Cornell Inn

I had such a nice, relaxing experience at the beautifully quaint Cornell Inn over MLK weekend. The Inn is comprised of a few buildings right off of Main Street in Lenox. It’s a prime location — about a 3 minute drive to the downtown area (lots of restaurants and shops), and about 15 minutes to Great Barrington and other surrounding towns.
We stayed in the Martha room, which had a very comfy four-​poster king bed, a wood burning fireplace, fridge and coffeemaker, and a small seating area. I thought the online booking system was very convenient and easy to use for a non-​chain BnB, and was happy to see each of the rooms before booking. I had a tough time deciding between all of the beautiful rooms!
The Inn serves buffet style breakfast each morning from 8−10am in the main house. Breakfast was delicious and had just about everything you could want — muffins, fruit, cereal, eggs, pancakes, french toast, sausages, and hashbrowns. There is also a small pub in the main house. We spent most of our evenings out on the town so didn’t use it, but it would definitely be nice to have if the weather was too bad to go out in.
We didn’t interact too much with the owners, but everyone we met was very nice and helpful. We arrived to freshly baked treats in the main house and were shown quickly to our room. They graciously allowed us a later check out the day we were leaving and made us feel welcome and comfortable throughout.
I have two small points of complaint that make this a 4-​star review instead of 5. We were looking forward to spending some time in front of the fireplace watching movies. While the TV did have cable and on demand, the wifi in the room was poor and we could not connect our chromecast. We also couldn’t stream on a laptop. Not a huge deal, but a little disappointing in the moment. I also think the towels could be replaced as they were a bit rough. Again — a small grievance for what was a wonderful stay at a beautiful BnB!

We only stayed one night but still enjoyed reading in the cozy living room and a delicious hot breakfast — the traditional pancakes, home fries, and maple apple crisp were only three of the freshly cooked options.
The owner went out of his way to be accommodating and hospitable. You got the feeling that anything you needed they would get for you.
It is very close to downtown (restaurants), and local attractions like the Norman Rockwell museum and National Shrine of the Divine Mercy are a short drive away.
The grounds have a pretty fish pond and lots of chairs for enjoying time outside in warmer weather. Although there is a road on one side, the woods behind the property still create a rural ambiance. The room was clean and charmingly decorated. The jacuzzi tub in the bathroom was also a plus!

This place is adorable! We will definitely stay here again. I loved our room, we stayed in the Rachel. It is quiet and lovely, not luxurious mind you. Very small bathroom, modern quiet effective window unit air conditioner. I see a space heater in the corner so I guess that’s for the colder nights in the winters but there’s a working fireplace in the room. The proprietors have been here for three years so they are open to input. They are extremely gracious. I love that they serve breakfast from 8 until 10 in the morning, not a set one-​sitting early time slot.
I only have a few tips for them, such as an extra pillow and blanket in the armoire, extra towels in the sink cabinet, the bar sink doesn’t work at all in our room and I don’t think it’s intended to so why not replace it with a microwave or coffee pot something else.
Otherwise the color scheme in this room is so relaxing. My favorite feature was the deck overlooking the courtyard under a beautiful tree, I sat there three times in three days for a long period of time doing my needlepoint — that would be the one reason I would get this room again, the deck location is ideal.
It’s on a somewhat busy street but all in all it didn’t bother us. The advantage is it’s close to town and an easy walk or drive to everything in Lenox. Ian at the front desk and Tim the owner were accommodating in every way!

During our recent three-​night stay, The Cornell Inn proved to be a comfortable, reasonably priced, and exceptionally hospitable base of operations for sightseeing and recreational activities around Lenox and the Berkshires. The Inn’s patient and attentive owners, Nell and Tim, pampered us with outstanding customer service, and without hesitation we would opt to lodge here again.
We stayed in the dark, spacious, and private Frances room, which, though located directly above the kitchen and dining area, was remarkably disturbance-​free, except for the morning aromas of breakfast preparation. The room’s king-​sized bed was pleasantly firm and conducive to a great night’s sleep.
The Inn’s selection of breakfast offerings, including homemade frittatas and pancakes which changed daily, was outstanding. Guests were welcome to linger over breakfast either inside or outside on the tree-​lined deck, yet there was always sufficient seating for new arrivals. Thoughtful extras at The Cornell Inn included an assortment of indulgent baked goods that greeted guests at all hours, whether returning in the afternoon after a day on Mt. Greylock or much later in the evening after a performance at Tanglewood.

We spent a week-​end here in June and loved it! The room was charming, the service was great, and the buffet breakfasts were amazing! We also loved the town and everything it had to offer.

My girl took me here for my birthday. It was a snowy winter and it had just snowed a ton… The area was beautiful. The inn is quaint and cozy. Our room had a fireplace and we enjoyed our stay.
They provided breakfast in the morning, in their dining area (a short walk from our room). I can only image how beautiful this place is in the summer. We didn’t get the opportunity to see it all, as it was cover in snow. See my photos.
I highly recommend this place. I’d love to come back.

