The name “Mirbeau,” which may be loosely translated as “reflected beauty,” is inspired, in part, by the soft light and warm colors of Monet’s paintings. Set on 12 acres just blocks from the lake, The Mirbeau Inn in Skaneateles, N.Y, was designed to evoke the warmth and comfort of a French wine country estate. The chateau-like inn and spa building and four freestanding cottages curve gracefully around the beautiful French impressionist gardens and ponds creating a Monet landscape. In fact, the gardens are patterned after Monet’s own famous gardens at Savor, near Paris.
There are 18 rooms in the main building and the remaining 16 are housed in four cottages. These are wonderful accommodations — comfortable and cozy. All rooms have fireplaces surrounded by club chairs, ideal for curling up with a book. Decorated in soothing golds and blues, the rooms are generous in size and equipped with super luxurious beds, made especially for Mirbeau — you’ll feel like you are sleeping on a cloud. Bathrooms are huge with a tiled walk-in shower, claw-foot soaking tubs and double sinks.
You can’t talk about the restaurant without first discussing The Wine Bar. It’s a wonderfully cozy spot that includes its own fireplace and surrounding seating and a wonderful selection of wines, many from the Finger Lakes region. The very unique Wine Station allows guests to browse and sample a variety of wines from around the world in three different pours — taste, half, or full — allowing patrons to samples wines from all price points from $2.50 per taste to $70 per glass.
The elegant country dining room with its crisp linens, gleaming tableware, fresh flowers and stunning artwork is the perfect setting for Mirbeau’s “The French Steakhouse” For a particularly intimate and romantic evening, ask to sit outside on the terrace overlooking the pond.
WHAT OTHERS SAY
The inn has received the AAA Four Diamond Award and Forbes 4 Star Award. It is a nationally acclaimed 14,000-square-foot marvel of serenity and tranquility that includes the Aqua Terrace with 15 person Jacuzzi, a spa resting area with heated foot pool; changing rooms with herbal infused steam rooms and dry saunas; cardio/strength training room and a motion studio for professionally led exercise classes.
There’s something to do year round here including downhill and cross country skiing and ice skating in winter; sailing, fishing, golf and water skiing in the warm months and vineyard and wine tasting tours, biking, hiking and horseback riding year round.
IF YOU GO: The Mirbeau Inn is at 851 West Genessee St. in Skaneateles, N.Y., call 877-647-2328 or visit www.mirbeau.com.
DRIVING DISTANCE: From Albany: 2 hour 55 minutes. From New York City: 4 hours 32minutes.
For more information on weekend travel visit: www.bestweekends.com.
In his capacity as CEO of BestWeekends.com and Jersey Shore Restaurant Week chairman, Jim Flynn travels the country looking for great places to stay and eat.
By Jim Flynn