Fabulous hotels for a country house dream
OMG let's escape real life!
Welcome to Second Story, a newsletter for people who love big old country houses and luxurious hotels! If you don’t already subscribe, consider signing up!
One of my first jobs after moving to NYC in 2012 was assisting the editor in chief of Departures, the now defunct travel and lifestyle magazine that was once distributed to AmEx Platinum and Black card holders. While it sometimes ventured into the ridiculous (the author of The Devil Wears Prada was my former boss’s first assistant after he poached her off Anna’s desk at Vogue), it was a wildly influential gig for me, an indulgent Taurus who loves nothing more than a fancy hotel—especially when grand old houses are involved.
The hotels I’ve rounded up today, some stateside, others in Europe, have one thing in common: They will make you believe that you have suddenly become heir to a country estate. Some are recent obsessions, a few are old standbys that I learned while working on the desk of Richard David Story (if you know, you know), and all are worthy of a splurge.
Now, I’m fully aware that the properties below are (mostly) in New York, just because that’s what I’m familiar with, and I’m not pretending to have an encyclopedic knowledge of hotels. If you have a favorite spot I must know about, please tell me in the comments. Let’s get away!
Ballyfin Demesne - County Laois, Ireland
Of course I would start with Ballyfin! I have been obsessed with Ballyfin Demesne for over a decade. I first learned about this Neoclassical country house in Ireland turned world-class escape while at Departures, but I fell into a deeper love with the property after interviewing the managing director of the hotel for an article I wrote at Curbed about the meticulous restoration of the mansion, which was built around 1820 for the politically prominent Coote family.
The grand reception rooms have wildly impressive and varied architecture, from delicate gold tracery in the drawing room to a stair hall with a ceiling so thick and ornate with plaster molding it almost resembles a wedding cake. My favorite room is the library, which somehow straddles the line between cozy, comfortable, and imposingly impressive. The room runs the entire length of the house, has groupings of overstuffed couches to sink into, and is bookended by roaring fireplaces. What more could you need, really?
What makes Ballyfin special is that the vibe isn’t hotel, it’s more a perfectly restored generational country house, which you now own:
“When you arrive at Ballyfin, you ring at the gate, so we can greet you by name from the moment you get out of the car,” said managing director Reynolds to me back at Curbed. “We want our guests to feel as through they’ve arrived just as the Cootes had just gone out the other gate, and their house and their staff are entirely at our disposal.”
Sign me up.
The Point - Saranac Lake, New York
What started life as a Rockefeller retreat, when the wealthiest Gilded Age families had not just city and beach houses but also “rustic” camps to really escape the summer heat, has become The Point, a boutique Relais & Chateaux hotel built to deliver the ultimate lake house lifestyle.
While you are surrounded by woods in upstate New York, this camp is anything but rustic. The central focus on the secluded 75-acre, all-inclusive campus is the food. Enjoy breakfast in your room, by the fire, or in the hall with other guests before a special lunch set up just for you alongside the lake or if you want, take it out on the boat! However, the real star of the show is dinner, a nightly, multi-stage dinner party experience with the other hotel guests which on Wednesday and Saturday nights is also a black tie affair.
This is where the hotel really got me, because probably my favorite luxury is indulgent food (I told you—I’m thoroughly a Taurus), especially if it comes with a bit of pomp and circumstance. The night begins with cocktails at 7 pm with the other guests followed by a communal dinner at 8 and then adjourning to after dinner drinks in the Great Hall or on the flagstone terrace if it’s nice outside. It’s just the most luxurious and totally singular nightly ritual I could imagine.
Glenmere Mansion - Chester, New York
Show someone a picture Glenmere Mansion, and chances are they won’t believe it’s just an hour away from Manhattan. Originally designed for the Goelet family by Carrere & Hastings, Gilded Age architects who also built the New York Public Library, the Tuscan feel of the mansion was inspired by from Italian villas the family had visited on their travels.
The owners Alan Stenberg and Daniel DeSimone weren’t really looking to open a hotel when they stumbled upon this house in 2007, but having just restored a home in Tuxedo Park not too far away, they got the idea to open a sort of bed & breakfast.
What resulted, though, is probably the fastest way to get to the Italian countryside (kinda) from Manhattan. The 1911-built mansion, nestled into a landscape with manicured gardens, a beautiful pool, and incredible vistas, is nothing if not transportive. There are only 15 rooms here, and each one is different, but if you had to pick one, I would look to the aptly named Hastings Suite, one of the only suites with two fireplaces and fabulous views of Glenmere Lake.
Troutbeck - Amenia, New York
If you want something a little more laid back—perhaps a rustic retreat where you don’t need to bring your tuxedo—try Troutbeck. Set on about 250 acres about 90 mins north of Manhattan in Amenia, New York, Troutbeck feels like spending the weekend with a fabulously wealthy friend who bought a country house during the pandemic, fully staffed it, and renovated it to be respectful of its playful revivalist architecture.
The 37 rooms are spread across a number of restored structures, but my favorite is the manor house, the original early 20th century revivalist mansion that looks like something out of a fairytale. While there’s a pool and plenty of activities for the warmer summer months (you could get a summer membership if you have a place nearby and want access to the pool), it’s also great for the winter with a number of woodburning fireplaces—including some in the guest rooms themselves.
The emphasis here is really on living in the house. You’re encouraged to use the living room and library like you would at home - read, have a drink, chill out. John and I stayed here for our 10th anniversary, and we splurged on a suite, but to be honest, we would’ve had the exact same experience if we just got a regular room. I’d just focus on staying in the manor house (or, if you are more sensitive to noise, one of the smaller guest houses) to have the ultimate sort of Dutchess County country house experience. Troutbeck is also a short drive from Kent, Sharon, and Millbrook, so there’s no shortage of things to do.
Estelle Manor - Oxfordshire, UK
While Ballyfin is more Downton Abbey, the recently opened Estelle Manor—a grade-II listed estate in Oxfordshire turned sceney getaway and members’ club—is like something out of Plum Sykes’s latest (super fun) novel. The 108-room Elizabethan revival property, originally known as Eynsham Hall, is an early 20th century concoction that was built after the original Georgian manor house had been constructed, redesigned, and then knocked down.
It has been reborn again, this time with the help of Roman & Williams, a wonderful firm who not only respects historic architecture but also brings a bit of cinematic drama to everything they design. But that’s no surprise, since Roman & Williams started their working relationship designing movie sets like the Practical Magic house. They are also behind the dreamy restaurants Le Coucou and La Mercerie in New York City, combining romance, drama, and detail to create a very fun, sophisticated, and almost seductive atmosphere.
The ground-up new construction spa complex on the property may be particularly impressive—a Neoclassical fantasy that would appeal to any Jane Austen heroine—but if I had to guess, you’d probably find me in the wood paneled living room (fresh from a massage, maybe!), with a cold martini in hand.
What’s your favorite hotel? Let me know!
Ett Hem in Stockholm. There's nothing better.
Wow I need to go to Estelle Manor immediately, if not sooner. Bookmarking!