Echo Lake Inn Reviews

My wife and I had our wedding in August 2021 at Echo Lake Inn and it was absolutely perfect. We reserved the venue over a year before and throughout the entire planning process, Tom, Rachel, and the entire Echo Lake team were always ready to help and answer any questions we had.

From the very first meeting with Tom, the innkeeper and wedding coordinator, to the final busy days before the event, we knew our wedding was in good hands. We wanted a weekend-long wedding at a venue that could accommodate our 65-person guest list and Echo Lake Inn was absolutely perfect. All of our guests had a wonderful time and many told us it was one of the best weddings they had ever attended. And while the gorgeous surroundings and many amenities definitely played a part, it was really the people at Echo Lake that made our wedding a success. They took care of everything. From making sure our guests with dietary restrictions had delicious specially-made meals, to ferrying the guests who needed some extra assistance to the ceremony space via golf cart, to quietly ensuring my wife and I always had full water glasses on our sweetheart table at the reception, so we could dance the night away, the Echo Lake team never missed a beat!

Finally, as my wife and I held our wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic, we also wanted to express our gratitude for the effort and flexibility the Echo Lake team put into making our event as safe as possible. The gorgeous outdoor ceremony and reception spaces were perfect for us. Even during the dancing, the tent felt well-ventilated and spacious. The large porch meant folks could eat outside for every meal if they didn’t feel comfortable eating inside the inn, and the wealth of outdoor activities in beautiful Ludlow kept everyone out in the fresh air for much of the weekend.

We would highly recommend holding your wedding and or any event at Echo Lake Inn. The natural beauty, incredible professionalism, and amazing staff all combined to create an unforgettable weekend for us and our guests. We can’t wait to come back for a visit!

They always responded to me in a timely manner and it was great! They gave me so many ideas for my wedding and were very helpful.

We just had our 125 person wedding at the Echo Lake Inn this past weekend and it was fantastic!! It was essentially a destination wedding, us being from Boston, and we had to accommodate lodging for 125 guests. Tom, the innkeeper, and his staff were absolutely fantastic throughout the process. We visited and stayed multiple weekends during the wedding process and were well taken care of each time!! Our guests raved about all the different wedding events the Echo Lake Inn offers and LOVED utilizing the pool, the hottub, the basement and upstairs bars throughout the weekend. The venue is gorgeous and unique with the opportunity for the tent, the dell, and the field for partying!!!! The inn really made for an incredible weekend and Tom took amazing care of us!!! His staff were always checking in, asking to see if we needed anything!!!! We love Tom, the staff, and the Inn and plan to visit for all our anniversaries to come!

Amazing event! Tom and his staff were courteous and accommodating throughout the weekend. Accommodations were suitable for everyone and the food was delightful.

Where do I even begin!? I have nothing but good things to say about the Echo Lake Inn. This truly was the perfect wedding venue for my husband and I. We live in NY so all planning was done over the phone and via e-mail and Tom made wedding planning so easy! Tom is amazing to worth it! I was constantly e-mailing him with questions and he was always very quick to respond. Our wedding weekend was amazing! The day before the wedding we had a welcome BBQ on the front lawn, the food was amazing and everyone had a lot of fun. It was nice for our families to have that time to get to know each other before the wedding. We had a small wedding, only 50 people and I would say about 40 of them came to the welcome BBQ. And our wedding day was perfect! If there were any problems I did not hear about it. Tom, Kyle and the rest of the staff made the wedding day as stress free as it could be haha. They took care of everything! They set up the centerpieces and any other decor I wanted, I just had to show a staff member what I wanted it to look like and they took care of the rest. We had a buffet style dinner and the food was great! They have the buffet line down to a science, there was no long line that people were waiting on. And at the end of the night the staff took care of cleaning up so we just got to enjoy our after hours party in the Tavern. I highly recommend the Echo Lake Inn for your wedding! People are still talking about our wedding and several people have told us that it was the best wedding they have been to!

From the moment we set foot on Echo Lake Inn's beautiful campus and sat down with innkeeper Tom, we knew we had found the right venue. Previously, we had looked at a handful of others venues, but the best features of all of them came together at ELI - and for a great price! First of all, when you book your wedding at ELI, the whole inn becomes exclusively yours for the weekend. We had about 140 people at our wedding, so I chose to get very hands-on with room assignments to squeeze people into every nook and cranny (Tom also helped us book The Inn at Water's Edge across the street, and the Little Brook House a few doors down) and everyone loved being so close together. Secondly, the amenities are amazing: swimming pool, jacuzzi, tennis & volleyball courts, bonfire pit, canoes on the lake, lawn games, darts, billiards, board games... no one was ever board, and there was something for everyone! Also, we had really wanted to incorporate sustainability, history, and a natural indoor-outdoor feel to the wedding. The Inn has great historic value, and the 200-person tent out back (which has a paved and carpeted floor) was PERFECT for the reception! Tom and Kyle and the rest of team gave us amazing service throughout the planning process and the week of. They made every special detail we wanted come to life - sourcing meat from our favorite nearby farm for the rehearsal dinner BBQ, transporting chairs and decor to my parent's mountain-side camp 15 mins away for the ceremony (usually the Inn holds the ceremony on their own beautiful property or at the church next door), setting off a breathtaking firework show at the end of the reception - I cannot imagine being able to do so many custom, unique, special things at any other venue. I could probably go on forever about how the team at ELI made our dreams come true - we recommend them 1000%