Had a great stay at The Cornell Inn. Owner Tim McCaffrey and his staff went above and beyond to provide a great experience for us and our family. Always nice to make a shared AIr Force connection. (P.S. Be sure to have the raspberry tarts for breakfast!)

There aren’t words for how amazing the Cornell Inn is! We usually stay hotels so we weren’t sure what to expect, but we were blown away with how much fun we had here!
The staff was so friendly and welcoming, despite us arriving late in the evening. There were fresh baked goods available each day throughout our weekend stay. The breakfast was literally the best I’ve ever had! The rooms were so quaint, each with it’s own charm. We stayed in the Lucy and were given a log for the small fireplace in the room! The location is great, walking distance to shops and restaurants to Lenox center. The grounds are gorgeous– it was snowing while we were there, so we didn’t get a chance to really enjoy it, but it will be gorgeous in summer!
We will absolutely be back!

We checked in at night to HOT APPLE CIDER & freshly made peanut butter cookies! Amazing right off the bat. Everyone who works there is so nice and friendly. AND they give you a log for the fireplace in each room every day you’re there. We got a great rate off a groupon we bought the night before we decided to make this impromptu trip. Then the next morning we wake up to a breakfast buffet of frittatas, sausage, pastries, and more! That breakfast made up for the mattress and pillows which were both a bit hard and not super comfy. They also have a pond, a small waterfall going into it, free wifi, and a small bar area that’s open until 10pm. Definitely staying here again on our next trip up to the Bershires. Less than 10 min from Bousquet mountain and a 5 min walk to center of Lenox. We stayed on the second floor of the MacDonald house and had no problems with outside noise. Really enjoyed our stay. :)

I compare everything to Willard Street Inn in Vermont now, which may be unfair, which is why Cornell Inn only receives 4 stars instead of 5.
We checked in on Friday afternoon. Service was friendly and we were shown to our room «Barbara». It was on the first floor right next to the dining area (which had fresh homemade cookies, coffee and hot cider all day every day). Pretty convenient. The room itself was fairly spacious and cute.
Breakfast was great. It was a buffet including seasonal pancakes (pumpkin and lemon poppy seed when we were there), a french toast option, a couple frittatas, sausage, potatoes, cereal, yogurt, fruit. Overall, a really nice spread.
We were able to walk to downtown Lenox for dinner both nights, so location was great. My only minor criticism would be that the bed wasn’t super comfortable. Most B and B’s I’ve been to really go out of their way to make sure the bedding is insanely comfortable, but not so here.
That being said, I would definitely stay here again.

Our stay in the Caroline room was excellent. The Inn’s comparatively low rates, the awesome breakfast, the location, the friendly and knowledgable owners, and the charming home itself made for a memorable stay. We particularly liked the small bar area on the first floor, which was a great spot to hang out and relax after dinner. Kennedy Park is within walking distance, and has lots of great trails to choose from. We can’t wait to visit again!

The Cornell Inn offers lovely grounds, with a private garden in the back to enjoy your breakfast. The breakfasts were very good with a wide variety of dishes. Everything was fresh and yummy. The rooms are comfortable with a large bed and nice bathroom. The hosts for the B & B were so very gracious and helpful that our stay there over a long weekend went very well. The Inn is close to Lenox restaurants and shops and near Tanglewood. This is a place to stay and relax if you don’t want to do the touristy things in the area. Or you hang out at the small bar area and share stories with Tim.

This place is adorable! I’m sorry that I’m only staying one night and checking out early because I would love to stay and enjoy this charming inn. I’m staying in the Barbara room which is really lovely. Someone in a previous review said something negative about the décor, which I think only adds to how wonderfully New England this place is! It’s kitschy and quirky but that’s what I love about it. How can you beat a four poster canopy bed?!? Come, relax and enjoy!

We have stayed at the Cornell Inn in Lenox. Ma twice and about to make reservations for the summer. This is a wonderful Inn in the Berkshires and close to everything. The new husband and wife owners are terrific and eager to make sure that you are happy with your stay.
Rooms are very clean, some have fireplaces and hot tubs. The grounds are lovely, including a pond and waterfall. Breakfast is fabulous in a country dining room.
Highly recommend this beautiful country inn. We are looking forward to our next visit.
Bob Humenn

ok this is a really great place, and we went there without reading thru the reviews (which overall are pretty good) but the place was lovely and the food good and the hosts friendly and gracious, and the little bar was definitely pleasant.

