To say that I’m not excited about the opening of the new Miraval Berkshires would be an understatement. Seriously – a brand new wellness resort opens during a pandemic summer.
Today, Hyatt announced the opening of Miraval Berkshires, which is the brand’s third property, and joins Arizona (celebrating 25 years this year) and Austin, which opened in February 2019. Hyatt simultaneously introduced Wyndhurst Manor & Club, a Destination Hotel, on the same property, with a focus on the Berkshires’ rich culture and history. Both resorts sit atop 380 protected acres and offer a diverse range of year-round programming that encourages guests to celebrate the changing New England seasons.
“We are thrilled with the brand’s expansion to the East Coast with Miraval Berkshires and to welcome Wyndhurst Manor & Club to the Destinations Hotels family,” said Susan Santiago, Head of Lifestyle & Miraval Operations. “Wyndhurst Manor offers a step back into the Gilded Age and delivers a true-to-place experience for multigenerational families, golfers and those simply wanting to escape. The programming at Miraval Berkshires encourages guests to create a “Life in Balance” by focusing on mind, body and spirit. We look forward to welcoming guests on their transformative journey through spa, equine, fitness and nutrition experiences.”
MIRAVAL BERKSHIRES
The Berkshires experience echoes elements of the Miraval experiences in Arizona and Austin, like beautiful cottages with guestrooms and suites that most definitely encourage sleep and relaxation, there’s a ranch for the Miraval brand’s signature equine programming, a Life in Balance Spa with both new and beloved treatments and a challenge course designed to take guests out of their comfort zone. The Berkshires property also offers new elements that celebrate the changing New England seasons and the culture and history of the Berkshires. For example, a historic golf course complete with a collection of golf programming explores the mindful side of golf, and a vast system of indoor pathways allows guests to travel comfortably between activities and programs even in the coldest of New England winters.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The 100 guestrooms and suites, designed by award-winning Clodagh who also designed the spas at Arizona and Austin, are relaxing havens inspired by country house glamour and idyllic New England comfort. Featuring a color palette of warm cranberry, amber, navy and greyish blues, and materials including shirting plaids, woven wools, mattress ticking cottons and cozy throws, the rooms at Miraval Berkshires evoke memories of sitting fireside in a warm knit sweater or breathing in pine-scented air on a brisk fall hike. Each guestroom features a Tibetan singing bowl, meditation cushion and guided meditation channels.
LIFE IN BALANCE SPA
The Berkshires’ Life in Balance Spa is the largest spa in the Miraval portfolio encompassing 29,000 square feet and 28 treatment rooms, built with the brand’s most beloved signature treatments in mind. For example, there is a dedicated indoor spa pool treatment room for the Miraval signature water treatment, Vasudhara, and a new treatment room for Naga Thai, the Miraval brand’s exclusive massage developed from time-tested Thai healing principles, contains special support beams for the therapists’ yoga silks. The spa also features an indoor/outdoor lounge pool, men’s and women’s relaxation rooms, salon, sauna, steam room and spa retail boutique.
In addition to these classic treatments, Miraval Berkshires’ spa menu features a new menu of treatments like the Manuka Honey Body Renewal Ritual and Abundant Harvest Facial, developed in collaboration with pioneering natural beauty brand Naturopathica. The spa menu also features locally inspired treatments rooted in the Berkshire’s sense of place through the use of indigenous botanicals. Facial treatments such as the Tulsi Rose and the Abundant Harvest feature recipes with organic, regional plants that are often grown on-property, allowing guests to rejuvenate through the harvests of the Berkshires.
Clodagh’s design for the spa was conceived to excite all five senses and encourage mindfulness and introspection. Guests’ experience begins with a “Path to Wellness,” a meditational walk through a greenhouse-like portal designed to encourage mindfulness and transition guests into a more serene state of being.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMMING
Inspired by the Berkshires’ changing seasons, the programming is designed to spur transformation in guests through reflection, by challenging a boundary or by learning something new. The collection of programming blends many experiences that are familiar to Miraval guests with new programs that allow guests to discover new interests or learn something new about themselves.
Guests are able to take advantage of the stunning hiking and biking terrains near the property to reconnect with themselves, their loved ones and their natural surroundings. Guests can explore acres of protected forests with trails of varying levels of difficulty, such as the Monk’s Pond Trail, where guests can stroll mindfully over ridges teeming with wildlife, or the Pleasant Valley Hike, a more challenging vertical hike where guests are rewarded with breathtaking mountain views at the summit.
Consider Shinrin Yoku – a Japanese tradition, also known as “forest bathing” and is a calming, meditative, and restorative walk.”
