The Inn at 202 Dover, located in the heart of Easton, Maryland
The conservatory at Inn at 202 Dover
1. Inn at 202 Dover
Easton, Maryland
Inns and outs: Innkeepers Shelby and Ron Mitchell have painstakingly restored this historic home, turning it into a bed and breakfast in the heart of charming downtown Easton. The couple stripped 30 layers of paint to reach the original Maryland Swamp Cypress, recreated the original moldings, and antiqued up and down the Eastern Seaboard to fill the 10,000-square-foot home.
Relaxation starts when… You walk through the doors and Ron offers you a warm cranberry scone as you head to your suite. The feeling is amplified when you lie down on your expansive bed and become swallowed by a sea of pillows (10 to be exact.)
Room-inations: Each of the four suites (and the Victorian bedroom) has a distinct theme — English Country, Asian, Safari and French. There’s a golden dragon bath faucet in the Asian suite; the Safari suite is like entering a big game hunter’s den; and the English Country suite suggests just that. We went French, and found our je ne sais quoi via the soothing blue and white-trimmed walls, ornate sitting room and bathroom with Jacuzzi tub and steam shower.
Breakfast: Ron likes to mix things up, especially when he and Shelby have guests staying for multiple nights. Breakfast began with yogurt and fruit parfait, followed by croissant French toast with an orange-cognac glaze and sausage links.
Romantic Tips: Besides the above-mentioned bed? A few glasses of complimentary sherry will help set the mood…
When you’re not sleeping… Take a daytime walk through town, ducking in and out of art galleries (check out Creatrics at 13 Goldsborough St. or South Street Art Gallery at 5 South St.) and unique shops (want to see where Dick Cheney gets his birding supplies? Check out Albright’s Gun Shop) or catch a nighttime performance at the historic Avalon Theatre (Wynton Marsalis recently played the venue). There is “something to do every day of the week,” Shelby told us. For dinner, try Scossa at 8 N. Washington St., for northern Italian cuisine prepared by Chef Giancarlo Tondrin (don’t miss the short ribs in cheesy polenta or veal scallopini in pizzaiola sauce).
Rates: $375-$475/night; www.innat202dover.com; (866) 450-7600
