Looking for a luxurious, all inclusive, romantic place to getaway? Located about three hours from Boston (five hours from New York) the Aviary Loft Cottage at Twin Farms in Vermont may be just the place.
Aviary Loft Cottage At Twin Farms
Only one of several romantic accommodations in the bucolic setting at Twin Farms, this particular structure was designed by Peter Bohlin of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (best known for his design of the Apple Retail Stores) and provides modern seclusion and tranquility.
The two-story Aviary Loft Cottage is 950 square feet with an indoor natural stone hot tub, a fireplace, a wood-burning stove and views of the surrounding area.
Constructed of glass stone and cedar timber, floor to ceiling windows frame a natural canvas against Thad Hayes’s interior design.
Rich with wood and leather, the bedroom on the first floor sets the quintessential romantic scene with it’s sunken hot tub and fieldstone fireplace:
The beautiful bathroom with double sinks has a window inset where there is ordinarily a backsplash. There’s even a window in the glass door shower:
Mid-century furnishings and custom pieces complement the clean lines.
A comfortable sitting room on the second floor with a writing desk and wood stove provides a quiet retreat amid the treetops:
In-Room Amenities
You’ll find the following amenities in every room, suite, and cottage:
• Fireplace
• Complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access
• Complimentary unlimited phone calls worldwide
• Complimentary same day laundry service
• Complimentary packing and unpacking services
• Windows and private views in every spacious bathroom, plus a separate dressing area, tub, and shower
• Complimentary hand-crafted Stave jigsaw puzzle for your own collection
• Out of the Woods bath and body products, hand-blended especially for Twin Farms
• Fully stocked refrigerator with coffee, tea, seasonal snacks — all complimentary
• Featherbeds, down pillows, and comforters
• Satellite television
• Table for writing or dining
• Reading area
• Selection of games, movies, music, and puzzles
• Complimentary handmade confections nightly
Besides the beautiful Main House, Cabana and cottages, Twin Farms has a pub, a wine cellar a spa and fitness center, a romantic foot bridge and gorgeous gardens. Impressive original art by such artists as Frank Stella, Milton Avery, William Bailey, Donald R. Wilson, Julie Herrnan, David Bates and Jasper Johns can be found in the various cottages.
All meals, wine pairings, and spirits are part of your all-inclusive rate. Your stay at Twin Farms is customized for you, and the culinary experience, in particular, is an integral part of your visit.
Forbes, The Robb Report, Travel & Leisure, Goop and Conde Nast Traveler cannot say enough good things about Twin Farms.
Twin Farms History
When Nobel prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis proposed to journalist Dorothy Thompson, she promised to marry him if he bought her a farm in Vermont with sweeping lawns, orchards, and “delicious air.” They found their idyll in a 1795-era farmhouse on 300 acres — all of which they purchased in 1928 for $10,000.
In various seasons over the next 30 years, they created and entertained at Twin Farms. Their guest list included political and literary figures who lingered for provocative discussions, outdoor activities, and the opportunity to attend the couple’s legendary parties.
Dorothy kept Twin Farms until she was no longer physically able to live here. As she grew frail, her family sold off parcels of the land, completing the final transaction in 1958. Subsequently, Twin Farms changed hands several times. It operated as Sonnenberg Haus, an inn with a reputation for fine dining, when Thurston Twigg-Smith acquired the property as a second home for his family in 1974.
By the late 1980s, the Twigg-Smiths found themselves able to visit Barnard only a few weeks a year, so they decided to launch a Bed and Breakfast to share this special place — a quaint notion that soon escalated to the number one small hotel in North America.
The first nine rooms opened on October 1, 1993 to national acclaim. Five additional cottages were added in 1995 and 1996, and more accolades followed. The completion of spa treatment rooms, Chalet, Aviary, and the Farmhouse at Copper Hill in 2005 brought the number of accommodations to 20, where it remains today. Though the ownership now includes several partners, guests continue to embrace Twin Farms —and Twigg-Smith’s vision of a sophisticated escape steeped in playful romance — as their own second home.
What to do besides make love?
Depending upon the time of year, there’s ample hiking, tennis, canoeing, croquet, golf, kayaking, fly-fishing and private skiing. Wine-tasting, board games, making s’mores and other great little things to do can be found on the grounds as well.
Allow time to dine on lunch and peruse antique shops, visit the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and tour a working farm, or watch artists shape fine glassware at the Simon Pearce factory in Quechee. Let the odyssey help you escape and reconnect. Once on the property’s vast 300 acres, seclusion and privacy come first. But some of the shared facilities provide social opportunities as subtle or invigorating as you wish.
See all of the stunning accommodations and reserve one for this coming winter!
Twin Farms
all images and information courtesy of Twin Farms