Once upon a time, in a land far far away… Staying in the Enchanted Tiny Tower at Santarella Gardens was so magical, it seems only fair to start a post that way. This romantic Airbnb in the Berkshires is like something out of a fairy tale.
When my husband turned 40, I wanted to do something special, unique and romantic. He is a terror to surprise, because he can read me so well. I don’t even have to open my mouth and he will know where we are going, what hotel we are staying in and list our entire itinerary. I had to do something so out of the ordinary, even he wouldn’t figure it out.
The Gingerbread House at Santarella Gardens
From the moment you arrive at Santarella Gardens, you will feel as if you have stepped inside of a story book. There are several whimsical buildings on the property, the first of which is the gingerbread house. With it’s wave-like roof and large stained-glass windows, I half expected Snow White herself to poke her head out of the window to greet us.
The gingerbread house was designed by English sculptor Sir Henry Hudson Kitson in the 1920’s. He was best known for creating the Lexington Minuteman and Plymouth Rock Maiden statues. This property became his obsession. He spent the last 25 year of his life working in it, as well as his last penny.
The Enchanted Tiny Tower
After following a winding path around the gingerbread house, we reached the Enchanted Tiny Tower. We had a key code for easy access to the rental where I could begin my weekend of pretending I was Rapunzel.
Inside of our silo studio apartment, there was a small sitting area with a television, a bathroom with a shower, and a small kitchen table beside a picture window. There was a coffee counter with a Kurig machine and the fixings to make a cup of joe. A kitchenette had a small sink, refrigerator and microwave.
To watch a full walk-through tour, click here.
The owners, Josh and Shaun gave us such a warm welcome with a chilled bottle of local wine and chocolates. It was such a nice touch and we spared no time dipping into them.
A spiral staircase led up to a canopy bed. The queen sized bed looked up to the 35 foot tall conical ceiling. Large mill windows opened up to the back garden.
We took a stroll around the manicured grounds. A pathway led us over a stone bridge, around a lily pond and to a large stone fireplace.
As the sun began to set, we drove into Lenox for dinner. Lenox is bursting with great restaurants and cafes. Be sure to make reservations far in advance. We had fancy drinks and a nice meal at Bistro Zinc.
After returning to the Enchanted Tiny Tower, we went up to bed. It was dark and there was no television upstairs. It felt strange to us, because we are used to falling asleep to a Netflix binge.
All of a sudden I saw a little flash out the window. We waited and waited and then saw another flash. We were just talking recently about how we never see fireflies anymore. Their numbers are decreasing because light pollution keeps them from finding mates, so I was so excited to see one!
We got up to look out of the window and I could not believe my eyes. There were thousands and thousands of fireflies lighting up the meadow. We ran outside to watch them and all of my childhood memories of running around the the backyard with a glass jar instantly flooded back.
It was as if nature put on a firework display and it was mesmerizing. I was so glad I didn’t have a tv to zone out to because we would have totally missed it.
Booking a Romantic Airbnb in the Berkshires
Santarella Gardens would be such a magical place for a wedding. I can’t even imagine how amazing the photos would be. There are perfect backdrops around every corner.
Santarella Gardens has three separate rental opportunities on the property:
Enchanted Tiny Tower at Santarella Gardens (sleeps 2)
Grand Fairytale Turret at Santarella Gardens (sleeps 4)
Rustic Farmhouse at Santarella Gardens (sleeps 8)
If you are looking for a unique experience, look no further than Santarella Gardens. The Enchanted Tiny Tower is easily the most romantic Airbnb in the Berkshires.
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