teacherD

We are four women friends since high school who are thinking of celebrating our 60th birthdays together this fall. We want a place within a 4 hr. drive from NJ. Have heard about "The Cranwell" but would like to know about it from Fodorites with personal experience. We're planning on a 2 or 3 night stay. Want to know about things to do in the area like wineries, good restaurants etc. Also, how is the food at the Cranwell ?

flep

How about Newport RI, lots of restuarants, beautiful mansions u can walk through, shopping and there is a small winery about 30 mins away. What about boston that fun and full of culture.

nyer

Haven't stayed at Cranwell, but love the area. Many good restaurants in Lenox, and nearby Great Barrington and Stockbridge.
Museums (Norman Rockwell museum, Clark Art Institute, Edith Wharton's mansion) nearby, cute stores, can't think of any wineries in that region. Just driving around the back roads is fun.

Keep in mind that the Berkshires is very crowded in the fall (at least on weekends) with "leap peepers". Inns and B&Bs book up a year in advance.

emcash

We have stayed at the Cranwell twice and like it but don't LOVE it. It is a good value for the money though. The rooms are OK-- not fantastic, but certainly fine. We thought the food was good, not great, as well.

I know it sounds like i'm painting a not so great picture of cranwell, but i don't mean to. It's a 250 a night hotel room that feels like a 250 a night hotel room but with more charm on the grounds. Does that make sense? the spa is good not great. We would go back though, but we will know we're not going to get 5 star there.

We love Lenox, but you will be done shopping there in an afternoon. There are other towns in the berkshires that are beautiful and worth seeing as the PP stated. Not sure of wineries either but i bet you could do a search. There are also some good restauranst in Lenox and the area.

You might want to consider Norwich Spa, which i feel has a better restaurant and fun things to do in the area-- wineries in the area, foxwood and mohegan sun, clinton prime outlets and the shore towns and newport not too far away.

teacherD

So what restaurants in Lenox would you recommend?

Also, Newport RI sounds interesting and perhaps has more to do. Any specific restaurants or spas there that you can recommend?

emcash

I'm much better versed in Neport than I am in Lenox, and the last 2 times I went to lenox I stayed at canyon ranch (wouldn't recommend) and at blantyre (would, but not with the girls). So, I can't give you any dining recs, but i'm sure others can.

In newport, 3 hotels that come to mind that have spas are the Hotel Viking, Vanderbilt Hall residence club and Hyatt on Goat Island. None of these are "spa resorts" though. So if you want to have a massage or facial but not make it a "spa weekend" they might work. I would, IMO , rate them as VH being the best, then the Viking then the Goat Island Hyatt.

newport has fantastic restaurants. Some of my favorites are The West deck, Mama Louisa's, The Spiced Pear at the Chanler for a more formal night out, Puerini's and the Mooring for seafood and a view. Lunch at the Black Pearl or The candy Store or the Mooring. There are others as well -- you can start a thread on newport and get tons of suggestions. Shopping in newport is pretty good and the mansions are fun to view, and the cliffwalk is a pretty walk. For a girls' weekend, I think 2 MAYBE 3 nights would be all i'd want to do there.

nstevey

I've played golf at the Cranwell and agree with emcash. Lenox is home of the huge Tanglewood classical music festival and other cultural events. It is a bit of an uppity place - high end, and expensive. There's no wineries but some good restaurants, spas and yoga retreats. No doubt though, it is quite the bucolic getaway and a beautiful, relaxing area.

skatedancer

I don't know the Cranwell, but I just want to stick up for the Berkshires! It is such a beautiful area, with a wealth of attractions. In addition to the museums mentioned, there are several homes to visit that aren't on the scale of the Newport mansions, but are fascinating in their own right. Naumkeag, the Mount and the Freylingheusen-something house are three I've done, and I think there are more.

I didn't find Lenox uppity at all. Not sure where that's coming from.

In Stockbridge, there is also a gallery with the most amazing blown glass on exhibit (and for sale if you've got the big bucks), including a number of Chihuhlys.

Between Great Barrington, Pittsfield, Williamstown (a beautiful college town), North Adams (MassMoCa museum) there are also a number of performing arts venues.

emcash

Just to be clear, i do love Lenox, as I posted. Between the 2, I'm partial to Newport, but i've been going to newport for many many years. It's a different experience for me. But lenox and the berkshires are lovely.

