Just in time for summer travelers to the Berkshires, Seven Hills has completed a top-to-bottom renovation that has transformed the storied inn into a stylish, 57-room boutique hotel. Its 1911 Gilded Age legacy intact, Seven Hills enters the summer season as a year-round, full-service hotel with new light dining options, a children’s club and loyalty program. The new offerings will appeal both to returning guests and a new generation of Berkshires visitors—families, couples and solo travelers alike—drawn to the region’s wealth of year-round attractions.
Miami-based Bigtime Design Studios carried out the vision for the renovation, creating a sophisticated blend of old and new design elements for Seven Hills. There are new furnishings and textiles throughout, new guest bathrooms, fully renovated common areas, and updated exteriors, landscaping and pool area. Enhanced event spaces will continue to draw destination weddings while also accommodating high-level meetings and corporate retreats.
“It has been tremendously exciting to see our new vision for Seven Hills take shape,” said General Manager James Wolfe, who brings 17 years of senior leadership experience in the hospitality industry to his role at Seven Hills. “We believe guests will be delighted both by the enhancements and the original elements we’ve retained to ensure that the mansion’s original spirit lives on. And, we look forward to welcoming them back after the summer season to take advantage of the wealth of offerings the Berkshires holds for year-round travelers, from romantic fall getaways to family ski vacations.”
Seven Hills’ new light dining program gives guests the option to stay in for the evening to relax or socialize in the new Plunkett Lounge. Refreshment includes a small plates menu, seasonal craft cocktails, craft beers and a small, carefully curated wine selection. Guests can share a cheese slate featuring a selection of regional cheeses, dried fruit, honey and fresh baked crusty baguette or nibble on rosemary and sea-salted marcona almonds while they enjoy a view of the expansive grounds. Among the signature cocktails is the Shipton Court, made with lavender essence, fresh lemon juice, prosecco and a fresh lavender sprig. Plunkett Lounge is open to Seven Hills guests and the public on weekdays from 5 to 9 p.m. and on weekends 5 to 10 p.m. Breakfast items provide morning fuel before guests set out for a day of adventure or convene for a productive meeting and are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 9:30am and on weekends from 8 to 11am.
Rosie’s Kids Club
Seven Hills is catering to family travelers with child-friendly activities and Rosie’s Kids Club, a new program for guests under 12 years old. Kids are introduced to the legacy of Rosie, the real-life pet pig of Bostonian socialite Emily Spencer, who owned the mansion, then called Shipton Court, in the early 20th century. By all accounts, Rosie had free range of the mansion’s public spaces and exercised that freedom to entertain notable invited guests, including the famous dancer Isadora Duncan. Young guests today are greeted on arrival with a special welcome gift of a plush Rosie the Pig, coloring book and crayons, and a sweet treat. Seven Hills’ acres of lawn are ideal for outdoor play, with a swimming pool and lawn games to keep young guests entertained for hours. Playing cards and board games are also available for check-out at Reception.
The 7 Hills Club loyalty program
Seven Hills’ newly established loyalty program is available to former and new guests, who can register upon arrival. The complimentary membership offers preferential room bookings during the most in-demand special events, the chance to preview special themed packages, and one-of-a-kind pop-up events programmed year-round at Seven Hills. Members also enjoy exclusive discounts communicated via email and quarterly newsletter, early check-in and late check-out based on availability, a personalized welcome note and complimentary amenity on arrival.
Guest rooms
Located in three separate buildings, Seven Hills’ 57 guest rooms and suites now feature a fresh palette of muted charcoal and blue energized with lively touches of mustard gold. Sleek, upholstered headboards frame beds draped in a down-alternative blanket and topped with a decorative sheet and yellow bolster pillow. New baths feature showers or tub-shower combinations, marble-topped sinks with dark wood bases, and classic hexagon and subway tiles. The new one-bedroom presidential suite features a separate soaker tub and rain shower and is an ideal choice for the many couples who wed at Seven Hills every year.
Event space
Seven Hills’ original 1911 mansion now offers an open floor plan and 5,000 square feet of air-conditioned function space perfect for small corporate groups, retreats, reunions and other business and social events. The Hawthorne Music Room accommodates 150 and Wharton Ballroom 170, while the Spencer Parlor and Housatonic Dining Room are ideal for smaller gatherings and breaks. The hotel’s patio invites al fresco gatherings in warm weather, and there are several lovely spots within Seven Hill’s 27 acres of lawns, woods and gardens for outdoor wedding ceremonies and receptions. In addition to the renovated space, the property has also gained a new director of sales and events, Cassandra Redel, who brings vast experience in event planning and design.
Common areas
Public spaces feature a scheme of gray, slate and deep royal blue with amethyst accents and handsome wood floors. The original finishes Emily Spencer introduced in the 1910s—a staircase imported from England, fireplace from France, columns from Italy, and other antique millwork—blend elegantly with more contemporary furnishing selections and design details to broaden the appeal of the hotel. Groupings of couches and chairs in a mix of velvet and leather upholstery create inviting areas for relaxing and socializing.
Seven Hills’ Lenox setting is convenient to a wealth of nearby attractions from galleries, museums and performing arts centers to antiquing along Route 7’s “Antiques Alley.” There are excellent restaurants and cafes, thanks to a strong farm-to-table culture, and outdoor pursuits range from downhill and cross-country skiing in winter to hiking and biking in summer.