Twenty-five years ago, a hotel room was hard to find in Northwest
New Jersey. Aside from motels along state highways, New Jersey motorists
were provided little comfort, much less opulence in their accommodations.
With the genesis of the enormous corporate expansion in Morris and
Somerset Counties, and the completion of interstates 287 and 80, familiar
names rose on highway marquees. Expansive Hiltons, Marriotts, and Sheratons
joined HoJos, Ramadas, and Holiday Inns to greet every sort of business
traveler, from sales to executive. The hospitality industry continues
to thrive in our major corporate centers with the addition of names
like Doubletree, Best Western, Hampton, Comfort, Candlewood, Wyndham,
and Westin. And even as the big names arrived, independent properties
carved their own brand of suburban hospitality along the local tarmac.
Each of these hotels and country inns has its own distinctive character
that reflects the essence of the surrounding area.
All told, there is a wealth of luxury and snug serenity now available in our neighborhood for recreational customers. Each destination offers its own special opportunities for a warm, winter getaway. Treat yourself to a cozy room, a dip in the pool or the hot tub, and that elusive particular known as service. And don't forget, some of the area's finest restaurants park themselves within these walls.
The Bridgewater Marriott exceeds the expectations of today's business, leisure and meeting guest with stylish decor, an array of amenities and impeccable Marriott service. Relax in the indoor pool and whirlpool. Enjoy superb cocktails at Martini's, fine Tuscan cuisine at Tbones Steakhouse, or breakfast in bed in your well-appointed guest room. This hotel is conveniently located, close to the Bridgewater Commons Mall and many other welcome diversions. State-of-the-art facilities, incomparable staff and culinary excellence further distinguish the Marriott Bridgewater as the premier hotel in Somerset County.
Country charm, rustic elegance and personal service are keywords
of the Inn at Panther Valley. The main building is comprised of
50 rooms and the remaining 50 rooms are in cottage units surrounding
the park-like and beautifully landscaped grounds.
The owner’s love of wildlife is evident in the art hung
throughout the Inn. A large stained glass piece depicts mallards
on the pond that is part of the grounds. The Pub, located in the
main building, is a warm and congenial spot for guests to meet,
dine, or just relax and enjoy the sporting events on the many televisions
surrounding the large oval bar. BLD’s restaurant offers wonderful
selections off of their varied menu and daily specials for your
dining pleasure.
The Inn’s five acres of manicured grounds offers seasonal
charm with it’s large gazebo next to a beautiful pond inhabited
year round by wildlife. It is a wonderful retreat for relaxing
or just to commune with nature.
The staff prides itself in the service provided in this unique and quaint setting.
The Inn at Panther Valley offers the opportunity to get away from the hustle
and bustle and experience the charm and beauty of the country without sacrificing
the amenities of a full service hotel.
Travelers and epicures in the Skylands are never far away from
one of New Jersey's finest dining and lodging experiences- the cozy
accommodations and artful cuisine of Hope's Inn at Mill Race Pond.
A conversion to lodging in the early eighties, the site is a restoration
of an old grist mill built during the founding period of Hope's settlement
by Moravians in the mid-eighteenth century.
The 17 room Inn and Restaurant is comprised of three main buildings, the Grist Mill (location of the restaurant, tavern, registry, and the majority of rooms), Millrace House, and the stone Wheelwright's Cottage. The "engine" that once allowed the mill to do its work; a hand-carved, shoulder-width watercourse through grey striated shale, drew water down from the pond and directed to the waterwheel in the basement of the mill. At Grist Mill the warm hearth of the tavern downstairs invite the eye and spirit to enjoy the friendly character of the Inn's loving restoration. Upstairs, exposed post and beam construction treat the eye of every restaurant patron. The race, giving the site its name, fills now only to give reflection to the quiet woods that gently rise from behind the old millmaster's home, Millrace House, where wide board flooring and antique furnishings grace every view. A deep plenum frames each window in the formal symmetry of the two rooms at Wheelwright's Cottage.
A fourth building, the Raoul Wallenberg Conference Center at The Inn at Millrace Pond opened its doors in the Spring of 1999. The rescue and renovation of this 170 year-old home has resulted in singular opportunities for productive meetings in a state of the art facility on the grounds of inn. Having prevailed over of physical relocation to the property and the rigors of historic restoration, the house now appears, in large part, as it did in 1830.
And from the famous grist mill, where so many have already enjoyed elegant hospitality, it will be hard to look across the lawn at the old, proud house and imagine that it belonged any place else.