Tom, Kyle, Ann Marie, Max and the rest of the staff at the Echo Lake Inn were simply wonderful! These people know and love hospitality! They took care of things (my forgetting to delegate someone to pick up the rehersal dinner desserts, an injury on the dance floor, etc) before I even realized there was a problem! Do you know how good that feels? It feels AMAZING! The food was wonderful and ceremony space was gorgeous. It’s been three months since our wedding weekend and our family and friends are still taking about it! I can’t recommend them enough. If you can communicate what you want, they can make it happen.

As the mother of the bride I can truly say Tom and his staff were extrordinarily remarkable in their caring for detail. Always his staff created a special warmth in their dealings with my daughter. Many times she remarked throughout the long planning stage how prompt Tom was in responding to her many detailed questions and that he always met her requests.
I have to mention Kyle, the best wedding co-ordinator.He not only fulfilled his role he was always going above and beyond for all.
I thing any bride who wants to be treated as queen for a day need look no further than The Echo Lake Inn in Ludlow, Vt

Echo Lake Inn is the perfect location for your wedding! Tom, the Innkeeper, and his whole staff were fantastic throughout the whole process and made planning our wedding from afar as easy as possible. Neil, the wedding coordinate, was great both on Friday night, and all day and night on Saturday. He made sure that everything ran smoothly and kept us stress free the entire time. Our dedicated bartender, that's right you get one of those, Kyle was also amazing. The outdoor venue for the ceremony was absolutely gorgeous and the tent for the reception was simple yet elegant. Everything was perfect at Echo Lake Inn, and we highly recommend you book your wedding there!

As the FOB in a recent late July wedding at the ELI, I cannot recommend Tom, the staff, and the Inn highly enough. While we're from Vermont, we had @150 guests from around the country, most of whom stayed there from Friday through Sunday, and from the BBQ rehearsal dinner to the wedding, the reception, and Sunday brunch, it was a flawless and thoroughly enjoyable time. Lots of local things and places to do and see (cremees, swimming holes, hikes), and the Inn is a charming and beautiful venue. Worth every penny.

Incredible would be an understatement. The Echo Lake Inn was everything we wanted and then some.

First, the property: it is beautiful and has everything from lawn games to a pool to the lake and canoes/kayaks. When you have a wedding here the property becomes exclusively yours so all of the people at the inn were our guests and we got to have an intimate weekend with all of our attendees. The wooded dell area for the ceremony is simply breathtaking. There is even a tavern downstairs where you can continue the party afterwards. Lots of fun details too including a wishing well and archway,great for photographs. The tent has birch trees on the pool.

The staff: the staff here is above and beyond. They were so attentive to our every need and several people commented to us how great they were. It seemed they knew what we needed even before we asked. We were treated like royalty here. The owner Tom was so caring about everything we needed and quick to respond to our every need. We were planning the wedding long distance and he'd jump on the phone with us late night to go over a question. He was thorough and organized and so caring about our wedding we knew we were in good hands. I cannot say enough about Tom or Neil who truly did everything to make it the best day/wedding weekend ever.

The food: the food was spectacular. From the made to order breakfast each morning to dinner it was very good. Everything is locally sourced and many of our guests arrived early so we got to try the prix fix meal they have on Thursday. It was great. The appetizers and buffet were incredible. Many of our guests who commented on the food and deliciousness.

Lastly but certainly not least the prices are very very reasonable and the bride and groom get free drinks all weekend as well as a complimentary stay. We got an entire weekend for what some people spend for an evening event.

Our overall experience was amazing and we wish we could have a wedding here again.

My husband and I got married at the Echo Lake Inn on May 21st of 2016. The entire experience was wonderful, everything I had envisioned it to be! From sit downs during planning with Tom, the Inn Keeper and Neal the day of wedding planner, I felt entirely taken care of - and my mind was always at ease. It really is the tiny details that make the difference! A small part - but my husband deeply appreciated Kyle, one of the staff accompanying us when we were having photography done with a beer! I absolutely loved the surprise wish lanterns at the end of the night.

