Hyatt’s Miraval brand is expanding its footprint in the Berkshires with a Gilded Age mansion
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For a luxurious, wellness-themed escape from New York City or Boston, folks know that Miraval Berkshires, part of World of Hyatt, is one of the best options in New England — and it's about to get a little bigger.
Miraval Berkshires (located in Lenox, Massachusetts) is one of three outposts of the wellness brand that's famous for its "device-free" environment designed to let people disconnect from day-to-day life through immersive activities like daily yoga, fitness and meditation classes, clean culinary experiences, spa treatments and more. The adults-only brand is semi-all-inclusive, offering food, nonalcoholic drinks and most amenities in the price of the stay. The other two Miraval resorts can be found in Arizona and Texas.
But what's unique about the Berkshires location is that it actually shares its grounds with another Hyatt property, Wyndhurst Manor & Club, a resort centered around a historic, Guilded Age-period mansion with a handful of accommodation types, restaurants and other amenities. And on April 1 of this year, it will all become part of the much-loved Miraval Berkshires.
Having reviewed both Miraval Berkshires and Wyndhurst Manor & Club in the last few years, we're not surprised to see Miraval absorb Wyndhurst Manor & Club — though there's a caveat.
Even though the two resorts are essentially located on the same property, our reviewers had very different experiences between the two resorts: one that ended with our highest seal of approval for Miraval and one that left TPG reporter Chris Dong scratching his head at Wyndhurst Manor.
Simply put, Dong's July 2021 visit to Wyndhurst just didn't live up to expectations for one of Hyatt's premium brands, despite knowing that it wouldn't be quite as luxe as Miraval. If anything, one could say that during that particular visit, Wyndhurst felt like an afterthought to Miraval.
For Dong, he hoped "Wyndhurst would have an upscale ambiance similar to the Miraval," but that didn't ring true. Instead, he "often felt like the Wyndhurst was the neglected sibling that got the hand-me-downs."
During that visit, Dong was required to check into Wyndhurst at the Miraval reception area and felt rushed by the staff. The room in a secondary building away from the mansion was comfortable but had some glaring flaws including a bathroom hook that seemed to have been ripped off the door, exposed wood and some shoddy work around the bathtub.
The real kicker is that despite being at the Wyndhurst Manor & Club, the room was filled with Miraval branded amenities and insignia, like on the bathrobe, the phone and even the television.
But now those bathrobes will be official when the resort makes the move to Miraval in just a few short months, along with a few other updates.
The "centerpiece" of Miraval Berkshire and its 380-acre grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the landscape architect who designed Central Park, Wyndhurst Manor — or Mansion, as Miraval is branding it — was built in 1894 by John Slone. The Mansion's 10 guestrooms and suites, all of which have been renovated (thankfully!) are inspired by writers and other creatives from a "bygone area."
Miraval will also add three carriage houses from Wyndhurst, all of which have an additional 10 rooms and suites.
Other features of the mansion include a glass-walled sunroom, private boardroom, a grand ballroom and the sprawling Great Lawn which can host large events and weddings.
Miraval will also take over Wyndhurst's food and beverages facilities — one area that shined during Dong's review of the property. The 1894 Fireside Bistro and Bar, with its formal dining room and bar offering mountain views, will serve as a "secondary" restaurant for guests, in tandem with Miraval's Harvest Moon Restaurant and The Roost.
Another place where things felt a little questionable in our previous review was Wyndhurst's fitness center and pool area, which is technically a club that members of the local community can join and share with guests of the hotel. For Dong, those facilities were lackluster at best.
"It all feels more like a run-of-the-mill recreation center than a premium hotel," he wrote.
The Wyndhurst Club, as it's called, will not change during the transition. That said, guests to Miraval Berkshires will likely be keener to enjoy Miraval's original, much more upscale pools and facilities than the YMCA-like version offered at Wyndhurst Club. It's worth noting, however, the club does have an 18-hole golf course that dates back to the 1920s and is a popular place spot thanks to its beautiful views.
We're excited for this development and, hopefully, Wyndhurst will soon truly meet Miraval's brand standards — which are high and loved by guests.
With a little TLC, Wyndhurst's historical buildings will be a great addition to the resort.
In fact, Miraval is such a special brand it doesn't really fit into World of Hyatt's standard awards chart. Instead, it has its own points pricing. A standard free night award is 45,000 points for single occupancy with the option to add a second guest for 20,000 more points, though the chart still operates with the peak- and off-peak pricing. Cash rates for two people are easily over $1,000 per night.
With the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you could snag a free night at Miraval Berkshires by earning 35,000 World of Hyatt points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more points by earning 2 bonus points total per dollar spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 point, on up to $15,000 spent.