Eastern Slope Inn
Main Street
North Conway, NH
800 862-1600
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Guest Review submitted by: Heather Hernandez
Submitted: 08/12/01

Rating: Four Gold Leaves. Very good.

My new husband and I were given a timeshare for a week in North Conway, New Hampshire, for our honeymoon, almost at the last minute. We were delighted! I've lived in New Hampshire most of my life, but he is from the Dominican Republic. The two of us, though, were emerging from a single rented room in Manhattan and were grateful to have such a calm (and vast) place to celebrate our new life together.

The Eastern Slope Inn was a sight for sore city eyes: it was a large, pleasant, majestic building, white with columns and a high-roofed sitting deck out front, equipped with nice roomy rockers to boot. The front doors were French, and there were happy little Christmas-white lights outside at night along the sitting area. The lobby was quaint and personable, and the desk personnel were friendly and helpful. A refreshing change from New York's disgruntled workers, these people got right up and asked you how the heck you were and told you about how the Inn was built in the '20s ('30s?) and was a historic building--even rumored to be haunted. 

They offer patrons to "rent out" (for free) board games including "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" The games even had all the pieces, which speaks as well of the hosts as it does of the clientele. There was also a mini-EMS store inside the lobby (EMS is a mountaineer/camping gear store, for the unfamiliar) and a nicely maintained indoor pool, with bright windows surrounding it, creating an admirable swimming atmosphere. There were lovely chaise lounges provided on the sides of the pool as well.

The room was great: it had two floors, which, coming from the one-roomer in New York, made us almost cry. The decor was delightfully tasteful. The beds were cozy, the couches a nice tapestry-like design and an ample kitchenette was equipped with truly nice pots, pans, utensils and dishes, as well as a two-burner stove and a mini-fridge. There was cable TV, of course, and a VCR, with a local, obliging video rental store close by. And let us not forget the jet-equipped tub downstairs. 

The upstairs also had a full bath and two beds, with a full-size, pull-out-of-the-wall bed downstairs too--we were pleased.

The town itself was quaint and friendly. There was a 5-and-dime store, a variety of restaurants and a really unique bookstore down the street. There was an old-fashioned general store run, judging by its name, by a man named Zeb (the merchandise is perfect for tasteful souvenirs and they sold yummy maple syrup). Speaking of maple syrup, the owner of the Inn personally called us and arranged to meet and greet us and gave us complimentary mini-jugs of the stuff. Good for business, no doubt.

The town, North Conway, is a known tourist "mecca" in New Hampshire, but it maintained a very nice, quiet, uncommercialized vibe. Kids played football in the spacious green park; Ben and Jerry's next door kindly sold ice cream with minimal lines; little shops were incredibly faithful to the old New England ideal and replete with handmade EVERYTHING; and most amazing of all, every time, without fail, we crossed the street, the driver stopped well in advance. We almost stopped ourselves, we were so shocked! This is a town where people leave their windows rolled down and engines on while they run in for a gallon of milk and nothing happens. It's surrounded by glorious mountains majesty (White Mountains) and is incredibly serene, despite the many inns and motel/hotels dotting route 14.

In all, it was a perfect break from the hubbub of the City, offering not only polite people, a slower pace and beautiful places to walk and talk but a place fitting for a last-minute honeymoon even. Both of us highly recommend staying here. As it was a timeshare for us, we're not sure of the exact price to stay, unfortunately. I would think it would be online, so hopefully there will be more help to you there in that regard.