We just finished a 2 night stay (Monday to Wednesday) and had a wonderful time! Flew up from DC to Boston and drove out and back. Took about 2.5 hours each way. Arrived about 1 PM and had our first scheduled activity (Monks Pond hike) at 2:00. Knew it would be tight, but not a problem with check in or a quick lunch prior to the hike. Pulled up to valet and they took the keys and said if room was ready they'd deliver bags there. Check in was smooth and agent acknowledged Globalist status. Had booked via points (57.5k per night) a Dreamcatcher King and that was the room we received. We headed to our room in the Serenity cottage and bags already there. Headed to lunch and had a few bites from the buffet. The carving station was doing teres major slices and the grill outside had shrimp tacos. Buffet had a variety of hot dishes as well as plentiful cold options like salads and fruits and veggies. A number of dessert options on the menu as well. Printed lunch menu just had the burger, which we didn't get that first day., but wife enjoyed the second day.

We had one full day, plus 1/2 day on arrival, and most of the final day (asked day before checkout and we were granted 4PM checkout) to do activities. We did four hikes (Monk's Pond, Gould Meadows, Beaver Pond, and Canoe Meadows) over our stay there. Each was about 1.5-2.5 miles and mostly flat, which was great to allow us to do all of these in a short period of time. Weather was fabulous for almost our entire time (70's and sunny), except overnight on Tuesday it rained pretty good, with minor showers on Wednesday AM. Wednesday was cloudy, but cleared up in the afternoon. Other "physical" activities included the Mindful Property stroll, and Stretch and Relax. For the stroll it was just my wife and I and the guide was great. Checked out the areas around the mansion as well as looking at some of the flora on the property. Wife also did Watercolors and Wine and the Vibrational Sound classes which she liked. The highlight for her was the 100 minute Lemongrass massage she did on our last day. Probably our least favorite class was the Stretch and Relax class as the instructor didn't seem like she wanted to be there and was real matter of fact and not super friendly. Not rude or anything, but she was definitely the outlier in terms of the instructors and guides we interacted with.

I did a few culinary classes over the stay and they were good. Culinary classes were all about an hour each, so it was a bit rushed but I did enjoy them. They were more of a demo style (we got a small plate of each item), though we were given the opportunity to assist in prep. For the Sustainable Seafood class we grilled oysters, cooked scallops with avocado/cucumber salsa, cod en papillote, and finished with salmon. Eric, the chef, was engaging and talked about sustainability and how to look for sustainable options. Later that day was the Cocktails with the Chef class with Eric where we made hibiscus and chipotle margaritas (you could choose which you wanted to make) and then paired it with a shrimp appetizer. On Wednesday I did the Plant Based Cooking course where we made maple-sesame glazed tempeh, and Coconut Chana Saag with chickpeas.

The highlight for me was the Falconry class that was done Wednesday AM. John, the instructor, was awesome explaining how he got into falconry, how you train a the bird, and we all got to interact with the falcon (Chaco) with him landing on our arm multiple times (there was only 3 of us for the activity). We also got to witness Chaco hunting and caught a vole. It was $199 but I would do it again in a heartbeat. We did this in the woods down past the ropes course area.

All the guides for the hikes and classes (except as mentioned above) were amazing. They were engaging, friendly and really worked hard to make each activity meaningful. For the hikes they all held a briefing at the beginning explaining the hike, their roles and made clear that if we were uncomfortable with anything to let them know. All the hikes we did were very beginner friendly, so not an issue that way. They would also focus on stopping and showing us highlights along the way and point out any special features they saw. Weirdly, we didn't see much in the way of wildlife, but I'm sure that was partially a function of the time of year and the fact that we were on pretty well traveled trails. For the hikes, the leaves were a bit behind in terms of changing, but still lots of colors to see. It was beautiful and a wonderful first experience for us in the Berkshires.

The room was good, with no major issues. Minor issues were the soap pump dispenser in the shower was starting to fail and there was a small leak on the handheld shower wand. Bathroom was large enough for both of us and the bed was amazingly comfortable. Slept so well the two nights we were there. Housekeeping did a great job as well.

Dining was pretty good. Breakfast and lunch were primarily buffet, though there was an egg station at breakfast and for lunch the previously mentioned carving table (which had beef each day) and the outside grill area had a fish, meat and vegetarian option each day. A fair number of options to choose from, though I'd say at least 70% of the breakfast and lunch items were the same each day. I can see if you're here more than a few days that it could get a bit repetitive. Dinner was all menu entree based with 3-4 appetizers and 3 mains that were on the "everyday" menu. Each night there were probably four or so small plates and salads to choose from and well as multiple entrees. Portions were on the small side, to be expected for a wellness resort, but there was no problem with ordering multiple items. One night the table next to us with a mother and daughter I think ordered most of the menu! They brought out a huge tray with the food. First night we split a charcuterie board and I had a salad and afilet as my entree and wife had halibut, both of which were great. Our last night we each got the risotto and surf and turf (shrimp and not sure the cut of beef) and both were really good. I also had scallops as an appetizer, and wife had a soup. Desserts were the same each night, but really enjoyable. In terms of quality, the food was really good. Not top notch restaurant quality, but very good. As someone with a food allergy I also was super appreciative of how thorough they were with food labeling and precautions they take. Eric, the chef in one of the classes talked about how important it was for them to cater to as diverse a group as possible, including vegan/vegetarian, and other dietary restrictions and allergies.

The rest of the staff were without fault friendly, attentive and took time to interact with you...as much as you wanted, so if you didn't want to talk much they wouldn't press it. It wasn't super crowded the days we were there, and they often remembered specific things we liked or had the prior day, which was a nice touch. The night before checkout we had a letter on our door which explained the process for us to have our bags packed right inside the room and they would come get them and have them in the car. At the checkout desk the agent explained the folio would be finalized and sent out after 8 pm, though I didn't get it until late the next morning. I did notice in the app that it only showed my charges for classes, and not my wife's. She received a separate email with her folio, but it was billed to the card we had on file. Forgot to mention, we signed up for our activities 4-6 weeks prior and as we got closer to our check in, you could see classes get filled (once filled they stopped showing on the schedule). I can imagine during busy times, these fill up quickly.

We really enjoyed our stay and would definitely consider returning. It was a lot of points, but I felt there was good value that we received for them. I wouldn't pay the cash rate for it, mostly because that's just way too much money for us to spend. We definitely packed our schedule with activities, and would probably try to come for 3 or 4 nights and spread things out. I'd want to try one of the other Miravals though, especially since we live on the West Coast. Our visit here was part of a larger trip to DC and Boston, so it made sense to visit the Berkshires Miraval on this trip.