From the outside, it looks like a magical English cottage house tucked away on a quiet neighborhood street.
Green and amber foliage gently frames the Tudor-style windows and walls, and seasonal flowers line the grounds, interspersed with shrubs, hedges, and string lights.
When you step inside, a different world opens up. Boots (available for guests to borrow) line the stone floors from the lobby to the lounge. The fireplace crackles and landscape portraits hang on the wooden wainscoting. Newspapers rest gently on leather chairs, tassels hang from brass doorknobs, and guests are greeted by a small statue of an old bulldog in a hat and monocle.
Don’t be late for afternoon tea. First seating begins at 2 p.m.
No, this is not a B&B in the English countryside. Nor is it his luxurious five-star hotel in Chicago.it is Deer Path Inn — A mansion-like retreat in the quaint northern suburbs of picturesque Lake Forest.
Down the street, the historic market square, built in the style of an English village, is home to many local businesses. While some of the town’s anchors, such as Marshall Field & Company, did not stand the test of time, the Deer Path Inn did.
Deer Pass was originally built as a family home in the 1850s, around the same time the town of Lake Forest itself was founded. After the move, the hotel was officially established in 1929. Manor house and castle in Chiddingstone, Kent.
It underwent a complete restoration in 2015, and everything underneath is new, said Deer Path manager James Barnett. But what guests see is familiar, historic and comfortable, which is exactly what the Inn likes.
“This is a traditional way of doing things in a modernized environment,” Barnett said of how the Inn operates. “But it’s still familiar to everyone. That’s what helps it stay alive.”
That familiar feeling Burnett mentioned is all part of the art of the inn. Barnett said life is slower at the inn. Dinner reservations are only taken by phone, Barnett said, which improves communication with guests. Details and personal connections are key, right down to the rubber ducks that are carefully hand-placed on bathtub trays before guests arrive.
“There’s a lot more thoughtfulness and a lot more care being taken,” Barnett added. “It goes back to the idea of a ryokan, a welcoming retreat. It’s a small place, offering personal service. People who come here want that. It’s a step out of the everyday. is.”
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/Deer-Path-duck-tub.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=1330)
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/Deer-Path-duck-tub.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=1330)
Barnett said these people don’t just include out-of-town visitors. There are also plenty of locals who come to watch football and have dinner at the White Hart Pub or have their morning coffee in Haas’s Room. Barnett said the English Room’s Afternoon Tea (developed in partnership with Tea Masters across the pond) is run by locals, and The Bar downstairs is also busy on weekends, with head bartender and chief executive Jorge Centeno, head of spirits, is said to be serving them tea. Pour honestly.
“Half the community is there and they want a place to sit,” Barnett said, adding that The Bar fills up quickly. “You’re definitely going to get to know someone there.”
Many locals also stay overnight, even if they live nearby.
Reasons why it is loved by locals
In addition to being rated #2 on Travel + Leisure’s list; Top 10 Midwest Resorts for 2023 Ranked in the top 1 percent of hotels in the world on TripAdvisor, nearly half of the inn’s bookings typically come from Illinois ZIP codes, Barnett said.
“Deer Path is like a backyard oasis to me,” said Steffy Blum, who lives in Northbrook, about 20 minutes from the hotel. Blum, who recently celebrated a friend’s birthday with a lively afternoon tea at The Deer Path, has stayed at the hotel twice in the past three years.
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/IMG_6526.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=4032)
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/IMG_6526.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=4032)
“You don’t have to go far to feel like you’re enjoying your vacation,” Blum says. “It always feels like I’m away, even when I’m not. They know your name and greet you when you walk in. They have something waiting for me in the room.” I’m really glad they upgraded me to a suite.”
Bloom said the unique touches give the inn an “old world feel.” “It’s like a hotel from another era. The service was impeccable.”
Barnett said part of what makes these personalized connections possible is the hotel’s small size, with just 57 rooms.
