Although it was off season in the Berkshires, the Chambery Inn was right on target for us for a quiet romantic retreat. We stayed 3 nights in this immaculately clean and unusual inn, in a deluxe suite called La Normandie (click on 'virtual tours' on their website to see the rooms). It was a large room with very high ceilings, and quaintly decorated with a comfy king sized canopy bed. (we were supposed to stay in Le Lycee next door, but they moved us to La Normandie because of a strange odor in the room...). Since the inn used to be a parochial school (ask them to tell you the history), it still had the original chalkboards in the rooms (and chalk was provided for my drawing pleasure!). Our room had an electric fireplace with a loveseat off to the side of this L-shaped room (the other deluxe suites had the fireplace at the foot of the bed). At the foot of our bed, we had another seating area with a table where we were able to enjoy the breakfast that was delivered to our room in a charming picnic basket every morning with the newspaper. (There is no common sitting or dining area, so for those who love B&B's for the socialization at breakfast, this may not be right for you. We wanted to be alone, so it was perfect).
The room and inn had all the amenities we could need and more. The towels were plush and clean, the bathroom spotless with a small whirlpool tub, and rods that heated our towels. TV/VCR/DVD. Refrigerator and coffee maker. There was a guest pantry on the first floor with wine/champagne glasses and corkscrews. Soda could be purchased for $1.
The 3 'deluxe suites' (Petit Palais, Le Lycee, and La Normandie) were on the top floor. We peaked at the other suites, and all were huge, clean and nicely decorated. On the main floor (which they call the second floor) were the 3 'school house suites', right off of the front entry. They were also large and beautiful. However, the concierge sits at a desk right in front of the room La Chambre which we thought would not be very private if staying in that room. In the lower level was La Chambrette, which we also saw. While very small and tight, was still a nice room with a fireplace. The inn is set far back from the street, so front facing rooms should be as quiet as the rear facing rooms. There are train tracks in the back of the inn, but we only noticed1 freight train go by, and it was not disturbing at all.
Although we thought it odd that the owners were not around, the staff were lovely and tried to be helpful, and accomodated all of our requests.
There is nothing going on in the town of Lee (especially in the winter), except for several average restuarants in walking distance. But Lee is centrally located if you want to visit Lenox and Stockbrige (10 min away).
We were very glad that the Red Lion Inn was booked, and we found the Chambery Inn. We stopped into the Red Lion which was packed with restless children. No children under 18 allowed in Chambery. We had a peaceful and romantic stay.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Older travelers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Girlfriend getaway, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Other