Close your eyes as your car turns onto the narrow road leading to Mirbeau Inn & Spa (assuming you’re not driving, of course) and open them just as you feel the crunch of gravel beneath the tires while pulling into the cobbled driveway. Though you are only minutes from the highway in Plymouth, Massachusetts, you’ll feel transported to a French country estate.
That sense of place is intentional. Designed by Arrowstreet, a Cambridge, Massachusetts architectural firm, Mirbeau Inn & Spa is the second property in the Mirbeau collection. Like the original in Skaneateles, New York, in the Finger Lakes region, this inn captures a distinctly French ambiance, with a main house and guest wing focused around a Monet-inspired pond and gardens.
Built from the ground up in Pinehills, a thoughtfully planned community about 40 miles south of Boston, Mirbeau opened to guests in June 2014. I had eagerly awaited its debut and finally stayed overnight in late August with my sister, Nancy. A bellman—still a bit new on the job—greeted us at arrival and insisted on carrying our light overnight bags to the front desk. That small gesture set the tone for our stay: relax, unwind, and let the staff take care of the details.
Our first-floor room opened onto a patio with a wide view of the pond and formal gardens. The plantings are young and will fill in over the next year or two; the gradual growth should provide a pleasant balance of privacy while preserving the view of the water and landscaping.
Aqua Terrace © Dan Rapoza
The spa, located on the lower level of the main building, includes the Aqua Terrace—an enclosed, open-air patio with a small bar offering beverages and light fare, lounge seating for roughly a dozen guests, and an outdoor hot plunge whirlpool with individual massage jets. This whirlpool is the only pool on the property and is accessible through the spa locker rooms to all Mirbeau guests. Management plans to install a heating system so the whirlpool and terrace can remain open year-round, even through New England winters.
After a brief soak in the whirlpool, Nancy attended a barre class in the adjacent fitness center. The fitness facility, also on the lower level, offers a range of equipment—cardio machines, free weights, TRX and Pilates gear—and several small studios for group classes. I joined Nancy for a spinning session after barre, and the next morning we both took an early yoga class before our spa appointments.
Spa Mirbeau spans 14,000 square feet and functions as a destination in its own right. The locker rooms are generously appointed, and eucalyptus-infused steam rooms provide a calming pre- or post-treatment experience. A quiet, co-ed lounge features chaise longues surrounding a heated foot bath for gentle, communal relaxation. Each of the spa’s 14 treatment rooms includes a fireplace, adding warmth and ambiance to every session.
I chose the 50-minute Monet’s Favorite Fragrance massage, an aromatherapy treatment that blends a Swedish massage with a selection from 12 essential oils. Nancy selected the Mirbeau Signature treatment, also a 50-minute Swedish massage. The spa menu offers a variety of options, including Just the Essentials—a focused 50-minute treatment for scalp, hands and feet—and Nature’s Healer, a Swedish-style stone massage.
For a deeper indulgence, the Mirbeau Ritual Body Treatment begins with a full-body exfoliation using an all-natural sugar scrub followed by a thorough massage. Body wraps that detoxify, hydrate or firm are available and can be combined with massage treatments for a comprehensive experience.
Relaxing side by side in the lounge after our treatments, Nancy and I agreed we had found a peaceful refuge with a hint of the French countryside at Mirbeau Inn & Spa. Although our visit was brief, I left already planning a return. I’ve booked another stay for mid-winter, this time with my husband, eager to soak outdoors while enjoying a cool drink in the heated whirlpool on the Aqua Terrace.
Mirbeau Inn & Spa
35 Landmark Drive
Plymouth, MA 02360
tel 508 209 2626
mirbeau.com/pinehills