“I think at this scale we can slow down a little bit and think about our guests from start to finish,” Barnett added.
But it starts before you even walk in the door. When making reservations, be prepared to spend extra time on the phone, says Guest Services Manager Shelby Truckla.
“We want it to feel like a second home, so we learn about our guests and try to put special items in their rooms that make them feel like they’re at home,” Trkla says. I did.
Lake Forest Treasure Hunt ‘For Locals Only’
These special items usually come in the form of small gifts from local businesses down the street.
For example, guests who stayed during the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah found a basket of local honey and apples in their rooms. Amidei Mercatino, a cozy outdoor market tucked away in an alleyway in downtown Lake Forest. Families staying with children are more likely to find bedtime books and other treasures from independent publications. lake forest bookstore, We will help make your stay even more memorable.
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/IMG_6626.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=4032)
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/IMG_6626.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=4032)
Bookstore owner Eleanor Thorne said of the attention the inn paid to its guests: “Their commitment is amazing.”
Thorne said one of the most memorable visits by the inn’s staff was when the manager came to purchase items for out-of-town guests coming to the city for a baseball game. It’s time. “They were coming in and buying gifts for families with kids going to Cubs games,” Thorne said. “They had little gift bags with games and playing cards that had the Cubs logo on them. They knew exactly what they were looking for. They were themed and customized for each customer. I am.”
The special attention is what sets Deer Path apart and makes people want to come back, Thorne said, adding that she often goes to the Inn for dinner herself.
Lake Forest Book Store and Mercatino are participating in the Inn’s local “Scavenger Hunt.” This activity is part of the hotel’s “Locals Only” package, an activity that sends Deer Pass guests out into the local community to discover (or rediscover) Lake Forest.
As part of the treasure hunt, guests will stop by certain local stores and find that the hotel has a selection of personalized items waiting for them behind the counter.
“When choosing treasure hunt items, I try to look for things that are representative of the store or city and that guests will enjoy and remember the experience with,” Barnett said. “We try to gather as much information as possible about our guests’ preferences and interests and choose specific things that we think will be memorable.”
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/Deer-Path-suite-hand-out.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=1316)
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/Deer-Path-suite-hand-out.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=1316)
For locals, it can reintroduce the area through a new lens and mix old and new memories.
“You’ll hear from our guests, ‘We haven’t done this in years,'” Barnett said of the treasure hunt. “It’s a recreation of youth and nostalgia, and it’s actually authentic.” “It’s really a setback.”
The feeling of nostalgia is so strong that area grandparents who want to take their grandchildren to Deer Path Inn inspired management to create a package just for them, the hotel said.
“We’re getting a lot of inquiries about that,” Tukla said. Deer Pass “Glamping” VacationIncludes ice skating at nearby West Park, in-room milkshakes, and fairy tales selected by the bookseller. “They want to grab little kids and bring them here and have some fun away from home. We can make memories that will last a lifetime.”
Tukla himself grew up going to the Deer Path Inn when visiting his grandparents in Lake Forest.
Why people keep coming back
For Broome, the appeal of Deer Path Inn is both the hotel and the community.
“This town is really charming,” she said. “You can have dinner there, but then when you go shopping or go into a restaurant, you feel like you’re in another city. I keep going because I really like it. There are very few hotels like that left. Yo.”
Barnett said guests are coming back because many of them have been coming for dinner, breakfast or to stay in the hotel for decades.
“People’s trust is helping,” Barnett said, adding that the inn intentionally makes decisions with guests and the community in mind. “You always have a great pour. Being generous. I think those things carry weight now.”
For some patrons, Barnett said, it’s the value proposition, such as service or quantity.
“For other companies, it means we’ve been a loyal customer for 20 years,” he added. “There has to be some benefit to that, right?”
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/IMG_6638_1.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=4032)
![](https://media.nbcchicago.com/2023/11/IMG_6638_1.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=4032)