Escape: A less-than-two-and-a-half-hour drive through scenic countryside brings you to this incomparable estate on 117 secluded acres, which routinely—and deservedly—tops exclusive “most romantic” and “best hideaways” lists. Eight beautifully appointed and meticulously restored guest chambers and 10 suites are offered in the 1900s Tudor-style mansion, complete with turrets, gargoyles, and leaded glass windows (it was modeled on an ancestral Scottish castle), as well as an antique carriage house and three cottages. Accommodations in the main mansion have a more formal feel than that of the outer buildings.
Unplug: From the moment you motor up the long, curving private drive cut through the forest, you’re gently eased right off the always-on-the-go-and-stressed-out grid and back into the Gilded Age. As an honored guest at this grand Relais & Châteaux country house, you’ll experience a kinder, gentler time when manners mattered; guests dress to dine (gentlemen wear jackets and ties), and a solicitous but unobtrusive staff works hard behind the scenes à la Downton Abbey to anticipate your every need. While the newspapers quietly delivered to your door each morning are not, as a rule, pressed by a footman, you sense that such a request would be met with a genuine “of course!”
Smartphone Substitute: With self-guided hiking trails, bent-grass croquet and Har-Tru tennis courts, a lovely outdoor pool, and a spa and fitness area that sports a glorious hot tub/plunge pool surrounded by conservatory windows—plus plenty of comfy nooks and overstuffed chairs in which to enjoy leafing through the more than 4,000 art books and novels scattered throughout the premises—you need never leave the property. But should you wish to wander further afield, there’s golf next door and such cultural gems as Tanglewood; Edith Wharton’s homestead, The Mount; Shakespeare and Company; and the Barrington Stage Company, as well as plenty of antiquing, just minutes away. The staff will be happy to pack a picnic lunch to take with you.
Details: Blantyre, 16 Blantyre Rd, Lenox, MA (413) 637-3556; blantyre.com. Costs: $660+ includes full cooked-to-order breakfast; two-night minimum on summer weekends. A gourmet, prix-fixe dinner in the elegant dining room starts at $125. Open year-round and, yes, there’s WiFi and TV, but you won’t feel the need to log into or turn on either.
» for more getaways, click here.