~ The vibe: A refined adult summer camp, with Scandinavian minimalism, outdoor wellness, and sustainable design Location: 50 Prospect Lake Rd, Egremont, Massachusetts | View on Google Maps From $175 | Book now ~ |
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The Afar take
Soon after arriving at Prospect, I find myself in my bathing suit, cycling between baking in the lakeside sauna and plunging into the cool lake water—again and again. The new Scandinavian-inspired hotel in the Berkshires centers around this lakeside ritual, trading sterile spa design for the rejuvenating forces of nature: trees, fresh air, and water. Inspired by summers spent in Northern Europe, the wife-and-husband owners Jade-Snow Carroll and Ian Rasch wanted to bring that ethos of simple outdoor wellness to New England.
Set on a site that was once a 19th-century picnic ground and rooming house, later a 1950s RV park, and now a refined “adult summer camp,” Prospect blends local nostalgia with sustainable design and nature. Since buying the grounds in 2019, the owners have revitalized the lakeside retreat, restoring the land (they did away with an artificial beach that was destroying the lake’s ecology) and revamping the vintage tennis courts. One court is now a heated pool; the other remains for tennis and pickleball. Native plantings and minimalist Scandinavian interiors complete the transformation.
The idea behind Prospect is to connect guests to the outdoors: Nearly every room faces the lake, while kayaks, paddleboards, and single-person sailboats are available. And, of course, the saunas, warm and wood-scented, draw visitors back to the lake and its gently lapping waves.
Who’s it for?
Step from the sauna directly into the lake for an outdoor cold plunge, as you would in Finland.
Photos by Cole Wilson
The owners’ vision was “to get away from the phones and the television and the screens and really try and find some community with other guests and with nature,” says Max Scherff, the general manager at the hotel. Prospect often attracts people looking to unplug, so it’s not surprising that I ran into several guests from New York City and Boston. Culture aficionados drawn to the Berkshires for its artistic offerings—outdoor theater, music festivals, film screenings, and visual exhibits at MASS MoCA and the Norman Rockwell Museum, among other places—will find that the hotel provides a great base for outdoor adventures during the day and cultural performances at night.
The location
Prospect is about a three-hour drive from both New York City and Boston, tucked just inside the Massachusetts border near New York State. The journey itself felt like a deep exhale as I drove away from my home in Brooklyn: Skyscrapers transitioned into rolling hills, and gutters were replaced by leafy tunnels until I turned down a quiet road that leads to the hotel at the edge of sparkling Prospect Lake. Within a 10-minute drive of the hotel are classic Berkshires towns such as Great Barrington and Stockbridge. There, colonial-style buildings line old-timey main streets, now home to performing arts venues, shops selling maple syrup and mini outdoor survival kits, and beloved local restaurants such as Prairie Whale (known for its high-quality farm ingredients) and The Bistro Box (don’t miss the outstanding burgers and wild ramp pesto fries).
Inspired by summers spent in Northern Europe, the wife-and-husband owners Jade-Snow Carroll and Ian Rasch wanted to bring that ethos of simple outdoor wellness to New England.
The rooms
Wake up to views of the lake or forest outside the window at Prospect in the Berkshires.
Photo by Cole Wilson
Stepping into nearly every space at Prospect—whether the 49 private cabins to the dining area at the Cliff House restaurant—is like entering a freshly built sauna, thanks to the refreshing scent of blond cedar and the golden glow of natural wood. Each cabin offers a simple, one-room layout with rustic, minimalist furnishings: a bed on a wooden platform lit from beneath, a lounge chair draped in thick white fur, and a cozy window nook with pink cushions and pillows. Most cabins have tranquil views of Prospect Lake. Constructed from sustainably harvested cedar, the buildings use longevity-focused materials that don’t off-gas and have no toxic glues. Even the shampoo is biodegradable, made from wild plants.
Guests naturally interact with the outdoors here. Cars are restricted beyond a certain point, so walking the leafy paths between rooms to the restaurant or other facilities becomes part of the experience. “The whole idea is designing buildings that fit into nature and respond to nature,” says Rasch. “It’s all under the umbrella of biophilic design, which is, How do you make buildings complement nature so that people, when they are in the buildings, feel some level of health and wellness?”
The food and drink
Chef Damian Evangelous is behind the menu at the Prospect in the Berkshires.
Photos by Cole Wilson
The on-site restaurant, the Cliff House, stands on the original footprint of the 1800s rooming house and even incorporates its historic timber frame. The kitchen, led by chef Damian Evangelous, mirrors the hotel’s ethos, honoring the past while refining it for today. The menu showcases Berkshire farm products in comfort-driven dishes, such as lamb stew or mushroom stroganoff pasta, plus seasonal vegetables paired with hazelnuts, anchovies, fennel, or pea shoots, among other ingredients.
Save room for almond cake, a standout dessert that’s subtly sweet. Or, when your sweet tooth hits, opt for the s’mores kit handed out at check-in, perfect for roasting over one of four fire pits overlooking the lake.
Staff and service
Guests can interact with staff as much or as little as they like, thanks to a seamless, text-based check-in process. After booking, a welcome message arrives by phone, allowing guests to coordinate arrival times, ask questions, or reserve meals. On arrival day, they receive their cabin number and door code via text. Staff meet guests at the parking lot and use golf carts to assist with luggage. You can also text to book sauna sessions, time on the tennis courts, or a golf-cart ride anywhere on the property.
Accessibility
Two of the 49 cabins are ADA compliant, fitted with grab bars, roll-in showers, and adjacent parking spots. The gravel trails are unsuitable for wheelchairs, so a vehicle would be necessary to get to and from the rooms or the restaurant. The private saunas each have a step to enter.
Coming soon
The owners expect to continue adding to the property based on guest feedback. In addition to increasing the number of fire pits on the property (and possibly a floating sauna on the water), they’re looking to open a bar in the pool area with wine slushies and a small picnic menu. They are also working on installing solar panels to get their energy expenditure to net-positive. Come winter, there are plans to cut a hole in the ice over the lake—all the better for cold plunges, no matter the season.
