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Writer's pictureMary Ann

TOURISTS: now open in North Adams



TOURISTS WELCOME

TOURISTS is now open in the resurgent Berkshires city of North Adams, Mass. Situated on 55+ acres at the trailhead of New England’s history, art, food, music and exploration, the 48-room property welcomes 21st century travelers seeking a destination for adventure, community and comfort. Led by a dynamic team of five partners including Ben Svenson (Boston-led Broder), John Stirratt (Wilco), Eric Kerns (Bright Ideas Brewing), Scott Stedman (Northside Media Group) and chef Cortney Burns (Bar Tartine), the name draws its inspiration from the hotel's location on the scenic Mohawk Trail, a road on which local restaurants, shops and inns welcomed mid-century travelers with a sign bearing the word: TOURISTS. 

VIBES

TOURISTS reimagines the architecture of a classic American motor lodge, with a design by Svenson and architect Hank Scollard, a protégé of Simeon Bruner (MASS MoCA). The hotel retains a linear pattern of doors opening directly to the outdoors, with expansive 6x6' picture windows overlooking stunning views of the surrounding woodlands, river and mountains. A 1962 ranch house from the existing property has been repurposed into the hotel’s central lodge, with a fireplace and cozy spaces for guests to connect over coffee, beers and snacks. An adjacent patio overlooks a pool, nature preserve and a central swale of wetlands, while a series of winding paths leads to the Farmhouse, a renovated 1813 structure with a parlor lounge for cocktails and live music. 


FIELD GUIDE

Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture (The Clark Art Institute, Parrish Art Museum) has crafted an immersive Berkshires nature experience surrounding the hotel. Guest rooms open to a courtyard shaped by sculpted landform of native plantings, heated saltwater swimming pool, and a boardwalk connecting TOURISTS to a river overlook. A 220-foot suspension footbridge, fabricated by aerial adventure park designer Gerhard Komenda, leads to a 30-acre network of walking trails, glens, meadow vistas, and forest clearings designed for exploration, open-air concerts, and more. The Hoosic River, Appalachian Trail and Mohawk Trail converge on the TOURISTS site with a nexus of world-class, nearby cultural institutions, including MASS MoCA, The Clark Art Institute, Williams College Museum of Art and the Williamstown Theatre Festival.


DIG IN

Cortney Burns, formerly of SF's Bar Tartine, makes her East Coast debut at TOURISTS creating a menu celebrating local ingredients and recipes. The room service, lodge and pool deck menus spotlight a selection of jarred savory bites and spreads, such as spelt sourdough and sunflower millet breads, sprouted lentil & cauliflower salad, n’duja pork pate and a spring vegetable quiche. Her forthcoming restaurant at TOURISTS, Loom, a nod to the many 19th century-era textile mills in the surrounding region, opens in early 2019.


413.346.4933

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