The mark of a great respite, be it a week or weekend, is the sense of renewal you achieve. The Winthrop Estate is a place you will recharge your life batteries, rediscover your love for each other; it’s a place where you can suspend judgment and live in a dreamy state without interruption, where the most that is asked of you is to choose which entertainment you wish to enjoy.  Here you are not itinerant tourists, but pampered guests of the mansion.  Imagine having no interruptions, tasks, dishes, or lists– just the joy of vacation.

A Weekend with Friends, A Laugh, Some Music

Driving from NYC up to Winthrop Estate is a treat.  Once I leave the city traffic behind, I turn on the music and start to relax.  The journey becomes part of the destination. I drive alongside wide rivers, rushing streams, lush hillsides and farms. The trip itself is candy for the eyes. I revel in the journey.  The rewards of the weekend retreat with my friends are plentiful.  And Lenox, with all its history and luxuries, awaits me every time.  The Winthrop Estate rooms are exquisitely decorated and the public spaces are inviting. I treasure my retreat at the Winthrop Estate and look forward to next year’s.

Close Encounters With Music

Here in the beautiful Berkshires, with the breath taking nature and the charming towns, you can enjoy numerous cultural events from Broadway-quality theater, dance and concerts to poetry and new play readings, fairs and festivals, garden tours and gallery openings.  Best of all, everything is less that 30 minutes away.

Skiing in the Berkshires

Imagine the possibilities…after a day of skiing at one of the local ski resorts such as Butternut, Catamount or Jiminey Peak, you are mesmerized by the Berkshires beautiful mountain scenery.  You experience the excitement that comes with shushing down the mountainside with the snap of brisk air-  its a dream ski day.

After the invigorating day outdoors, there’s nothing more luxurious and inviting then returning to the Winthrop Estate where you options include slipping away into the sanctuary of a warm bath with candles softly glowing, a glass of your favorite wine and classical music in the background, a good book by the library fire and hot chocolate, a massage scheduled for eight o’clock to soothe your muscles– an hour of bliss.

A winter weekend at the Winthrop Estate, enjoying friends and family, is a magical, wonderful getaway… .you’ll remember it always.

Fun in the Snow, a winter family vacation smile

What fun kids can have in the snow!  Dress them up, and send them outside.  At the Winthrop Estate, they can step onto the back lawn and tumble, build, sled, chase eachother, throw snowballs, make snow angels and more.  An hour later, then will return, unwrap their wet layers, and collapse by the blazing fire with hot chocolate and cookies.  Ah… a family winter vacation in the Berkshires at the Winthrop Estate.

The Library at the Winthrop Estate, Lenox

The Library is one of my favorite rooms at the Winthrop Estate.  I love to be surrounded by books, and the craftsmanship and quality of the woodwork on the library bookshelves and paneling makes the room feel cozy and luxurious at the same time.  Add to that a large crackling fire and some big, white snowflakes drifting down outside the bay window, some music on the stereo system (AudioPhysic and AudioResearch components), and a good book, and I am in heaven.

The Christmas Tree at the Winthrop Estate

The whole family, all 24 of them, gathered in Lenox at the Winthrop Estate a few days before Christmas.  They brought bags of gifts for the kids and home-made cookies to share.  They made the estate their home for the holiday.  They sang Christmas carols, they enjoyed meals (that they didn’t have to cook or clean up after, as the estate took care of that), they stayed up late talking after the little ones went to bed upstairs.  The kids went sledding on the great lawn, and got dizzy on the tree swing, then came in for hot chocolate.  Most everyone enjoyed an afternoon nap, whether it was in their beds or a leather chair by the fire in the library after reading a book.  The Winthrop Estate is a magical place for families to enjoy each other over the holidays.

Silk Dining Room Curtains

The silk curtains in the dining room were chosen and installed by the current owners a few years ago.  The color picks up the red-orange-rust color of the dining room walls, which have the original paint, a faux finish style that was popular in the 1920s. The current owners have redecorated many of the rooms, adding full length curtains, antiques, oriental rugs and in some bedrooms, upholstered walls.  The decor reflects the style and elegance of the mansion architecture and many guests comment on how the rooms look like they were meant to be as they are. Often people don’t notice the exquisite details of the mansion until the take a tour.  Photo by Ticky Kennedy.

Dining Room, set for a reception dinner, wedding weekend

The Dining Room is set here for a reception dinner. Guests were enjoying the cocktail hour when we took this picture. This room can hold 4 tables of 8 people each at the most.  These table centerpieces were created by the estate florist, Crocus Hale.  The table settings, linens and chairs were rented from Classical Tents.