This is one of those difficult reviews to write. The good SO GOOD, yet the bad was composed in my brain as I lay in a disgruntled state of half-​awake, the sweet pleasures of sleep just beyond my grasp as my next door neighbor hacked and snorted to an episode of Fraser through the paper thin wall.
The houses are gorgeous and creaky, ensconced in a beautiful plot of land, all waterfalls and tea lights. The owners are a completely charming husband and wife team who bend over backwards to make sure their guests are having the classic Berkshires experience, the kind of place where James Taylor would walk by and give an approving nod. The food was outstanding — a sweet carb heaven of french toast and fruit crumbles and various jams and jellies. We felt completely pampered and beloved.
But the room. We stayed in «Ida», and while it was fine overall, it definitely smelled a bit musty, and when my boyfriend dropped down to the bed, it… collapsed. He is not a huge dude. We managed to fix it, but overall, it definitely felt as though the whole hardscrabble place was betraying its age. We could hear every word coming from our neighbor’s TV, and every additional cough, snorfle, and grunt. And though this is a PG-​13 rated Unilocal review, suffice to say that it made us wonder what everyone hears outta everyone, this being a romantic B&B and all.
While we would return indefinitely for the food and warm hospitality, I think we’d give one more room a chance before officially calling it.

This is a husband and wife owned inn… Both Tim and his wife are charming and seriously care about the experience of their customers. When I first went to book a room here Tim took me through the available rooms adding information past the pictures online. As well, I let Tim know that my girlfriend and I are both Vegan and he said no problem… we’ll figure out some special foods. More about that later…
So check in was a breeze and we were very happy with the room. They set the temperature cold to make sure we were chilled when we entered from the very hot humid air outside. The «George» room was very nicely appointed with a lovely private backyard and patio. It was too hot to use but on nice days this would be terrific for tea and coffee time if you like privacy. The only real exception to this room is that the TV provided is tiny considering it is about 20 feet from the bed so don’t expect to watch TV in bed. This is nit picking but I did feel the sink and mirror area in the bathroom could have been made with higher end pieces.
Overall the inn is maintained extremely well… I digress though because I want to talk about the beautiful property complete with pond and waterfall and beautiful outside seating in the backyard both on and off the deck. Oh, and it would be a failing not to mention that the team in the kitchen worked hard to try some new Vegan recipes out. And guess what, the other guests ate as much of the Vegan offerings as we did. Congrats guys, you’ll get a whole new crowd of Vegans now that everyone knows you’re Vegan friendly.
Before this gets to be a full book sized review I want to mention that Tim took us around and showed us a bunch of rooms before we left. I would say most of the rooms we really took a liking to but we both agreed that Lucy in the main house was one of our favorites.
To sum, you can’t go wrong with this inn, Tim and his wife will treat you like royalty and meet your needs as best as possible. We both thank you for making our stay special and look forward to seeing you again when we go to the Berkshires.
Room Tip: Love Lucy but you can’t go too wrong with any room. If sensitive to noise maybe select a room to…
See more room tips

Three of us went to Lenox for a two-​person shared birthday in December. The high point was to be dinner at the extraordinary Nudel. It, as always lived up to expectations. What we didn’t expect was the wonderful time we spent at the Cornell Inn. We took three rooms in the Main building: Barbara, Caroline, and I was upgraded to the great party-​central Frances. The rooms were all one could hope for, even in other, far pricier Inns. The photos are a good representation but don’t adequately convey the size. I only regret that, as one of our members had an early work day, we did not have breakfast — just some excellent coffee. I’ll be back again over the New Year weekend.

From the reservation to the easy checkout, The Cornell was a wonderful experience. I am still pinching myself wondering how we stumbled upon such a great find.
The staff was courteous and attentive. The buffet style breakfast in the morning was delicious with both traditional and imaginative options (i.e. Pumpkin Pancakes, Blueberry & Peach French Toast bake… soooo good). The room was clean, cute and fit our needs perfectly.
I would highly recommend this B&B to anyone staying in the area. It is in no way luxury, but definitely quaint.
Great price, location, staff, breakfast, décor, property… GREAT B&B!!!

Our room was slightly musty, and kind of high Victorian overkill. Some other (unfortunately smaller) rooms are more sedate and might more restful.
PLUSES
— Great for your Edwardian Downton Abby fantasy role play
— Lovely grounds and buildings
— Great b’fast with hot eggs, waffles, blueberry pancakes etc
— Free wifi
— Cheap
— Friendly helpful staff (let us use empty room to change for the afternoon wedding we were attending, since our room wasn’t ready yet)
— Fireplace (decorative /​wood — there was no wood in it, so not sure)
MINUSES
— lots. of. wallpaper! Mismatched and as Oscar Wilde famously said «one of us has to go!»
— No info. in room on inn, b’fast hours or surrounding area in room
— Tub doesn’t drain completely leaving an icky feeling when you first use it
— Low mirrors in bath mean stooping to do see anything in them
— Mismatched cheap bath products
— Hard bed and pillows