To complement the brand’s existing meditation programming, a new class called “Meditation and Your Union” deepens the practice for couples. This powerful session helps couples find a shared sense of peace and connection through a unique mantra created around a significant date in their relationship. They can take the mantra home with them to keep the practice going in their daily lives.
The golf course here provides unique opportunities for guests to have meaningful and transformative experiences. The Miraval approach to golf is not about perfecting swings or improving scores; rather, it is about overcoming one’s own expectations and fears to find greater success on the course. Just as Arizona’s signature “It’s Not About the Horse” class teaches guests that the way a horse reacts is based entirely on how we approach the horse, Miraval Berkshires’ golf curriculum teaches guests that approaching the ball with mindfulness and an openness to learn makes all the difference.
In addition to these new programs, Miraval Berkshires features the Meadowview Challenge Course, where guests can participate in activities incorporating unique elements of problem-solving, communication, release of fear-based belief systems and self-exploration. Guests can experience courses such as the Falcon Course, which challenges guests with high-level climbing elements, or the Barred Owl Course, a slower, more cerebral experience that progresses in difficulty through four stages. Lastly, a Body Mindfulness Center features cutting-edge Technogym equipment and a fitness studio for activities including Cardio Drumming, Boga Fit Bootcamp and spinning classes.
MEADOWVIEW STABLES
Developed at Miraval Arizona 25 years ago, the brand’s famed equine programming is also central to the Miraval Berkshires experience. The new ranch offers an expertly developed curriculum of year-round programming that expands upon Miraval Arizona’s original programming with new workshops. A new class called “Common Ground” encourages guests to communicate with their horses without touching or speaking, allowing guests to learn communication skills, build gratitude and develop new paths to healthy relationships.
CULINARY OFFERINGS
Like its sister properties, Miraval Berkshires features a Life in Balance Culinary Kitchen where guests can participate in healthy cooking classes, using Williams Sonoma products. Miraval Berkshires’ smoothie bar, The Roost, serves up fresh smoothies and grab-and-go items throughout the day, and Harvest Moon Restaurant serves three nutritious meals per day. At the Pool Café, guests can enjoy a poolside snack, fresh-squeezed beverage or craft cocktail, all while taking in the breathtaking mountain scenery. Guests can also experience a showstopping five-course meal with wine pairings at the Chef’s Table, which features changing menus daily based on the freshest produce and ingredients available.
Miraval Berkshires also features interactive culinary experiences that promote wholesome and healthy eating habits. Guests interested in sustainable living can also visit Miraval Berkshires’ onsite farm, where they learn about chicken and beekeeping from the Miraval brand’s experts.
RETAIL
Moonlight Pass, Miraval Berkshires’ retail outlet, brings the Berkshires’ rich cultural and artistic heritage to guests by offering a hand-curated selection of art, jewelry, clothing and skincare products sourced from local artisans and craftspeople.
TRANSPORTATION
To transport guests in style, Miraval Berkshires is collaborating with top luxury automaker Lexus to provide a fleet of vehicles exclusively for resort guests. The service will be available to guests seeking transport to and from the airport and the town centers of Lenox and Lee. The featured model is the LX 570 and offers comfort and practicality without sacrificing style. Lexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the Miraval brand to create amazing experiences for its guests.
WYNDHURST MANOR & CLUB
Packages and offers at Wyndhurst Manor are separate from Miraval’s packages.
The experience offered alongside Miraval Berkshires, Wyndhurst Manor & Club, is grounded in the culture and history of the Berkshires. At its center is a grand Gilded Age mansion that embodies the Berkshires’ nickname, “Inland Newport.” Inside the mansion are 11 elegant guestrooms inspired by the palatial estates of Berkshires’ heyday in the early 20th century, the Wyndhurst Dining Room, a bar with views of the rolling lawn, music room with a grand fireplace, glass-walled sunroom with white-washed brick walls, and private board room with a vaulted ceiling and inglenook fireplace. An additional 35 guestrooms, located at cottages and suites near Sloane’s Tavern, the Pro Shop and the outdoor swimming pool, round out Wyndhurst Manor’s accommodations. Access to Wyndhurst Manor and Miraval Berkshires’ shared golf course and a vast list of new programming offers year-round entertainment for guests.
Wyndhurst guests can also purchase day packages to Miraval Berkshires and receive the full Miraval wellbeing experience. Wyndhurst Manor also provides tickets to shows, a shuttle to the art-rich towns of Lenox and Lee and picnic lunches for guests exploring the towns.
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