We have been working on a new website so you can find the Winthrop Estate better online, as many people find us by chance or word or mouth, and the new site will be coded properly, unlike the www.WinthropEstateBlog.com that you can see via the Wedding tab above on this Blog. I have not been keeping up with this blog, but you can see a few new entries on the Wedding tab and the Family tab above, on those blogs. The new site will combine all this information, and will be helpful to those of you looking for an elegant private estate for you wedding in the Berkshires.

Winthrop Estate Fountain, photo by Kevin Sprague

The weather in Lenox has been glorious this week.  The summer-like days bring warming sun to the daffodils and trees and they are blooming everywhere.  We uncovered our fountain, taking off the heavy winter tent, and we are into spring cleaning on the grounds, and getting tan too. We are looking forward to the families who will be coming for their vacations or special occasions this season and have been busy on email, being in touch with the guests to answer questions, and make plans and reservations.  Spring time brings a flurry of activity from everyone thinking about the summer.    Happy Spring!

Wedding ceremony on the Winthrop Estate Lawn, early summer

We are thinking about the upcoming summer weddings as the snow is melting and flowers are beginning to emerge.  Some couples are making their final menu choices, signing off on the floral designs, getting their welcome gift items, and drafting their programs, etc.  I like to focus the planning of the wedding on what type of environment and experience the couple wants to create for their friends and family.   Though there are many decisions to make and people to seat, the couple will remember the time with their friends and their families, not what color their napkins were. Still, most of the design and details they put time and money into do show up in their pictures or  videos or keepsakes, but we focus on creating an ideal environment for the guests to celebrate this couple and for all to enjoy, with a beautiful backdrop for their wedding memories.  Weddings are very special occasions, and we are looking forward to this summer and the celebrations at the Winthrop Estate!  photo by Scott Barrow.

View from the verandah to the West

Whether we are planning for a getaway for friends, a newlywed couple, or a family reunion, we set the bedrooms, place fresh flowers throughout the house, and stock the kitchen with sweet snacks, fruits and nibbles.  Depending on who is coming, we might add a snowman kit, a sugar cookie making basket, gingerbread house making supplies, stock for s’mores, or a table set for two with a silk table cloth, estate china and candles, ready for a special meal.

Guests of the Winthrop Estate will enjoy the comforts of home and the luxurious and elegant surroundings of a historic mansion.  The Winthrop Estate sits on 40 acres, and has expansive views to the west.  It’s easy to indulge and relax in the privacy and quiet, drinking in the spectacular views from the veranda.

And, being located so close to downtown Lenox, guests have access to many activities just minutes away. One can choose a leisurely walk, golfing, hiking, skiing, cycling, exploring museums or visiting the Gilded Age mansions with their lovely gardens, all at your doorstep.

Whether guests relax or are adventurous, the vacation can be rejuvinating. Our staff is professional and attentive and can introduce you to the charm of the Berkshires to make a retreat that is special and memorable.

Guests will find a warm, hospitable welcome at the Winthrop Estate and will enjoy discovering the treasures of the Berkshires.

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.

a day after skiing

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.