While sister state Vermont may get all the press for its rolling green countryside, vacation rentals in New Hampshire are equally scenic and enjoyable. Whether it is the height of summer, autumn's peak foliage season or the dead of winter, the landscape of the Granite State is the picture of serene beauty. With easy access to all of northern New England from Boston to Portland, resorts in New Hampshire offer a relaxing atmosphere to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

A vacation in New Hampshire need not pull you completely away from the walls of your office. Working vacations at NH resorts are certainly feasible. You need only find a resort that offers the following amenities.

1. Your New Hampshire resort should offer adequate meeting space in the event you need to entertain clients during your working vacation.

2. Most NH resorts offer free Internet access, which is key for the business vacationer.

3. A vacation in NH puts you square in the middle of New England, easily accessible from multiple airports and city hubs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Hit the slopes at a New Hampshire ski resort

A New Hampshire ski resort will offer the best the Granite State has to offer. After waking up in a spacious room and enjoying a belly-filling New England breakfast of eggs, waffles and piles and piles of bacon, you can hit any number of easy or challenging ski slopes. Once you've mastered the moguls (or they've mastered you to the tune of a broken femur) you can relax in front of a roaring fire as white puffy snow falls outside.

I recommend: The Balsams Grand Resort is a premier skiing destination for New Englanders with full relaxation and business amenities. For a more affordable, family-friendly option, try the popular Loon Mountain.

Leaf-peep your way to a resort in NH

It happens to New Hampshire resorts, restaurants and inns every year. Around about September, the leaves turn from green to yellow, then orange, and finally red and the tourist floodgates open. Peepers from around the world swarm northern New England like shutterbug-locusts, snapping photos of every tree, bush, and native New Hampshire farmer they can find. Why all the hype? The spectacle of foliage is truly a sight to behold.

I recommend: Advertising themselves as New Hampshire's oldest inn, the Hancock Inn rests in the shadow of Mount Monadnock, America's most climbed mountain. The foliage views are phenomenal. The Red Jacket Resort in North Conway offers full business amenities as well as an indoor water park for the kids to enjoy during the foliage rush. While out peeping the leaves, stop by Lilly's on the Pond restaurant for exceptional dining.

Swim the lakes of New Hampshire resorts

Resorts in New Hampshire also cater to the summer-loving crowd. While coastal options are decidedly limited to the cartoonish Hampton Beach, the state offers hundreds of lakes, large and small, to fulfill your boating and swimming needs. Perfect for water-skiing, swimming, and sunbathing, the lakes of NH are relaxing and overall affordable vacation destinations.

I recommend: If your idea of summer fun involves excellent golfing facilities, the you can't go wrong with Atkinson Resort. The Mountain Club on Loon offers year round activities and full serving meeting and event facilities.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you have concerns about the business amenities available at your resort in NH, call ahead and confirm the status of their business center. Make sure it doesn't consist of a 15-year-old computer and a dot-matrix printer.