I know all of our guests, most from out of town were delighted by the Inn and extended their stays so they could enjoy more that Vermont had to offer. I would highly recommend the Echo Lake Inn to brides and grooms who are looking for a venue where all your guests can celebrate over a long weekend. You won't regret it!

Everyone who attended our wedding (in addition to us) LOVED the Inn. It was so great to have the whole Inn just for our friends and family. The food was excellent, we received many compliments. Laurence goes above and beyond to accommodate everything you want for the wedding, and for our guests too. We loved having the tavern available after the reception. Guests absolutely loved the sandwich board. It was great!

We got married at Echo Lake Inn June 2014 and had the time of our lives! One of the main reasons we chose the Inn as our venue was because we could have all events for the weekend in one place (BBQ Friday night, ceremony and reception Saturday, breakfast/brunch every morning and on-site bars open late night). The Inn was also able to accommodate the majority of our guests. We had read many reviews and heard from almost every local we talked to about how fabulous the food and service was at the Inn and what a great wedding Laurence puts on. Even after hearing everyone build up the venue, our expectations were surpassed! The food was absolutely delicious and the service was second to none! Laurence coordinated every aspect of the wedding perfectly and to our request for our big day (most of our planning was done through email with only a few site visits since we are from PA). Neil was amazing and seemed to be everywhere and do anything! We really can't say enough about the service! All of our guests had a really good time, telling us how great Laurence and Neil were and what a great time they had at the wedding. We highly recommend Echo Lake Inn as a wedding venue. It is certainly worth the cost and will surpass your expectations!

We started the process overwhelmed and intimidated. Laurence at Echo Lake Inn helped us feel it would be possible to have a wedding we loved. And we did. Laurence and the rest of the ever-cheerful, ever-helpful staff worked with us on all quirky the little details we cared about (trivia games and scavenger hunt for the kids), and took care of hundreds of little details we didn't even have to think about (decorating the tent, linens, plates). In the end, our party were lighter drinkers and our final bill was significantly less than the estimate. Everyone, including us, had a wonderful time and raved about this venue.

Where to even start? Echo Lake Inn was hands down the absolute best place to have our wedding. Between Laurence and the rest of the attentive staff, the excellent food (our guests are still raving about it), the community-like atmosphere, family oriented activities, quaint Vermont accommodations and surroundings... I could go on. We really wanted a venue that could accommodate most of our guests so that people could arrive on Thursday or Friday and not even have to get in a car until Sunday afternoon. Everything is right there, so the wedding weekend felt like a reunion of family and friends; people really had time to visit and enjoy the setting. We had a welcome party on the big, beautiful front porch on Friday evening which was a great way to kick off the festivities. Laurence is like your own personal wedding coordinator and even though we were planning the wedding from Denver, he made it such a smooth (and fun) process. It truly is a perfect, picturesque location if you're looking for something with Vermont character and history. We'll be back to visit for many years to come!

Having our wedding at the Echo Lake Inn was, hands down, the BEST decision we made when planning our celebration. Laurence, the Inn's owner, is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the finer points of planning a successful reception. His professionalism made the entire planning process a breeze, and his staff (especially Neil the innkeeper and Karen in the kitchen) are second to none with regard to their attentiveness and enthusiasm. They each made sure there was nothing my husband or I had to worry about the entire weekend. Even when the weather threatened a 100% chance of rain on our wedding day, Laurence's extensive contingency plan made us confident that our celebration would still be a success. And when the storm blew through early and we were left with bright, sunny skies, the team at Echo Lake adjusted their preparations with the ease of a well-oiled machine.

I'm not sure which to rave about more - the ease of planning or the celebration itself! The Echo Lake Inn's customary Friday night cookout and Sunday morning brunch turned what would have otherwise been a 4-hour event into a weekend-long party that our guests thoroughly enjoyed. Not to mention the wedding day itself - our outdoor ceremony on the back lawn was elegant and rustic with a quintessentially "Vermont" feel, and our reception was reported to be one of the best our guests had ever attended. And get this: thanks to Laurence's attention to detail during dinner, my husband and I not only got to eat from the buffet... we actually got second helpings!

Overall, the accommodations were quaint and cozy, the food and drink were absolutely phenomenal, and our guests are STILL raving the fantastic time they had. I would encourage anyone thinking about a Vermont wedding to check out the Echo Lake Inn, even if you are not locals (we weren't!). Our experience was low on stress, high on quality, and completely through the roof on satisfaction, for a very fair and reasonable price.

