Let us start by saying that we KNOW we cannot please all of the people all of the time….although we try very hard.   It is especially difficult to do that in a 110-year-old historic home, where every room is different and expectations are hard to manage.   For those who are looking for the uniformity and guarantees of a cookie-cutter hotel chain, they may not be prepared for what they find in an inn….a place where such guarantees are replaced by distinct experiences, authenticity and the warm embrace of an innkeeper hoping to earn a repeat guest.

The most reliable source for unsolicited guest reviews has become TripAdvisor.com, a neutral website where every review is published and unedited.   From those public submissions come rankings by city…and we are VERY PROUD that Hampton Terrace has always been listed among the top handful and is now actually rated #1 in Lenox out of more than 30 inns.

This is to take nothing from the inns ranked with us at the top.   We all know that positive reviews are something to be treasured….the average guest who has had a nice stay moves along with his/her life…but the one who found some issue will seek out a place to share that with the world.   So for every negative review posted, every innkeeper knows that there are dozens or hundreds of positive experiences which won’t materialize in print to reflect an accurate balance.    So a hearty congrats to those inns who also share our passion to do the best we can by our customers.   And thanks to those of you who have stayed at Hampton Terrace B&B in the Berkshires, have told their friends, have taken the time to post a review, and who compliment us by returning year after year.

For many decades there has been concern that there is not enough music education in the schools.   But one of the by-products of so much classical music in the Berkshires is a plethora of music education opportunities.

Let’s start with Tanglewood.   We have four kids…..and I cannot tell you how important it has been for the past 12 years to be able to take our kids to Tanglewood concerts for free.   Sometimes they sit with us on the lawn, and sometimes they run around in the maze in back.   They all used to complain about going, but we knew….we knew…. that one day, through sheer exposure and osmosis, that they would begin to feel a sense of ownership in the experience.   Sure enough, our married daughters, who are now 26 and 25 take their husbands to Tanglewood as often as they can and seem to have totally forgotten that we used to have to drag them there when they were teenagers.   Our fifteen-year-old male twins are now making unrecognizable utterings like "can we go to Tanglewood and sit on the lawn this weekend?"    For all of our kids it started with "I hate classical music" but not surprisingly, they loved anything by John Williams…and then they learned that they liked stuff by Beethoven and Mozart as well and that it really was not so different from "Harry Potter."

Tanglewood does a lot more.   They host a program called "Days in the Arts" which houses hundreds of inner-city middle school kids in the Berkshires throughout the summer and entertains them with music, theatre and art.   The Tanglewood Music Center has existed since 1940 when Serge Koussevitsky understood that pairing emerging young symphonic performers with the resident musicians of the BSO could only foster the exponential growth of classical music.   The Tanglewood Institute, in partnership with Boston University, does the same for high school students from around the world.   And beyond that, there is a long list of programs to benefit young children, students and adults all summer.   Truly a world-class resource right in our back yard!

That covers the summer.   Williams College, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Berkshire Community College and the Berkshire Music School offer programming by students all year long and listings can be found by going to the website of the Berkshire Eagle.

The Interharmony International Music Festival, held at Miss Hall’s School, showcases talented students each June.

Hampton Terrace is a centrally located, highly regarded Berkshires bed and breakfast.   Located in Lenox, Hampton Terrace has been welcoming guests since 1937 and is top-rated by TripAdvisor.com, a website for unsolicited guest reviews.   Check out our website for off-season discounts, mid-week specials and Romantic Weekend Packages.

You can find classical music of some variety just about every night at Tanglewood from mid-June until late August every year.   But on any given night in the Berkshires there are thousands of visitors and second homeowners who are willing to support music at other venues up and down the county.

The Concerts at Tannery Pond is a series of six or seven chamber music evenings held in an 1834 Shaker building in New Lebanon, New York from May through October.   Established in 1991 by photographer/pianist Christian Steiner, the annual series combines music with a serene setting that would be hard to beat anywhere.

Continuing in the chamber music genre, there is the South Mountain Concert Series, held on weekends in September each year.   Located just north of Lenox, the series has been presented since 1918 and is held in a hall built that specifically for chamber music.   Performers over the years have included Leonard Bernstein, Gary Graffman, Leontyne Price and Peter Serkin, and quartets have included the Borromeo, the Emerson, The Guarneri, the Tokyo, the Julliard, the Orion and the Vermeer.

