Gilmore Girls Fans, Now Is the Time to Plan Your Visit to the Real-Life Stars Hollow
For many Gilmore Girls fans, the return of chilly temperatures and changing leaves doesnât just signal a change in seasons. Rather, it means itâs time to start rewatching the idyllic fall show. Whether youâre an autumn like Richard Gilmore or smell snow each winter like Lorelai, you may be dreaming up a visit to Stars Hollow, the charming small town where the show takes place. Unfortunately, you wonât find Stars Hollow on a mapâmost of the show was actually filmed on a set at Warner Bros. in Burbank, Californiaâbut there is a real-life version of the Independence Inn, where Lorelai works at the beginning of the show.
Not only does the Mayflower Inn & Spa, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, in Washington, Connecticut, have a Gilmore Girlsâesque allure, but itâs also said to have been the inspiration for the Independence Inn after show creator and writer Amy Sherman-Palladino stayed there in 1999. Valerie Campbell, the showâs key set costumer, and Rachel Kamerman, a production designer for seasons four through six, both recount Sherman-Palladino speaking of the Mayflower and Washington while working on set in the early 2000s.
âAmyâs love of New England and that small-town magic was really important,â Kamerman tells Architectural Digest. The inn was more than just a location or set, adds Campbell, âit was a character in itself because you have the backstory of Lorelai and Rory growing up and being taken in.â
The parlor at Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection.
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection
Due to Gilmore Girlsâ popularity and loyal fanbase, the Mayflower has seen a continuous stream of guests inspired by the propertyâs connection to the show, says Shannon Leland, general manager of Mayflower Inn & Spa, adding that many female travelers, such as mothers and daughters or girlfriends, tend to visit the inn together. âThe show has done an amazing job of showcasing the beauty of New England in the fall, so many guests come and stay with us this time of year looking for a quintessential New England escape,â adds Leland.
The Mayflower Inn, which sits on 58 acres of land, was last renovated from 2019 to 2020 by interior designer Celerie Kemble of Kemble Interiors, a firm split between Palm Beach and New York City. Kembleâs goal was to add youthfulness to the decor, and the result is a space thatâs both eclectic and feminine, honoring the innâs history as a New England pinnacle while making it more approachable. âIt’s not looking to be opulent; itâs looking to be delightful,â Kemble tells AD.
She used whimsical patterns, collected Swedish antiques, and soft materials to infuse the inn with vibrance. Because of this, the inn now feels like a more modern, lively version of the showâs Independence Inn, which had a more formal feel with a dark color palette and mahogany wood.
The Dragonfly Innâs interior can be seen in this still from an episode featuring a cameo by Norman Mailer.
Photo: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
In season four of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai and Sookie leave the Independence to open the Dragonfly Inn, a space that is more closely aesthetically aligned with the Mayflower Inn of today. Kamerman, who designed the Dragonfly behind the scenes, aimed to give it a layered feel with eclectic decor that she could see Lorelai and Sookie actually picking out.
âI could envision [them] looking at all the fabric swatches [and] wallpaper samples and [not going for anything too conservative],â explains Kamerman. Instead, she made decisions such as combining multiple fabrics and patterns onto one chair, for example. Looking through photos of todayâs Mayflower Inn, Kamerman points out similarities such as mixed media gallery walls and thrifted decor.
The Garden Room at the Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection.
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection
One of the biggest appeals of both inns in Gilmore Girls is their small-town magic and New England charm. The Mayflower, like the Independence and Dragonfly, has a welcoming lobby and communal spaces that encourage gathering. âThereâs a very welcoming, accommodating, inclusive feel when youâre in there,â says Kemble, adding that during fall the inn has bonfires on the porch.
After working on set for so many years, visiting the Mayflower and the surrounding area during Gilmore Girls Fan Fest, which takes place annually each fall, was entrancing for Campbell. âIt is very easy to imagine the characters from the show walking around these towns, even though we never even got to go and film there,â she says.
The tap room at Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection.
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection
The Mayflower Inn provides guests with a luxurious experience, whether you choose to stay in a guest room or suite, thatâs intended to feel like a home, not a hotel. No two rooms are the same, to give the inn a more approachable feel. The linens are soft fabrics such as cotton and wool for added coziness. âEven the art is more modern or mixed in with old portraits, so it feels like someone’s home,â says Kemble. âAnd when people stay there, itâs, I think, a very relaxing experience because of that,â adds the designer.
With walls covered in botanical prints and shelves styled with eclectic antiques, itâs safe to say the Mayflower Inn & Spa is a space that Lorelai and Sookie would approve of. Strolling past changing leaves with a hot cup of coffee in your hand and a chunky sweater keeping you warm, you may even forget that youâre not in Stars Hollow.
This article was originally published by Architectural Digest.
