Checking In: The Bedford Post Inn
You know the feeling when a hotel gets everything right. Often it comes in subtle waves and not one big moment. You sit down at the bar and slip into a well-made cocktail. You think to yourself. This feels civilized. You have a kind interaction with the front desk, and you feel like an old friend. You walk the hallways and delight in common rooms that feel personal and intimate. The bed is comfortable; the water pressure has the appropriate force. Eventually, things start to gather further momentum, and with each passing day, you feel like a better version of yourself. Well-rested, in harmony with the universe (if that’s possible). That’s when you know you are in a good hotel.
Recently, I experienced all of these things firsthand at the Bedford Post Inn, the storybook retreat in the equally picturesque town of Bedford, New York. If someone told you Bedford only existed as a set to film movies, you would believe them. It’s the type of place you would imagine Ralph Lauren and Martha Stewart would live. (They actually do live in Bedford.) After visiting, I’m here to report that it’s a lovely leafy place to be in the world, and the Bedford Post Inn is the perfect place from which to enjoy all that it has to offer.
In addition to being something of the social center of Bedford, the Inn is also historic, dating back to the 1760s, when it was a stopover on the Old Post Road connecting Boston and New York. Surprisingly, the connection to the Revolutionary War was mentioned less during my stay than the Inn’s former owner, Richard Gere, which is also a good fact in the hotel’s history.
I was surprised that my time at the BPI brought about some deep feelings about my current thinking around hotels. Part of me had convinced myself that it doesn’t matter where I stay —It’s just a place to sleep— I would tell myself. After spending time at the Bedford Post Inn, I had the overdue realization that my approach was wrong. A good hotel unlocks a certain level of elusive happiness that’s important to access. It’s part of what makes travel so wonderful. Looking back on my experience at the Bedford Post Inn, I now understand how feeling taken care of and experiencing familiarity can be so valuable. Finding a level of comfort similar to that of your own home is the rare thing we all so desperately want to find. Turns out it’s all there for you at the Bedford Post Inn, including a magical (and welcome) bedside cookie.
Appropriate water pressure is a generally overlooked
We used to go for Easter brunch when our kids were younger. First prize in the egg hunt was a giant 2’ tall Jacques Torres chocolate bunny, which my daughter brought home one year. 6 months later, we were still eating it.