Music Mountain in Lakeville, CT is the oldest continuously running chamber music festival in the U.S.  They also feature jazz and popular artists.

Close Encounters With Music stretches the bounderies of the "season" by presenting classical music programs thematically from October through May, filling the void left by those organizations that only present during the summer.   They also provide another reason to come to Great Barrington, one of the true 12-month towns in the Berkshires.

So whether you are coming during the summer season, or looking for classical offerings in the Berkshires in the "quiet" months, make your stay perfect by choosing one of the highest rated inns in the area:  Hampton Terrace in Lenox.   One of only four recommended inns by the Michelin "Green Guide" Hampton Terrace is also ranked at the top according to guest reviews submitted to TripAdvisor.com.   Combine a stay in a romantic b&b with an evening of chamber music in historic setting.  

Of course, Tanglewood created the reason people began coming to the Berkshires annually to hear classical music.   But under the rationale of "critical mass," numerous arts presenters have sprung up over the years to give concert-goers multiple nightly options.

The Berkshire Choral Festival began in 1982 and performs weekends from mid-July to early August at the Berkshire School in Southern Berkshire County.   The Springfield Symphony provides the musical accompaniment.   If you are an experienced choral singer, and you would like to spend a week in the Berkshires, it is possible to sing with the Berkshire Choral Festival.   They also offer opportunities to sing with the Chorus in England, Canada and Austria.

The Berkshire Opera presents fully staged performances, featuring internationally known opera stars, on multiple venues throughout the Berkshires.  

The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield and the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington also present an annual slate of classical music.   Their websites offer calendars and the opportunity to purchase tickets.

Hampton Terrace in Lenox also offers classical music…much more ambiantly.   We have hidden speakers in our common area rooms that play classical background music during the day and jazz at night.   We also have a 1929 Steinway L Grand piano which is in great shape, is always in tune, and is frequently played by guests.   So for a great Berkshire bed and breakfast experience, stay at Hampton Terrace, one of the best reviewed Lenox inns.

What is he doing?   Promoting another Berkshire lodging option?   I guess that could be the end result of this entry, because I do really like everyone I know at the Red Lion Inn, including Nancy Fitzpatrick and Brian Butterworth.   But I am really just trying to promote their nightly music, and if I lose a few potential guests along the way, so be it.

Because there are the large music presenting groups, like Tanglewood, The Berkshire Opera, The Berkshire Choral Festival, etc….and there are night spots that feature music.   For free nightly entertainment, in a very cool low-ceilinged basement environment, try The Lion’s Den.   The walls and ceiling are dark red, the fireplace is usually roaring , and you can get Guiness on tap and order food from several menus, ranging from the burgers and clam chowder on the Lion’s Den menu to more upscale dinner offerings from the Tavern menu.  The music is usually solo or duo accoustic…although we saw an amplified quartet last weekend that brought the house down.

Down in Great Barrington, the Castle Street Cafe has a jazz bar that features jazz on the weekends.    They showcase Nat King Cole’s piano, and the light fixtures are blown glass that look like planets hanging from the ceiling.   On the next block you can experience The Helsinki Cafe, a live music venue that is very small and Bohemian.    They attract the kinds of acts that play the larger Iron Horse in North Hampton.

Because the of seasonality of the Berkshires, there are not a lot of year-round music venues or night clubs featuring music.   But from Spring through October, music springs up in unlikely places:   museums (you can count on MassMoca to offer a lot of music programming, but we’ll cover that in a series of museum blogs), restaurants (Asters, Spice, Prime, and many others), even book stores, ski resorts,and public lake beaches are planning music throughout the "season."   For a weekly listing, check out the Berkshire Eagle on-line edition.   They publish a Berkshire Week every Thursday with calendar listings for the next seven days.

So obviously, after a night of enjoying a great meal, a bottle of wine and some live music, you will want to stay in a romantic Berkshires b&b.  Hampton Terrace in Lenox is centrally located to all corners of Berkshire County and is considered one of the top-rated Lenox inns.    About 40 weekends per year are considered "off-season" and many people find our rates to be quite affordable.    Or you could stay with our friends at the Red Lion Inn.   It’s okay.