My husband and I got married at Echo Lake Inn on July 21st 2012. Everything about the weekend was truly amazing. Everyone kept asking me if I was stressed and I kept responding I was nothing but excited and overjoyed. I knew the inn had everything under control and all I had to do was be there and enjoy this special day. For the whole weekend the inn hosted 65 of my friends and family. The inn itself is charming and full of character. It's a bit funky and rustic, but that's what we liked about it. It has so much history and gives guests a taste of a real VT country inn. Leading up to the wedding Ruxanna the wedding coordinator was great. Planning the wedding long distance it was super helpful to have a point person who quickly responded to all of my questions and helped me to finalize all of our plans. Then at our final meeting Ruxanna turned the reigns over to Laurence the innkeeper who would be our day of coordinator. How many other venues have the innkeeper there to personally oversee your wedding? He kept us on schedule and was there constantly checking in and making sure I had everything I needed. The incredible customer service and personal attention we received from all of the staff is really what made the whole experience so magical. They anticipated problems and solved them so it did not affect the day and they met any requests with a smile and quick response. Everything ran smoothly and exactly as planned.
As gusts arrived Friday afternoon, they were able to enjoy all the amenities of the inn. Many hung out by the pool, played badminton and basketball, or went canoeing out on the lake. That evening my guests were welcomed with a delicious BBQ dinner on the front lawn and the porch. It was nice to have a chance to relax and hang out with my guests in a more casual atmosphere before the more formal (but not stuffy) reception. Everyone had a blast. On Saturday while me and the wedding party got ready, the rest of the guests took advantage of activities in the local area. At some point during the day almost everyone went cliff diving (on recommendation from some of the inn staff). My one regret from the weekend is I didn't have time to join them. The ceremony itself was beautiful. I Knew I wanted a venue we could have an outdoor ceremony and being under the apple tree and by the wishing well was a gorgeous location. And the staff was happy to set up the chairs in a circle to help complete my vision and the intimate feeling I was looking to create. The cocktail hour was on the back lawn and I was wowed at how beautiful the food displays were. Chef Kevin Barnes is a true artist. And the staff made sure I had a drink on hand and plenty of apps to munch on.
Then we moved into the tent for the reception. It was decorated beautifully and really captured my idea of simple elegance. The tent holds 200 but they were able to set it up in a way that perfectly fit our small group without being cavernous or overcrowded. I have heard nothing but rave reviews about the meal. Portions were generous and the food arrived hot and delicious. No boring wedding food here. I appreciate they are a member of VT Fresh Network and use local seasonal ingredients. Everything was so well executed and I was able to dance the night away stress free and full of smiles. Due to noise ordinances music in the tent has to be off by 10:30, but then we just moved the party into the stone tavern. This was a great location for an after party. We played darts and pool, listened to music, talked, and snacked on popcorn that really hit the spot after a long night of drinking and dancing. Sunday morning everyone topped off their fabulous weekend with brunch in the restaurant. Again the food was excellent and people were able to relax and soak in every last minute of the festivities. Absolutely everything that weekend went flawlessly and I wouldn't change a moment of it. I highly recommend the inn to other couples looking for a county inn for a wedding and those just looking for a relaxed and romantic getaway. I know we will be back to visit soon. Thanks to Echo Lake Inn for making this a truly magical weekend.

Tom has taken the guess work out of planning a wedding. I will repost after our event is complete but so far this venue is all I hoped for.

We got married at the Echo Lake Inn Memorial Day weekend-May 24, 2014. We had started considering venues the year before and knew that we wanted to be married within the Okemo Valley region since my husband Chris’ family annually spends a week during the summer in between Lake Rescue and Lake Pauline for the past 30 years. Chris and I had seen the Inn for the previous 7 years on our hikes along the lakes and when kayaking under the nearby bridge of Kingdom Road and we were always in awe of it and thought it looked cozy and welcoming. Laurence gave us a tour of the Inn, we got to have a tasting, and he was always receptive/treated us well and we knew that the entire staff (Neal, Anne Marie, Chef Kevin and the others) would be able to accommodate the guests we would be having.

Throughout the planning for the following year the Inn staff were quick to respond. Our wedding was semi-destination (not too far from the New York metropolitan region but still, some communication with vendors had to be Skyped or emailed as much as possible) and it was also planned from a semi long-distance relationship (we resided about three hours apart up until we were married) which could be tough logistics-wise (Chris and I relied a lot upon Google docs as well as Pinterest since we both were equally invested in the planning process and details).
I can relay further stories evidencing all the abundance of love outpouring from the area but I think our experience with the Inn demonstrates this pretty well. It made me so happy to know our friends and family were being treated to a mini-vacation of their own too.

As of March 2015 Echo Lake Inn now has a new Innkeeper, Tom. It seems like he truly appreciates the history of the Echo Lake Inn and will be able to carry on the torch well and be an excellent Innkeeper and Master of Ceremonies for all weddings at the Inn to come. From one fellow admirer of Calvin Coolidge to another, I wish him and the Inn continued luck and prosperity.