I wasn't sure what to call
Winvian, the
extravagant experiment in one-of-a-kind cottage accommodation
near Litchfield. Resort? Retreat? God forbid, theme park? As I
checked into the Treehouse, one of 18 creations on the 113 acre
property, I was still struggling with the nomenclature (the
owners have wisely given up and simply call the place
Winvian).
Built on a 35 foot tall platform and nestled
between two huge trees, the two-story Treehouse, which sways
perceptibly in the breeze, is 950 square feet of memory,
instantly transporting you back to childhood whether you spent
any of it in a treehouse or not. Featuring Crayola colors, rough
plywood, odd angles and vibrant floor covering including a
high-shag runner in the entry hall that's the exact color of
Barney, Treehouse looks like the what would happen if a gang of
the most creative kids in the world did some scavenging behind an
old barn and turned the materials they found into a dream
clubhouse.
For all its
child-like whimsy””a word Winvian seems to have re-defined by
infusing it with startling sophistication””the Treehouse (like all
of the cottages) is 100% adult when it comes to the bathroom
(steam shower with a rain shower head and a handheld shower head,
jetted tub for two, double sinks and radiantly heated floors),
the wet bar (mixers, wine, gin, vodka and whiskey plus a large
ice maker and Nespresso coffee machine) and the bedroom (king
size bed dressed in supple Anichini sheets next to a wood-burning
fireplace).
If you crave straight lines and
fewer stairs Winvian has 17 other meticulously themed cottages
(and one suite) to choose from. Designed by 15 different
dream-big architects, each cottage showcases its own
jaw-droppingly creative touches. Helicopter houses an actual 56'
long section of a 1968 Sikorsky helicopter whose interior has
been turned into a sitting room and wet bar. The ceiling in
Camping lights up like blue sky then reveals a sprinkling of
glow-in-the-dark stars when the lights are out at night.
Woodlands is a flawlessly elegant amalgamation of trees in all
their gorgeous forms, including an amazing pair of pedestal sinks
crafted from two roots-up tree stumps that have been polished,
smoothed and varnished to make the most of the natural wood
grain””the cottage even smells like a forest.
The variety,
creativity, craftsmanship and level of luxury of each of the
cottages makes Winvian the perfect place to add a remarkably
special touch to any celebration. To savor a milestone
anniversary or an engagement, book the Greenhouse cottage (left)
which will be filled with flowers in your favorite color before
your arrival. Big birthday? Stay in the Treehouse to remind you
of your enduring youth. Playfully mark a promotion in the Golf
cottage which has putting greens woven right into the custom
carpet and is stocked with antique putters and balls.
As smitten as I was with Winvian,
I have to admit that “bespoke cuisine,” the resort's official
description of what the kitchen creates, sounded
high-falutin'””but that was before I sat down for a meal, lead to
my table by Paolo Middei, a food and wine expert from Rome whose
lovely accent and obvious knowledge of and passion for casual yet
high end dining put me at ease immediately.
Any doubts I had about the
“cuisine” part of the food and wine description disappeared the
moment I tasted the sublime gazpacho served as just part of my
first lunch. Made with summer-perfect tomatoes, it would have
been delicious even before Chef Chris Eddy (who worked with the
likes of Daniel Boulud and Alain Ducasse) added fresh herbs and
sweet corn plus a real surprise: pine nuts, which lent a
satisfying creamy richness to the dish.
The “bespoke” part of the food
service asserted itself at dinner that night. When I arranged my
stay at Winvian the staff asked if my husband or I had any
dietary requests, so I let them know that my husband has never
met a mushroom that he liked. As we were handed the trim but
varied menu of appetizers and entrée selections for the evening
the waiter took a discreet moment to point out which dishes the
chef would be happy to prepare without the listed
mushrooms””including tomatoes stuffed with short ribs instead of
fungi which were sublime.
Paolo flawlessly
accommodated other specific dining preferences, including one
guest who appeared to eat nothing more than cottage cheese and
beautifully sliced melon, which is a shame since perfect
portions, good variety, excellent service and sheer deliciousness
make dining one of the biggest draws of Winvian””no small feat at
a property with so many other things going for it (though someone
really needs to do something about the dreadful muzak that's
piped into the dining rooms, bars and game room).