Over the decades, as the audiences who attended concerts at Tanglewood grew, more and more of these great estates and historic "cottages" were able to be put back into service:   Cranwell, Wheatleigh, Blantyre…and even Hampton Terrace, one of the original "Berkshire Cottages."   In fact, most of the Lenox inns are the former second homes of the turn-of-the-century’s rich and famous.   Tanglewood itself, one mile down the hill from Lenox town center, consists of multiple performance venues inhabiting a most embracing rural setting.   Lenonard Bernstein, a alum of the affiliated Tanglewood Institute always proclaimed that the Tanglewood property, and the Berkshires in general, had captured his soul.

Tanglewood has become somewhat a creature of habit, with certain shows at certain times becoming "expected."   The Mark Morris Dance Group opens the schedule each year with new works choreographed to classical music.   For the ninth year, Garrison Keillor is broadcasting "Prairie Home Companion" from the Tanglewood Shed.   July 4th always showcases a popular music artist with fireworks.   This year, it is Lenox resident James Taylor.   He does at least one show every summer and occasionally it coincides with the holiday.   The BSO itself appears the weekend after July 4th and it performs every Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons.   Although new Tanglewood performers appear every year, you can expect at some point each summer to see Yo-Yo Ma (who has a home in the Berkshires), Renee Fleming, Andre Previn, Peter Serkin, Midori, Garrick Olhsson, Joshua Bell, Emanuel Ax, Pinchas Zukerman, and Itzhak Perlman, as well as several internationally famous conductors who come in each summer to relieve James Levine, now in his 4th year.  John Williams used to conduct multiple concerts each summer but these days, at the least, he conducts one of the most well-attended shows of each summer:  John Williams Movie Night.   Also, Tanglewood on Parade annually showcases the TMC Orchestra, the Boston Pops and the BSO.   This annual must-see always ends in the 1812 Overture with real Civil War cannons and fireworks.   The Boston Pops, with Keith Lockhard does at least two shows each summer as well, usually mid-week.   The final BSO show of each summer is usually Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.   And then Labor Day Weekend is the annual Tanglewood Jazz Festival.  

Many people assume Tanglewood is only worth visiting on the weekends…but in fact, there is something going on virtually every night of the week.    If you want to combine a romantic getaway in a Lenox bed and breakfast, consider a mid-week show at Tanglewood and a stay at Hampton Terrace, one of the best reviewed b&bs in the Berkshires.   Save 30% per night mid-week.   Avoid the lines in the shops and restaurants.   A no lose proposition in a history Berkshires bed and breakfast.

Recently having earned a Tony Award for the best regional theater in the country, Williamstown Theater Festival in 2008 is again presenting an impressive array of classic and new plays on its Main, Nikos and Center Stages, Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabaret, and readings, workshops, and other special events.  

WTF has historically wowed Berkshire audiences, and guests of Hampton Terrace, with notable names, most recently Emmy Rossum (pictured), Elizabeth Banks, Dianne Weist, Blythe Danner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Burton, James Naughton, Jean Smart, Olympia Dukakis and Bebe Neuwirth.  This year’s performances include "Beyond Therapy," "The Athiest," "She Loves Me," "Broke-ology," "Three Sisters," "The Understudy," "A Flea in Her Ear," " Not Waiving," and "Home."  

Combine a romantic getaway to one of the highest rated bed and breakfasts in Lenox by visiting Hampton Terrace and seeing a show at Williamstown Theater Festival.   Hampton Terrace is uniquely positioned compared to much Berkshire lodging, by being centrally located in Lenox.   We are just 5 minutes north of the Mass Pike…but 20 minutes from Great Barrington, 10 minutes from Stockbridge, 15 minutes from Pittsfield and about 30 minutes from Williamstown.   All Lenox shops and restaurants are less than a 2 block walk from us, and Tanglewood is one mile.  When considering a romantic b&b and a New England getaway, click here:   www.hamptonterrace.com.

