#hosted by The Whaler’s Inn; opinions are my own

We’ve spent most of our holiday weekends visiting international good hotels more recently, yet there was one hotel in Mystic, Connecticut that I knew I had to visit in-person for myself once I discovered it: The Whaler’s Inn. This coastal-themed hotel located smack in the heart of downtown Mystic is quaint, comfortable and the best place to rest whilst exploring this New England town.

The Shipwright’s Daughter

We were welcomed to The Whaler’s Inn with a warm meal at their on-site restaurant, The Shipwright’s Daughter. From the beet-infused old-fashioned to steak and speciality hamburgers, we loved our dining experience and the views from the restaurant. We highly recommend the sourdough bread plate with delicious homemade pumpkin butter and the potato stack steak frites were out of this world, ending the meal with the flourless chocolate cake. Located across the street from shoppes and the water, we walked the drawbridge Christmas light-lined path to see what in Mystic we would get to explore the next day.

The Mallory Suite in the 1865 House

We were so excited to experience the accommodations at The Whaler’s Inn because the layout of the rooms in The Mallory Suite is perfect for a family with young kids. The suite, which is located in a detached historic house from the main hotel, offered a main bedroom with a second bedroom filled with bunk beds and a jack-and-jill bathroom layout. Bunk beds are always our bros’ favorite sleeping arrangements so they were so excited!

When not in the room, we relaxed in the beautiful lobby which offered complimentary tea, coffee and homemade chocolate cookies. We really enjoyed the gift shop, boasting locally-made Mystic items. In between touring the local streets, we would regroup at the fireplace warming up for the next event.

Downtown Mystic

How precious downtown Mystic is! With a short walk to the Bascule Bridge and views of the Mystic River which flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the coastal vibe of this sweet town was so great. The Main Street is lined with so many great locally-owned shoppes and eateries. Some of our favorite shoppes that we enjoyed were Mystic Knotwork, Adventure Mystic, Bank Square Books and Fat Face clothing.

There were so many great restaurant options for all meals! We enjoyed custom-made doughnuts at Young Buns Doughnuts, a subsidiary of Sift Bake Shop, an equally wonderful bakery. That afternoon, we made a stop at Bank & Bridge brewery, a super cool brewery made in an old bank. The bros watched Sunday football with us and played board games while we enjoyed their locally-made beer (the Noel Apparition was so delicious as we prep for the holiday season!)

We couldn’t make a visit to Mystic, CT without trying world-famous Mystic Pizza, made popular from the ’80’s movie, Mystic Pizza. It was such an experience seeing all of the images from the movie on the wall in the restaurant.

Other Local Gems

A true breakfast gem we discovered is Kitchen Little, located at a nearby marina. This simple, no frills locally-run restaurant was warm, inviting and had the sweetest staff. All patrons there seemed to know the owners, so we knew from the start that this was a great local selection. We enjoyed bacon, eggs, grilled blueberry muffins and the comforts of home. Highly recommend! For dinner, we chose Red36, also located on a marina, which boasted seafood dishes. The bros had delicious salmon burgers and we enjoyed dishes that had lobster, clams, mussels and shrimp.

Giving Back

The Whaler’s Inn isn’t just a wonderful hotel, they also give back to many. The inn is proud to support The Light House, a community-based program specializing in assisting students of all differences with real life experiences and opportunities. The Whaler’s Inn partners with The Light House, offering job seekers opportunities to learn the different positions within the hotel. The job seekers spend 3-hours, 2-days a week at the Inn working in various departments.

In addition, instead of plastic bottles of water, The Whaler’s Inn puts complimentary cartons of eco-friendly water in each room that serves a purpose. Everybody Water is a locally women-owned company dedicated to uplifting women and girls globally by supporting clean water infrastructure projects that free them from carrying water, giving them the time to attend school, earn incomes and dream big.

Don’t miss this coastal New England gem that is just so good!