Waking up at the newly refurbished Bedford Post Inn is nothing short of picturesque. Firstly, you may be awoken by birds chirping, a view that looks into a lush forest, and a babbling fountain. If these things annoy you, stop reading now. If not, continue.

Then, a made-to-order breakfast of fresh eggs and avocado toast, pastries, and juice awaits, which you can take in the cobblestoned courtyard if you desire. Rooms are spacious and decorated in a classic and tasteful colonial style, with working gas fireplaces, luxurious bedding and linens by Frette, and wood floors. The bathrooms are perhaps the star of the show — heated marble floors complete with a restored antique bathtub (and wire reading rack) and shower fixtures match the Inn’s historic charm.

The eight-room inn is a Relais & Chateaux property, sitting on 20 acres of land surrounded by grassy woodlands, which saw new landscaping, planting, and pruning. Easily accessible by train from Grand Central, a designated “shuttle” car (a brand-new electric BMW) is available to pick you up from the Bedford Hills Metro North station, just a 10-minute drive away. The journey to the hotel is scenic enough to make you gasp — a gently winding country road takes you past beautifully kept colonial-style homes, some of which are home to residents that include Mariah Carey, Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren, and Emily Blunt.

Founded by Richard Gere in 2007, the hotel has been under renovation for the last few years, reopening with a brand new partnership with New York-based Sunday Hospitality, the group that operates food and beverage outlets at the Chelsea Hotel, as well as restaurants Rule of Thirds and Sunday in Brooklyn.

Adam Landsman, a co-founder of Sunday Hospitality, describes the hotel as a “really exceptional English countryside inn.” Initially constructed in 1762, the building was once a stagecoach stop along Old Post Road. Now, it has been restored to its original historic splendor, with upgraded luxury amenities in a quaint, rustic setting. “The goal was, how do we make this experience incredible?” Landsman tells Travel + Leisure. King & Partners, a design agency, is overseeing creative direction with all-new branding and logo to make it feel more contemporary.

The hotel restaurant, Bedford Post Tavern, has been taken over by Sunday Hospitality and given a revamp that extends from the plush interiors designed by the firm Evidence of Things to an updated menu. Led by Executive Chef Sam Mason (founder of OddFellows Ice Cream Co.), the restaurant offers classic bistro fare that ranges from lobster frites to steak and oysters, along with a dessert menu that sings.

Read on for my full review of the Bedford Post Inn.

The Rooms

The luxurious rooms at Bedford Post feel like an extended stay at an elegant country estate. Decorated in a traditional East Coast style with neutral tones of white, cream, and dark wood accents, they feature crisp Frette linens, Sangre de Fruta toiletries, Bang & Olufsen speakers, and a variety of locally sourced gourmet snacks and drinks, including oHHo CBD chocolates left during turndown service. The rooms were upgraded with new plumbing, air conditioning, soundproofing, and mattresses during the renovation.

The Petite Bedford room features a queen handmade wooden post bed, armoire, and marble shower, while the Bedford Queen has a sitting area with exposed 18th-century beams, a bathroom with heated marble floors, a walk-in shower, and a tub. The Bedford King features a sitting area with a fireplace and California King Bed, and the Bedford Grand Terrace has a king bed with a reading nook, fireplace, and private terrace with a country road view.

Food and Drink

The Bedford Post Tavern is a standout at the Inn — with the partnership of Sunday Hospitality, the team brought on Chef Sam Mason, who founded OddFellows Ice Cream Co., to create a menu of American bistro classics. Dinner offers a raw bar with items like tuna crudo and a seafood tower, along with appetizers that include caesar salad and steak tartare, and entrees that encompass dishes like crab stuffed lobster frites, beet au poivre, grilled branzino, and a classic burger.

A complimentary continental breakfast is served downstairs in The Nook and includes made-to-order egg dishes, yogurt and granola, pastries, coffee, and juice.

For daytime, the Pound Ridge-based mom-and-pop bakery, Breads ‘N Bakes, has opened a cafe on the grounds called the Bedford Post Barn, serving breakfast and lunch alongside its famous homemade baked goods, coffee, and more.

Wine hour in the hotel lounge features a charcuterie board and wine for guests every day from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Room service is also available 24 hours a day, with a variety of hand-selected, local snacks and drinks.

Activities and Experiences

A partnership with BMW has allowed the inn to provide a small fleet of new i7 electric vehicles for guests to use during their stay. Several curated guest experiences are also set to debut: The hotel has a relationship with the Pound Ridge Golf Club for guests to play golf, as well as with the nearby Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, where guests can bring a picnic and go hiking, canoeing, and fishing onsite. On the hotel property, planned programming is set to include movie nights, stargazing with an astrologer, and games, including an oversized outdoor Connect Four on the terrace outside.

The Spa

A pool and spa are in the works, with completion expected some time in 2025.

Accessibility and Sustainability

There is one room that is ADA-compliant.

“We try to buy as much from local farmers and local [businesses] as possible,” Landsman says. There is no plastic onsite, the hotel uses high-quality well water, electric car chargers have been installed on-property, and they are working on adding solar carport charges to fuel the charging stations.

Location

The hotel is a 10-minute drive from the Bedford Hills train station and offers the use of its shuttle car for transportation within a 10-mile radius. For most activities, you’ll need to drive.

Not to be missed is Philip Johnson’s Glass House, an architectural masterpiece that offers tours from April to December, an easy 20-minute drive to New Canaan, Connecticut. A National Trust Historic Site, the sprawling 49-acre landscape comprises 14 different structures that range from the House itself, built in 1949, to galleries housing a permanent collection of 20th-century masterworks.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

While Bedford Post Inn is an independent property, it is part of Relais & Châteaux.

To make the most of a stay, spend your days exploring nearby towns, such as Scotts Corners and Pound Ridge, with the complimentary shuttle cars; enjoy the complimentary breakfast, happy hour, and yoga classes included with your stay; and don’t miss the opportunity to relax and make use of the property’s ample grounds — grab a book and sit by the fire or in one of the courtyards, and indulge in the luxurious soaking tub.