Past two inconspicuous gates nestled in the woods of Barnard, Vermont, the luxurious 235-acre spot called Twin Farms is not your typical country inn. At exclusive Twin Farms, it's the difference, like unique regional dining, that makes the difference. Japanese-style soaking tubs and a fully-stocked pub, where guests can play bartender, are two amenities not usually a part of rural Vermont.

"In 1928, Sinclair Lewis, America's first Nobel prize winner for literature, purchased Twin Farms for his wife, Dorothy Thompson, who was a recognized journalist and a foreign correspondent in her day ... and it was a wedding gift," said Beverley Matthews, the co-managing director of Twin Farms.

Fine artwork and enormous feather beds fill several rooms in the main house and a handful of cottages scattered about the property. Payment is handled before guests arrive so there's no formal check-in. The experience doesn't come cheap: Rooms begin at $700 a night (with all meals and beverages included).