Rates at Winvian are undeniably
high, but they do include as much of that gorgeous food as you
dare to indulge in, a full selection of top shelf booze and an
adequately wide-ranging complimentary wine list (reserve wines
can be ordered at a separate charge).
Rates exclude treatments at the
Winvian Spa, but a splurge in the 5,000 square foot facility is
highly recommended as much for the ultra-relaxing atmosphere as
for the unique amenities (including a co-ed Physiotherm sauna
that combines heat and color therapy) and noteworthy treatments.
The spa menu is limited to manicures and pedicures plus four
facials and eight massages and wraps (treatments from $150 to
$360) and each hand-picked treatment is performed using two
renowned product lines.Body treatment are given using
REN products””reportedly favored by the likes
of Jade Jaeger, Sienna Miller and Kate Moss. Made entirely
without animal testing or man-made ingredients such as synthetic
fragrance, chemicals, irritants or even alcohol, REN calls itself
“clean skincare.” Generously sized REN hair and body products are
found in each spa locker (eliminating industrial-looking
mega-dispensers in the chic showers) and in the bathrooms of
every cottage.
I particularly loved REN's
cold-pressed Mexican lime and jasmine hand soap and black
cardamom and honey hand lotion which were stocked in the
bathrooms of the Seth Bird House where meals were served upstairs
(though in-cottage dining is available) and where I played way
too many games of shuffleboard””suitably lubricated by perfect
martinis mixed by Paolo””on a gorgeous antique table in the
well-appointed game room downstairs.
Spa facials are performed using
Eve Lom
products which adhere to a strict “less is more” approach to skin
care that revolves around effective yet gentle cleansing and
targeted moisturizing. Eve Lom products are only available at two
locations in the US””Winvian and Space.NK
Apothecary in New York City and the facial method created by
Eve Lom, a Czech native who started her skin career with
Georgette Klinger and is now known as the “queen of cleansing,”
is equally rare.
To ensure correct
execution of her unconventional technique at Winvian, the first
spa in the US to offer Eve Lom style facials, Lom herself
traveled from England to Connecticut to train spa staff””a process
Winvian owner Maggie Smith compared to a particularly brutal
series of Survivor.
My facialist, Melissa Nardi,
clearly made it through training without being voted out of the
spa””and thank goodness. The Ultimate Eve Lom Facial ($260 for 90
minutes) she gave me began with gentle application of thick,
creamy cleanser and (wonder of wonders) some lip balm to include
the one area of the face so often neglected during a facial.
For the next blissful hour and a
half my complextion was treated to a hot wax mask, cold
compresses and moisturizers interspersed with soothing and
stimulating massage to my shoulders, feet, lower legs, abdomen
and chest to prompt the lymphatic system to flush toxins. If your
idea of a facial requires scrubs and salves and aggressive
extractions, the Eve Lom approach may not be for you, but I
walked out of the Winvian Spa glowing from ear to ear. (Booking
Tip: Stable, Greenhouse, Camping and Industry cottages are
located closest to the spa.)
Still in a spendy mood? Winvian's
in-house art consultant will help you shop your way through the
resort's enormous and wide-ranging collection of
painting, sculpture and other original
art.
The masterminds behind Winvian
also created Vermont's iconic Pitcher Inn
which boasts 11 of its own cheekily themed
rooms and suites (ski, trout, Calvin Coolidge) designed by a
variety of different architects. The Pitcher Inn also boasts
Relais
& Chateaux status and it's clear that the same lofty goal
has been set for Winvian which already seems to be on the fast
track to joining that rarified club””even if I still don't really
know what to call the place.
Rates: $1,450 or $1,950
(depending on cottage selection) per night per couple
all-inclusive except for reserve wines and spa treatments. The
whole property can be booked starting at $32,000 per night.
Winvian
155 Alain White Road
Morris, CT 06763
Phone: (800) 567-9600
www.winvian.com
In April of 2006 peripatetic journalist Karen
Catchpole left her job as deputy editor of Shop Etc.
magazine in New York City, jumped into a Chevy
Silverado and embarked on the Trans-Americas
Journey, a three year, 100,000+ mile working road trip
through North, Central and South America. When she's not
reviewing luxury hotels, resorts, ranches and B&Bs, she can
be found enjoying the nearest campground.
