Lenox, Massachusetts
Wheatleigh
Estate of Mind
What it is
A 22-acre Italianate manse in the tony heart of the Berkshires, with French gastronomy restaurants that are nothing short of la perfection.
What it isn't
A new build. The 19-suite room was originally built as a private home in 1893 as a wedding gift from tycoon Henry H. Cook to his daughter, Georgie, who wed a Spanish Count.
What we think
The architects that originally built Wheatleigh had a delicious muse: a 16th century Florentine palazzo. All the dramatic grandeur of the Gilded Age era remains (sky-high ceilings and intricate woodwork), paired with modern musts, including Matouk linens, a deep DVD library, and zippy high-speed internet. It’s well-worth treating yourself to a Junior Suite; they’re fitted with antique soaking tubs, ornamental fireplaces and Bang and Olufsen BeoVision 7-40 Entertainment Systems—though we’d wager you’ll spend most of your time looking at the postcard-worthy view of the Berkshire mountains beyond your arched windows. Oenophiles won’t want to miss this place; their list of bottles is longer than a small town phone book, with everything from Vine Hill Vineyard’s Kistler chardonnay to Puligny-Montrachet’s Olivier Leflaive Burgundy.
You're here because
You adore a good garden; these manicured grounds were designed by none other than Frederick Law Olmstead, the man behind Central Park.
The Moment
Sitting overlooking floor-to-ceiling windows that peep out on a rolling expanse of green, you’re not sure you could get any happier. And then: your waiter brings you your second course: Acquerello Risotto with sunchoke, local carrots and black truffle. It’s perhaps the best thing you’ve ever eaten. Until, that is, the jackfruit brulee arrives. The Belinda Carlisle song was right; heaven really is a place on earth.
Restaurants & Bars
- The Dining Room
- Wine cellar
Location
Two miles from Lenox, Mass, the town Edith Wharton made famous. (Her house, The Mount, is just across Lily Pond from here.) Also just up the road? Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum, also constructed in 1893, where they filmed Academy Award-winner “The Cider House Rules.”