Many people remember the Barrington Stage Company bravely mounting their seasons at a local high school in South County.   Julianne Boyd had a pedigree, and all knew it was just a matter of time before this theatre company earned its break….

And the break came from an unlikely place…an improvisational theater lab that quickly moved from Barrington Stage to Broadway and now to leading cities of the world, while picking up two Tony Awards along the way.  The success of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" led to Barrington Stage’s purchase and renovation of a 1912 playhouse in downtown Pittsfield.  Julie Boyd’s vision of having a stage capable of handling the large productions she loved was fulfilled.   This year marks a return of "Spelling Bee" to its creator, and other offerings include "The Violet Hour", "Private Lives" and "To Kill a Mockingbird."   And that is just the Main Stage.   There are a dozen other options through the summer, including the very workshops that might spawn the next Tony Award- winning play or musical.  

Barrington Stage Company joins Shakespeare & Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, Berkshire Theatre Festival and other important theater companies within minutes of Hampton Terrace, a well-reviewed bed and breakfast in Lenox.  Top rated among Berkshire lodging, Hampton Terrace features 14 rooms with private baths and is located within steps of Lenox’s heralded shops and restaurants.  When considering a Lenox inn while visiting theater in the Berkshires, check out www.hamptonterrace.com.

80 Years!   If that is not sustainability, what is?   The Berkshire Theatre Festival is the lone presenting organization that matches Tanglewood’s tenure, and its stage has featured some of the most important actors of the century.   The 2008 schedule includes "Candida," opening next week and showcasing Jayne Atkinson, most recently famous for playing CTU Director Karen Hayes on 24. 

Other important offerings on the Main Stage include "The Book Club Play," "A Man for All Seasons," "Noel Coward in Two Keys," "Oliver!,"  and six plays in the Unicorn Theater.   BTF will feature "A Christmas Carol" in December….what a great opportunity for a Romantic Getaway at a Berkshire inn, such as Hampton Terrace, which is located just a ten minute drive from Stockbridge and the Berkshire Theatre Festival.   TripAdvisor.com ranks Hampton Terrace among the top two Lenox inns based on unsolicited guest reviews.

Unquestionably Tanglewood is the most internationally known attraction in the Berkshires, but our theater offerings are an embarrassment of riches:   Shakespeare & Company, Barrington Stage Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, Jacob’s Pillow and many others.   This column will feature a different theatre company each day, and while attending shows and considering Berkshires lodging, check out Hampton Terrace, located just steps from Lenox’s heralded restaurants and shops.  

Tanglewood fills the Berkshires every weekend during the summer.   If you want to avoid the large crowds and enjoy a wide range of theater offerings while staying in a romantic b&b, consider a mid-week visit and save 30% compared to our normal room rates.

Shakespeare & Company, founded by Tina Packer, is in its 31st season, and is located just one block from Hampton Terrace Bed and Breakfast.   Their large campus includes multiple theater options, including their main stage, The Founder’s Theater.   This year, they are opening with "The Ladies Man," a French farce that we saw last Thursday night.   It was GREAT!   At our Lenox bed and breakfast, we get feedback every morning at breakfast about what our guests did the night before, where they ate, etc.   At least eight of our guests have now seen "The Ladies Man" and agree with us.   It has all the things you would expect from this genre:   double entrendres, mistaken identities and maniacal (and I mean really maniacal) action.   I was exhausted from the energy on stage…no daily gym workouts needed for these actors.   "The Ladies Man" is being performed all summer, alternating with other significant productions including "Othello," "All’s Well that Ends Well," "The Goatwoman of Corvis County," "The Canterville Ghost," "Bad Dates," and numerous free presentations on their outdoor stage.   You can see, this industrious group is not limited to Shakespeare.   Importantly, they are opening a new venue, The Elayne Bernstein Stage in August.    So for those of you who are looking to avoid the weekend crowds associated with Tanglewood, consider coming to the Berkshires Sunday to Thursday and entertaining yourselves with these exciting theater options.

And as always, combine at visit to Shakespeare and Company with a fine bed and breakfast experience by staying at Hampton Terrace Bed and Breakfast……located just one block from Shakespeare and Company.   Stay multiple nights mid-week and save up to 30%.