Glenlaurel Inn and Spa

Glenlaurel enjoys healthy repeat business, and it's no wonder. This Scottish inn in southeast Ohio offers a sumptuous retreat from reality. The 140-acre estate includes a wooded gorge with a waterfall and creek running through it. Guests' cars crackle on gravel roads past grazing deer and wind their way back to the seven crofts and six cottages lining the gorge. Stocked kitchenettes, gas fireplaces, couple's showers, king sleigh beds, private decks and outdoor hot tubs await, and silence cloaks it all, save for mealtimes. Every night at 7, the whine of Scottish bagpipes calls guests to sumptuous six- or seven-course dinners in the manor house, decked year-round in white twinkle lights. Cell phones rest in this spotty-service pocket; TVs stay snowy unless paired with DVD players and ready-to-play movies from the Carriage House. Breakfast, which is included in your room rate, brings fresh-baked scones, caramel-drizzled porridge and a choice of two entrees. During the evenings, innkeeper Michael Daniels, dressed in a kilt, tends the manor's basement pub before dinner, where he welcomes his guests by reciting Robert Burns' poetry. The $49-per-person prix fixe candlelit meals showcase seasonal ingredients; dishes include roasted acorn squash soup with pears and seared duck breast with plum sauce. The price is a steal for the quality of the food and the overall experience; the chef comes to each table at the end of the evening to ask you if you're pleased with the meal. From $159.