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Sturbridge · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels on the waterfront in Sturbridge

Daniel Kovac

Daniel Kovac Central Europe

Updated 1 September 2026 · 51 Sturbridge hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Sturbridge, out of the 51 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 5 down to 4.8257427.

Pet Friendly Waterfront 2/1 Cottage with Fire Pit is the one I would book myself.

Pet Friendly Waterfront 2/1 Cottage with Fire Pit

Highest rated of the five

Pet Friendly Waterfront 2/1 Cottage with Fire Pit

★★★★★5 from 279 reviews

Pet Friendly Waterfront 2/1 Cottage with Fire Pit comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 5 from 279 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is found under the waterfront.

51 hotels in Sturbridge qualified for this list and five made it. Peaceful Lake Escape w/ Porch, Fire Pit & Kayak is the one I would book if the first is full.

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All five, ranked

  1. Pet Friendly Waterfront 2/1 Cottage with Fire Pit1

    Pet Friendly Waterfront 2/1 Cottage with Fire Pit

    ★★★★★5 from 279 reviews

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    • Peaceful Lake Escape w/ Porch, Fire Pit & Kayak2

      Peaceful Lake Escape w/ Porch, Fire Pit & Kayak

      ★★★★★4.9268293 from 164 reviews

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      • Weekend Weddings on our Farm.3

        Weekend Weddings on our Farm.

        ★★★★★5 from 114 reviews

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        • Charming Lakefront Cottage4

          Charming Lakefront Cottage

          ★★★★★5 from 112 reviews

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          • Amazing lake house with everything you need!5

            Amazing lake house with everything you need!

            ★★★★★4.8257427 from 202 reviews

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            How this list was put together

            51 Sturbridge hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

            Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

            The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

            What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

            Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

            Daniel Kovac

            Daniel Kovac Central Europe

            Takes the same two weeks every August and drives somewhere far with his wife and daughter. Twelve countries, all by road, all in one battered estate car. Plans routes on paper maps.

            Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.