Deer Path Inn

If you’re looking to be transported to an English manor house of yesteryear, and to be convinced you’re the Lord or Lady of the house, forget about the United Kingdom. Instead, head to Lake Forest, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, and check in to Deer Path Inn.

Celebrating its 90^th anniversary this year, Deer Path Inn is a 15^th-century-style Tudor manor with all the pomp and service befitting the aristocracy and plenty of cheek to boot. If you can bear to leave your exquisitely appointed, entirely unique room (personally selected for you by the innkeeper the day of your arrival), take your high tea on the enclosed terrace of The English Room, with views of The English garden, a tower of delectable finger foods and teas selected by a Master of Tea, naturally.

Don’t be fooled by the grandeur and elegance of The English Room (one of the North Shore’s most beloved fine dining experiences), the stately hearth room with its roaring fire, the premium spirits and imported gourmet snacks included in your room, or the impossibly anticipatory staff of the Inn: There’s no stuffiness here. You’ll be treated as though you own the place, but that includes the inside jokes that come with being family. Around the property, you’ll catch humorous touches in décor, the names of menu items at White Hart Pub and The Bar will catch you off guard, and the manor staff will often leave you chuckling, convinced they’ve known you since you were a wee one.

Pro tip: You won’t find them on any menu, but ask for a craft cocktail from award-winning mixologist Jorge Centeno’s impressive imagination. Try the Krispy Kocktail for a deceptively youthful presentation featuring Japanese rice gin inside an upcycled cereal box.

Deer Path Inn

255 E Illinois Road

Lake Forest, IL 60045