The schloss-rhapsody aesthetics might be laid on thick, but the sprawling 18-suite guesthouse that is the Goldmoor Inn delivers quality comforts – and an unrivalled location in this seriously scenic spot just minutes from Galena, the crown jewel of northwest Illinois.
Smooth, sax-forward cheese-jazz oozed from the high-spec entertainment system when we let ourselves into our ‘French Country’ cottage suite at Goldmoor Inn, an upscale, 18-room guesthouse overlooking the stately Mississippi river 10km (6 miles) outside the historic town of Galena, northwest Illinois’ premier visitor magnet. And that was just the first sign that, for those like us recently coddled in Chicago’s cosmopolitanism at least, the luxury lodgings vernacular around these parts is a bit different. Resolutely old-school. Busy. And a whole lot of quirky.
Our huge apart-suite was one of three clapboard cottages on river-view bluffs on the edge of the property’s grounds, which nuzzle below gorgeous, rolling forested hills, and also house two rustic-luxe log cabins and, in the main building, a further 13 suites. Each is architecturally unique – none more singular than the circular two-storey Turret Suite in a faux Germanic schloss tower complete with drawbridge entrance – and all feature a lot of heavy, ornately carved wooden furniture, drapery, richly coloured upholstery and no shortage of ornaments. Plus, fittingly enough at a property whose website’s not shy of pushing the romance ticket, each suite has a fireplace and an in-bedroom, two-person corner whirlpool tub – in our case with uninterrupted, dual-aspect views of the Mississippi and bucolic Iowa landscape beyond. Most also have patios or balconies ideal for toasting the ravishing river sunsets with a glass of something nice.
“When my wife Birgit and I found this place ten years ago, after a two-year search for our ideal property”, says German émigré co-owner Slobo Radin, “we saw it as a country castle concept, but the rooms weren’t reflecting that in their design. So we re-customised our furnishings, fabrics and joinery and designed each room differently ourselves. So now after your first visit, you have 17 more reasons to come back”. Fanciful themes are big, with suites’ interiors falling into one of three categories – Arthurian-era England romance, French country chateau charm or Northwoods cabin cosy.
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| The Escapist | ORD | GMT -6 |
| While you’re Out There |
| If you’re exploring Galena’s beautifully preserved 19th-century Main Street, treat yourself to a bite at Galena Bakehouse. Opened in 2021, it’s the passion project of husband and husband Geoff and Alex Arroyo-Karnish, who moved to Galena from New York to become innkeepers, before spotting a gap in the market – a gap that lets Geoff flex his muscles as a craft baker, and Alex put to excellent use the empanada-making skills learned after Sunday church services from his Puerto Rican grandma. The pastries are deliciously fresh, the sandwiches outstanding, and they’ll even put you together a cute picnic hamper with champagne to enjoy in one of the town’s many scenic spots. |
If the Radins’ olde-worlde Euro-maximalism seems a bit rich for your blood, the inn’s location close to Galena, where smart lodgings tend to be independent, historic and on the dressy side, puts it in context, and its 60 per cent repeat visitor rate suggests it’s getting a great deal right. Dining here is done quirkily too, with cooked breakfasts of chef’s choosing delivered to suites in hampers, while dinners in the cosy, 28-cover restaurant are more conventional, leaning into hearty and well-executed traditional dishes that showcase seasonal produce, and more often than not accompanied by a cosy, at-table greeting from at least one Radin. Completed in 2023, a large outdoor dining deck with a centrepiece firepit and panoramic river views is an impressive recent addition, while back indoors, there’s a chef’s table in the show kitchen, which also offers cooking classes with executive chef Brand Veitch. The inn’s spa room offers Swedish, aromatherapy and hot stones massages, and a gaming room, Slobo told us with pride, is on the way.
Open year-round, the inn offers easy access to Galena’s picturesque 19th-century streets, golf courses and, in winter, the small snowsports resort Chestnut Mountain, just five minutes’ drive away. But the property’s trump card is its exquisite, secluded location. Originally a private home built in the early 1900s before its various extensions and additions, the inn sits in 21 meticulously tended acres of gardens and woodland where deer roam, and is surrounded by land protected from commercial development. And here, every season has its own beautiful sights to share, from star-filled night skies to fiery fall forest colours to soaring bald eagles suddenly swooping down to pluck fish from the mighty Mississippi.
Photography courtesy of Goldmoor Inn