OO

Do people really call it "the" Cranwell now?? That sounds so awkward to my ears. I grew up not far from there--it was just plain "Cranwell". Cranwell started it's life as a private parochial boys boarding school run by Jesuits. The grounds were always beautiful. When boarding schools fell on hard times, Cranwell did too. It was later turned into a resort...the golf course was one my husband played each time we were back, although we didn't stay there as my parents still lived there.

It's in a beautiful setting, but not particularly close to town (not that anything is far from anything else in the Berkshires, but you will have to drive). Fall is a busy time to be there...hordes of people all crowding route 7 to leaf peep. Summer season is busy too with Tanglewood. Unless they have been developed recently, there are no wineries.

Honestly, I think a town like Newport would be a lot more fun than Cranwell. No wineries there either that I know of, but if you haven't toured the "cottages" along the ocean, they are something to behold. They are anything but cottages, summer homes of Astors and Vanderbilts etc, open now to the public. Amazing opulence from that era!

escargot

There is a winery about 5 minutes outside Newport - Newport Vineyards - does tours, tastings, and has a small gift shop -it is fun I have done it with friends. Sakonnet is also nearby if you have a car.

In Newport, I also love the Francis Malbone house - for a girls weekend you may want to look into Bay Club and Hotel, right on the corner of the main 'drag' Thames St - b/c it is condos and they have them that sleep 4 - or you could get two - they have one and two floor - we have also stayed in those - sometimes fun if the girls want to sit around the dining room table, play cards, yak, watch tv at night, has a small kitchen for breakfast, snacks, etc

Castle HIll is gorgeous - for sunset - read hte Newport threads, tons of recs for restaurants and sights.

For a girls weekend, I've done both Newport and Canyon Ranch, Lenox - two different types of weekends, love them both and visit both annually -

Newport is shopping, mansions, museums, great food , winery, music, etc

Canyon Ranch is healthy eating, exercising, work outs, seminars, walks - no liquor wine/except in your room or if you go out - we never leave the facility so that is a 'healthy' girls weekend for us, or if I go with my husband -

so it depends on what you are looking for
My sil likes Cranwell, but I have never been to that facility so can not comment on it.

teacherD

We are now going to explore Newport. However we did NOT want to spend a fortune just on the room. After going to the sites for Viking, and Vanderbilt they are out of our budget. Perhaps a condo would be more fun so we're still looking. We'd like 2 rooms with 2 double beds and that seems to be a problem also as certain hotels feature just 1 king.

emcash

VH is definitely one of the pricier options in newport. Didn't know your budget, but wanted to let you know which places had spas. If you go on www.gonewport.com or www.neewportchamber.org, you can see different accomodations and their prices.

emcash

sorry the secong link should have been www.newportchamber.com

escargot

Then maybe you should call for a price for that Bay Club and Hotel - the condo place I mentioned and see if that price works for you -

http://www.newportbayclub.com/

and do some searches here for Newport and Newport Lodging and see what you come up with

flep

vanderbuilt is awesome! Absolutely love it there. The rooms are set in loft style. down stairs you have a bath, living room, and wet bar, upstairs u have huge bed and bathroom with shower. And both spaces have plasma tv. the vanderbuilt was recently renovated so the rooms are pretty chic. There is also a roof top where u can sit and have ocean views. Also they have a outdoor sitting area. It is only two blocks from all the shopping and restuarants. Food I would recommend white horse tavern, castlehill and the chanler. The chanler has breath taking ocean views is the most beautiful place for ocean views in newport.the chanler is very pricie so if u are on budget try the breakfast or lunch their. ps want some more fun foxwoods casino is about a 60 min drive for a fun night.

flep

sorry i didn't realize vanderbilt is out of budget. if the hotel room is not where u want to spend your money try the best western, it nice and five minutes from most newport sights. or jamestown is the next town over they have nice bed and breakfasts there. ps if u due decide on jamestown. try cafe sympatico for dinner, the food is great.

emcash

also, just to note, not all the rooms are loft style-- they have many different styles of rooms at Vanderbilt.