Wheatleigh

Mr & Mrs Smith have just got back from an anonymous review trip to this boutique hotel in the Berkshires, and just as soon as they’ve unpacked their bags, a full account of their stay in the US will be with you. In the meantime, just to pique your interest, here’s a quick snapshot from Italianate country manor, Wheatleigh.

Posing placidly on a Berkshires hillside not far from the little town of Lenox, Wheatleigh combines the grandeur of a historic mansion with the intimacy of a country cottage. Built by a New York tycoon at the turn of the 19th Century as a wedding present for his daughter (now there’s a man we’d like to call ‘dad’), the hotel has the look of a Florentine palazzo, but the friendly feel of a rustic retreat. With a modest 19 bedrooms, it can feel like you’ve been given your own palace for the weekend – an impression only heightened by the insanely good food (classic French) served in the elegant formal dining room, the massages on demand, the heated outdoor pool, and the sumptuous contemporary interiors. Look out for the Tiffany stained-glass lining the main staircase and a selection of stylish modern oil paintings. Wheatleigh’s outdoors are as ornate and impressive as the indoors, with 22 acres of rolling green grounds and a lake, all lovingly landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted – the brains behind NYC’s Central Park. It’s enough to make you take up an easel and make masterpieces – like some many of the arty types who make this enchanting corner of New England their home.