Eastover Estate & Eco-Village — Hotel in Lenox

This is a sad story about the Eastover Estate in Lenox MA. The place has died and no one told them they were dead! I was the winning bidder in the 2019 Berkshire Holiday Auction. I received a voucher for a one night stay for February 16th, 2020 at Eastover Estate for two people in the East Colonial building, king room, continental breakfast and wellness classes included. I was told when I made the reservation that Eastover had an indoor pool.||We arrived just after 2PM on the 16th. The reception desk is located in the Mansion and you get there by walking through the Café. The Café was in complete disarray. Old food I’m guessing from breakfast was left out on the serving counter (looked like it was scrambled eggs at some point), brown apple chunks, and other unidentifiable items. The room was extremely cold in temperature. I walked through the café to the reception area. No one was at the desk, so I wandered around to have a look. The place has a musty smell to it. Almost like what you expect if this Mansion was locked up for years. There was dirt, trash, food particles and debris on the floors. The reception area needed a good dusting as anything you touched left a film behind on your hands. ||After a short 15 minute wait a woman came by to check me in. She said that we were staying in West Colonial Building and in a Queen room. Not the East Colonial building in a king bed. That building has a completely different feel and look from the East Colonial Building. I was also informed that there isn’t breakfast served nor is there coffee in the rooms. She doubled checked with the owner to make sure that there was no breakfast. The closest breakfast restaurant was in downtown Lenox about a ten-fifteen minute drive away. She said she believe there was two restaurants however she couldn’t remember the names. She went on to say the indoor pool is closed. ||We left the Mansion (Eastover should put doormats on the INSIDE so that you can wipe your feet before you go outside) we drove to the West Colonial building and went to the room. There was a couple staying in the room next to us. The walls are so thin that I could hear their radio playing and that the couple next to us were having an argument. I won’t get into the details of the argument but I will say that the women was right. ||Since this wasn’t the building, room type, the place has thin walls (a bed sheet would offer more sound proofing than what the wooded walls offered), no continental breakfast, no pool, and the place is just run down and dirty, we decided to cut our losses and leave after being in the room for 15 minutes. ||Eastover Estate has seen better days. There are so many places to stay in the area that offer the same things to do. It appears to me that over the years Eastover just gave up. No longer do the owners see what new eyes see when they visit. The appearance and upkeep of the buildings and the smells are just short of criminal. I don’t believe that a coat of paint and running a comb through its hair is going to help. I believe the current owners had been there since 2010. Perhaps it’s time for the current owners to pass the torch. The Eastover needs major work and investment so it can return as a premier estate...

This is a difficult review to write.|The owner and general manager, Yingxing, is very nice and tries hard. HOWEVER, …|The pictures of the wonderful manner house are misleading. Even the pictures of the motel-like structures are a bit misleading. |The manor house needs considerable updating, and is generally a mess. |The outbuildings are tired. |If this establishment were in the category of a YMCA camp, I would be more understanding and give it a higher rating. |However, in the category of tourist accommodations, it is lacking. |The tennis courts are overgrown with weeds and are totally unusable. The fountain in front of the house does not function and is a pool of green yuck. Our room in an out building was tired and needed cosmetic maintenance. ||My two major complaints: |Communications with the establishment are difficult. Emails and phone messages can take two days to get a response. The number we were given to text staff for help during our three night visit needed three or more hours for a response. |My second major complaint is about breakfast. Our first day, a beautiful platter of scrambled eggs with lovely slices of fresh tomato on top was served. Unfortunately, the rest of the meal had troubles. Pastries were stale. Sausage was totally dehydrated and tough. The orange juice was almost brown. When I looked at the date on the container, it was expired in February 2025 and our visit was in July 2025! ||When this expiry was brought to the attention of management, the response was, “the staff brought out the wrong bottle.” For me, that is not an explanation or acceptable response. The second day, the remaining eggs from the first day, about a quarter of what was served the first day, was sitting on a cart in the kitchen with the residue of the tomatoes from the first day in evidence on the top. It was eventually rolled out into the dining room, but I would have none of it. Before I left to get breakfast elsewhere, another guest commented about the breakfast, and was told, “it is complementary, so if you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat it.“ Unfortunately, I left feeling very disappointed about the prospects for this property.|If you’re happy with a Y camp, give it a try. If you’re expecting a more traditional tourist accommodation, I suggest you...

The condition this property is in is quite unfortunate. To see such a beautiful estate not being cared for and it deteriorate as it is, is sad and a waste. The main house is an impressive structure and very beautiful, but kept very minimally. Had we known where we would be staying ahead of time, we would have paid double to stay in the main house. The website had said the main house rooms were sold out, however, no one appeared to be staying there while we were there. The entire property, including common areas for sitting, were full of weeds and gravely unkempt. The only area to sit outside is directly behind the house and the furniture is falling apart with cushions either missing or torn apart. There are so many beautiful areas of the house to enjoy, but because of weeds and no furniture, they are forgotten. The "cabins" you actually do stay in are inadequate unless you like to experience a step up from camping. The rooms are dark and have a strong odor. Half the electrical outlets do not work, there is no phone and when we asked why the tv didn't work, the receptionist told us "the owner cut the cable." Hot water is limited and the two keys we were given, one didn't work. There's absolutely no amenities like an iron, so being from out of town for a wedding made it a bit interesting to get ready. The breakfast is in no way as healthy as they claim and we opted to go to cafes both mornings we stayed at the Estate. The pool is in terrible condition with it needing to be repainted and there was barely any furniture in the facility to sit. At the price we paid, I would have expected much better accommodations. Although this message is to future patrons, I think the current owners need to know the condition the property is in because it is definitely not being managed to...