Inn-Explicable Bliss

Just 50 miles from Manhattan, Glenmere Mansion seems as if it could have been plucked from a Tuscan hillside. Beyond its pink-washed exterior, the intimate villa boasts 19 guest rooms, a stately cortile, and stunning lakeside views. During our two-night stay, my husband and I happily discovered that Glenmere offers la dolce vita — as well as a brush with history.

Built in 1911 as a retreat for real estate baron Robert Goelet, Glenmere was one of the great country homes of its day. Society scions and heads of state stayed here, as well as Babe Ruth and The Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Glenmere’s gilded age eventually receded, and the estate fell into disrepair. Recently rediscovered by its current owners, Daniel DeSimone and Alan Stenberg, Glenmere has been lovingly restored and luxuriously updated — think Italian linens, iPod docking stations, and heated Carrera marble in the bathrooms.

Glenmere re-opened in 2010, and was quickly welcomed into the prestigious Relais & Châteaux fellowship. The property has two acclaimed restaurants, a state-of-the-art-gym, a handsome library, and an 8,000-square-foot Turkish spa. Outside, the 150-acre oasis features formal gardens, a pool, and croquet and tennis courts.

While Glenmere has retained much of its glamour, it’s not remotely stuffy; as my husband happily noted, there’s not a square of chintz to be found. Instead, interior designer Scott Snyder has created a vision that’s at once serene and eye-catching, with unexpected pops of color, and contemporary art by the likes of Robert Motherwell and Helen Frankenthaler.

And if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be “to the manor born”, this is your chance: The gracious staff will make you feel as if the house is yours. And so, for two days, we lived a bit like Rockefellers: We sipped Bellinis and read in the library, played Scrabble in the Sun Room, and admired the sunset together from the grand parlor room. We savored the owner’s homemade jams at breakfast, took a long walk around Glenmere Lake, and beheld a cold night sky bedazzled with stars. For us, Glenmere was the perfect spot to relax and reconnect. It was, in fact, that rarest of getaways: A trip that’s close to home — and transporting, as well.

Glenmere Mansion, 634 Pine Hill Road, Chester, NY 10918. Tel: 845.469.1900. www.glenmeremansion.com. Rates currently start at $550/night and include breakfast. No children under eighteen are allowed.