Summer’s a good time to get away. But maybe you don’t want to get that far away. Or maybe you want someone else to get away here.
So here are some top-rated five-night vacation rentals close to home, each with availability, as of this writing, before summer’s end.
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Queen Anne Loft in Hartford, CT
August 24-29 | ≤ 2 guests | $774.71 (tax included)
This upper-floor, open-concept loft space in an HGTV-featured home feels like being inside a big top, with a rounded living room, eccentric accents and lots of red paint. It’s steps from a small park (Pope Park North) and blocks from a large one (Bushnell Park) as well as other downtown attractions.
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“The Pearl” in New Haven, CT
July 28-August 2 | ≤ 2 guests | $1,065.22 (tax included)
This “850 square-foot hidden luxury experience along the Quinnipiac River, with high ceilings, bay windows and natural lights,” resides on the top floor of an 1892 house “recently redesigned by award-winning architects.” The interior design and decoration, topped off by dark exposed beams and a clawfoot tub photogenically placed before an antique half-moon window, emphasize “natural materials, layered textures, and vintage objects to deliver a clean and modern aesthetic, creating a beautiful tension between the old and the new.” Top-floor and walkup only, the space doesn’t have a proper kitchen, but it does offer more self-sufficiency than a typical hotel room, thanks to a fridge, a coffee maker and a toaster oven.
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Art Gallery “Pied-à-terre” in Chester, CT
August 19-24 | ≤ 5 guests | $1,494.92 (tax included)
Perched above an art gallery, this bright and contemporary apartment with a “large private deck overlooking Pattaconk Brook” is right in the thick of Chester Center, which boasts “some of the BEST restaurants, art and shopping in CT.” But the bests don’t stop there. For parting gifts, head to “one of the best farmers’ markets in the state, the Chester Sunday Market,” after your Sunday checkout.
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“The Seabreeze” in West Haven, CT
July 27-August 1 | ≤ 5 guests | $2,039.28 (tax included)
The beach here isn’t private, but it is enormous, and it’s just across the road from this venerable-looking home boasting a “full wraparound porch with dining area, fire pit, grill and sitting area for morning coffee” (or evening wine). Offering extra vacation vibes, a beloved old seafood restaurant sits a block to the west, while a hotly anticipated tiki bar/music venue/ice creamery, expected to open this very month, lies a few blocks east.
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Harbor Cottage in Branford, CT
July 19-24 | ≤ 6 guests | $2,884.89 (tax included)
This “quiet, cozy, cute, direct waterfront duplex” “nestled at the very tip of Indian Neck” has a lot going for it, but its backyard has got to be the star, offering a pretty but unpretentious spot to take in gorgeous unobstructed harbor views at sunset while sharing a bottle or a six-pack. And since it sleeps up to six guests, you can enjoy it for less than $100/person/night, if you plan it right.
But don’t plan too much. Summer’s already here, and it’s safe to say these options won’t be options for long.
Written by Dan Mims. Images sourced from the linked rental listings, including image 1, from the Branfod listing. Readers are encouraged to verify availability, occupancy, pricing and other details before making any travel decisions.
