleman who was in their "front desk area" who only works there part time. He is a minister locally the remainder of the time. Sadly, I don't recall his name. The rooms are dated and in disrepair, cracked ceilings, water damage on most of the furniture, and the sheets were barely 200 count. The screens were either damaged or completely absent, and the young people at the "front door" are not the valet as I had hoped and was led to believe. Every morning there was a mystery surrounding the location of my car, and then I came to find out that the young people are too young to park the cars, and are there only to open the door...? It is a far cry from the other lodge (at spruce peak) where I hope to return on my next visit to Stowe.

Beautiful location, very nice pools and hot tubs, and employees very pleasant and accommodating. But I would like to tell the owners to update the rooms and make the rooms match the cost per night. The room furniture is worn, walls peeling paint, and the bathroom door looks like it was damaged in water.

We had a wonderful spa getaway weekend. Everything was wonderful from the welcoming check-in with a good bag for the dog to the spa and fantastic food at the restaurant. The grounds are lovely and there are plenty of activities if you don’t want to just relax and hot tub your cares away. We are already thinking about when we can book our next getaway.

I was very much looking forward to some indulgent R&R at the Topnotch Spa, and while both services I received were excellent, I was disappointed by the customer service experience which was lacking in the management and reception departments. My therapist was 10 minutes late for an 80 minute massage (I had arrived 30 minutes ahead of my appointment) and by the time the massage started, it was 15 minutes behind schedule. I ended up paying for an 80 minute massage and only received 65 minutes of service. When I informed reception that the massage therapist was late, they went to get the therapist but did nothing to address the lost time. No apology, acknowledgement or follow up. Working in administration and management myself, I was disappointed that the management team didn’t take ownership or steps to compensate or discount the experience. Given the very expensive prices of these services, I would expect nothing less than an excellent customer service team who account for great and poor experiences all while keeping the client at the forefront. Sadly, as a result of this experience, I would recommend exploring other spa options in the Stowe area before booking here.