Stockbridge — As guests begin arriving for summer in the Berkshires this week, they’ll notice a few enjoyable changes at the Red Lion Inn. The iconic inn, located in downtown Stockbridge, is ramping up menus, co-branding tie-ins with local cultural institutions and placing a new emphasis on guest “experiences.”
Tourism, after all, is a crowded business. There are plenty of places where people with money can spend their money, so it’s critically important to stay current with emerging trends: a cool vs. stodgy feeling, authentically fun things to do and tasty fresh food.
Matching regional and national trends, the Red Lion is focusing heavily on local foods from nearby farms and food manufacturers such as the Berkshire Mountain Bakery. A recent menu featured chicken liver paté from Q Farms, Pittsfield Rye, coffee from Six Depot, ice cream from SoCo Creamery, locally foraged morel mushrooms and handmade cavatelli pasta made fresh to order.
“It’s a cliché these days, but we’re really buying local,” said the inn’s new general manager, Robert “Mick” Mickey. “It’s not the cheapest way to do business nor is it the easiest way, but it’s the right way to do business.” Mickey, who has worked for two decades in hospitality, mostly in the Southeast including at the Greenbrier, joined the Red Lion Inn and Main Street Hospitality Group in May.
Mickey’s particularly excited to expand upon what the inn traditionally offers guests: a place to eat and spend the night. The newest trend in hospitality is the offering of “guest experiences,” much like what Airbnb is doing on its website. Guests don’t just look for places to stay, they look for things to do that interest them. Mickey is looking to combine the two.
“It’s not just about dining and a room, but about coming to the Red Lion for an experience,” he says. “If you love golf, then we can be your golf destination. We don’t have our own golf course, but there’s one just down the street and several more nearby. Want to come up here for a biking experience? We’ll help you rent bikes and get you to the area’s bike trails. Want to canoe or kayak our rivers? We’ll set you up with the Arcadian Shop and get you outfitted and on the river. Love gardening? We can set you up with a day at the botanical gardens. Ice fishing, snowshoeing, a private tour of the Rockwell museum? We got you covered. Want to visit MASS MoCA and the Clark? We’ll set you up with a night at our sister property, the Porches.”
The list of experiences is so extensive and variable that the Red Lion now has a manager of guest experiences. Name your experience and he’ll work to make it happen.
A main driver of summer tourism is the county’s cultural offerings, which have a symbiotic relationship with local hospitality offerings. To celebrate this, the Red Lion will be featuring “pop-up performances” by such iconic cultural organizations such as Berkshire Theatre Group, Shakespeare & Company and Tanglewood. The performances will be short by design — about 20 minutes — and will take place on the inn’s rambling Main Street front porch. Actors from Shakespeare & Company will perform excerpts from “Love’s Labor Lost,” dancers from Jacob’s Pillow will do a Brazilian fusion tap dance and BTG performers will offer a few songs from “Hair.”
Also new this year will be dedicated van shuttles to Tanglewood, which will cost $15 per person roundtrip and must be reserved in advance.
There will also be “pop-up bars” throughout the summer, where different libations such as rosé, summer white wines, and gin and tonics will be celebrated. These will be hosted by the inn’s two sommeliers, Dan Thomas and Tim Eustis.
