Life House, Berkshires

We mention that this Seventies motor lodge was a particularly undistinguished one not to criticize it, but to underscore how thoroughly its new owners have transformed it. Life House, Berkshires is set on the north side of Lenox, Massachusetts, and like the other Life House hotels it’s a beautifully realized, intricately detailed, retro-inspired but completely modern luxury boutique hotel.

The concept is outdoorsy, but not in an adventure-sports way — more like a writers’ retreat or a similarly creative escape, a sensible choice given the wealth of cultural offerings in Lenox. They’ve had some fun with the aesthetic; the Seventies are back in style, and the hotel’s interiors feature just enough of the decade’s eye-popping patterns and unusual color sense to keep things lively. The rooms are a massive upgrade over vintage motor-lodge fare, and feature details like Le Labo bath products and Revival New York linens.

Coming soon is the Club Room, a versatile all-day restaurant and bar in a double-height space that’s decorated in the same eclectic swanky-meets-rustic style, and which takes rather more care with its food and its drinks than the typical hotel eatery.