PITTSFIELD, MA (February 26, 2015) – Downtown Pittsfield, in the heart of the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, welcomes its first boutique hotel with the opening of Hotel on North in May 2015. The 45-room, $14 million hotel is located in a pair of buildings that date from the 1880s and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hotel on North will celebrate the building’s heritage with an eclectic and creative mix of furnishings and decor, much from the workshops of local artisans and craftspeople. Key design elements include preserved and restored architectural features such as columns, brick walls, tin ceilings, and historic color schemes. The site is fondly remembered by locals as the Besse-Clarke, a legendary menswear and sporting good emporium.
With storefront windows along North Street, the hotel’s lobby features an art gallery and adjoining lounge, bar and a restaurant designed by James Beard featured Executive Chef Brian Alberg. Within walking distance of Hotel on North are dozens of restaurants, shops, and galleries as well as the restored Colonial Theatre and Berkshire Museum. Hotel on North is next door to the acclaimed Barrington Stage Company and within 30 minutes of many world renowned performing arts venues including Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow, Berkshire Theatre Group, MASS MoCA, and Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Sleep on North
Hotel on North’s guestrooms will offer distinctive design elements formed by the architectural bones of the buildings, such as tin ceilings, exposed brick walls, and wood columns. Guestrooms are painted in soft, vintage yellow, blue and gray with custom furniture from local craftspeople and workshops, and adorned with original art and richly patterned area rugs. Some rooms include working gas fireplaces, claw foot tubs, and kitchenettes with washer/dryers for extended stays. Generous work spaces accommodate the business traveler, along with complimentary fiber optic high speed Wi-Fi.
Bathrooms at Hotel on North are spacious and spa-like, featuring walk in showers, Carrara marble vanities, lush amenities and spa robes.
The bedroom of the 650-square foot Library Suite is lined with floor-to-ceiling bookcases along two walls and has a separate sitting room with a wet bar, dressing alcove and oversized bathroom with a claw-foot soaking tub.
Each room features a mini-bar curated with Berkshire-made products, high definition smart televisions and Bluetooth enabled audio.
For more information and reservations, visit www.hotelonnorth.com or call 413-358-4741. Follow Hotel on North at www.facebook.com/hotelonnorth or www.instagram.com/hotelonnorth.
Eat on North
Executive Chef Brian Alberg has tapped Sean Corcoran as chef de cuisine of Eat and Drink Kitchen and Bar. Corcoran brings more than 16 years of experience in restaurants that include April Bloomfield’s Breslin at the Ace Hotel in New York City and, most recently, as chef at the Peekskill Brewery in Hudson Valley. An ideal match for the restaurant, he brings an expertise in sourcing from local farms and markets.
The menu at Eat will be sourced from local and regional farmers and purveyors, with featured dishes intended for sharing. Guests can also pre-order whole roasted duck, lamb or pork to share for four or more people. Eat will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven nights a week.
The Drink Bar will be a lively scene mixing locals and visitors in a “watering hole meets sophisticated lounge” environment. Creative cocktails, artisanal beers from around the world, as well as Nitro Cold Brew coffee from Six Depot will be highlighted. A small-plates bar menu will be offered until 11pm.
Meet on North
Hotel on North provides ample and versatile event spaces for meetings, banquets, parties and special events. Each of the three meeting rooms are outfitted with fiber-optically sourced Wi-Fi, HD video and audio, Bluetooth and legacy connectivity for multiple formatted presentations. The spaces accommodate meetings of up to 40 in a variety of settings.
Above the restaurant on the second floor is the 1600 square foot event space with 12-foot ceilings, exposed brick and vintage crystal chandeliers framing a panoramic view of upper North Street. The space can accommodate up to 130 guests for seated events and receptions for 250 people.
A Community on North
Hotel on North is a collaboration of a number of members of the community. Owned by David and Laurie Tierney III of MM&D LLC, the hotel will be managed by Main Street Hospitality Group, owner and operator of the renowned Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA, The Porches at MASS MoCA in North Adams, and The Williams Inn in Williamstown. Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality Group, and Bruce Finn, chief operating officer, will lead the day-to-day operations, with a general manager to be announced shortly.
“Hotel on North is a reflection of two Berkshire family businesses and countless other talented local craftsmen who have worked tirelessly together to create something distinctively new for downtown Pittsfield,” said Eustis. “Our goal is to celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of the locals and bring world class hospitality, dining and service to North Street.”
“As life-long residents of Pittsfield, we were drawn to purchase the building to help fill a void for an upscale hotel and chef-driven restaurant that can contribute to the continuing revitalization of downtown Pittsfield,” said Laurie Tierney. She emphasized how critical the contributions of local businesses, craftspeople, artisans and suppliers have been to realizing a truly authentic hotel and dining experience.
