An Overnight to Remember at Mirbeau Inn & Spa

Sponsored by Mirbeau Inn & Spa Plymouth Imagine a lovely countryside French château waiting to welcome you into its colorful and comfortable way of life. Verdant lily pads float on a pond in the quaint courtyard, with the branches of a pussy willow jutting up like exclamation points above. Inside, rooms are posh yet comfortable, accented with classic toile, deep couches, and rich hues. Sitting on the patio, sipping a cup of tea or a spot of bubbly, you half-expect Claude Monet to come around the corner and join you in soaking it all in. After all, it’s as if you’ve stepped into one of his landscapes.

Dreaming of this kind of French escape? Then skip the overseas flight and head instead to Massachusetts, where deep in the heart of Plymouth — “America’s Hometown” — you will find this heavenly experience awaiting you at the Mirbeau Inn & Spa Plymouth, a slice of French countryside smack-dab in the heart of Americana. Mirbeau is located just a quick jaunt off Route 3 in The Pinehills section of Plymouth, where rolling hills and thickly clustered trees are hallmarks of the landscape. The inn rises up before you like a mirage: You round the corner amid all those trees, and before you sits a grand French-inspired manor house surrounded by lush gardens and some eye-catching accents, like a bright green walking bridge. When you step inside, the feeling of magic expands. Mind and soul sink immediately into the deep comfort of your surroundings, and the staff greets you in a way that conveys the reassuring sense that they’ll be there for anything you need.

Mirbeau is replete with 50 guest rooms in all. There are 16 in the Manor House, including four suites (two of which are ultra-romantic Turret Suites, with balconies overlooking the gardens); the other 34 are located in the Guest House, directly over the sumptuous spa facilities. Regardless of which you choose, you’ll discover that — from color choices to window views — your room has its own story to tell. Thanks to architectural touches that harken back to château designs, and walls slant and jut in unexpected ways, your room will somehow feel cozy yet spacious. (There are similarities among the guest rooms, though, and you’ll embrace them: Each has its own crackling fireplace and an oversize bathroom with soaking tub and separate shower.) The common areas have been designed to draw you in as well. A living room with an always-stoked fire is the perfect spot for sharing a cocktail or curling up with a book; hallways have snug sitting areas and window seats where you can find slices of sunlight on a chilly day. Dining can be as casual or opulent as you choose. At the Bistro and Wine Bar and out on its spacious deck on seasonable days and evenings (mini warmers make that season long), it’s common to find a mix of dressed-up couples toasting their love, a group of girlfriends kicking back on a weekend getaway, and business folks enjoying a break from corporate environs — all melding together in a rustic yet polished setting filled with warm wood and a neutral palette.

The Bistro and Wine Bar serves all three meals. And, like Mirbeau itself, the dishes on the menu are French-inspired with a New England accent. Think locally sourced oysters, roasted and presented with a dollop of chive fondue, or a remarkable warm mushroom salad, earthy and effortlessly European. Even the Bistro Burger, with its Gruyère cheese and portabella mushroom, has a continental flair. In the warmer months, you can settle outside at the Garden Bar, for a breath of fresh air and a more relaxed menu; dining here runs more toward expertly wood-fired pizzas and a raw bar stocked with pristine seafood. And then … there is the spa. The Mirbeau Spa is its own retreat-within-a-retreat, with a spectacular central room called “The Resting Area” and a sunny “Aqua Terrace” where guests can soak in the rays or the warm whirlpool waters all year long. For intense relaxation and one-on-one attention, there are spa treatments such as the Impressionist Retreat (utilizing thermal Moor Mud; warm, herbal-soaked linens, and your own bespoke fragrant oil) and the Nature’s Healer Massage (with warm Himalayan salt stones and cool river stones for the ultimate in relaxation).

But even beyond its treatment offerings, the spa provides you escape. There are daily free classes in spin, yoga, barre, and more. There’s a well-appointed gym. And outside or in, you can order from a special spa menu all day long (even spa-inspired cocktails). The Resting Area — with its hot footbath pool, giant rock centerpiece, and surrounding comfortable lounge chairs — is a spot worth savoring for hours. (Should you want to meander back and forth from the spa, no one here looks twice at guests savoring other parts of the inn while in their fluffy robes.) None of this happened by chance. Mirbeau Inn & Spa Plymouth is, like its sister properties, the result of the singular vision of owners Linda and Gary Dower, who set out with the goal of creating resorts that draw guests in for a total escape — “holiday destinations,” if you will, a place where guests can let go and relax completely without traveling too far from home. All four Mirbeaus, including the newest in Rhinebeck, New York, share that vibe. Nestled in the woods of Plymouth, Mirbeau Inn & Spa Plymouth is so close to history, museums, and beaches that they can easily be yours to enjoy on this visit too. Yet you may well opt to save all that for another time. After all, you’re soaking up a little bit of France in this colorful cove that feels so away from the everyday world. Claude Monet would agree: Tuck yourself in here for a true escape, and love every moment of it.