You don’t have to be an avid
practitioner of yoga to visit the Bedford Post Inn. But it seems a
shame, somehow, to stop at this bucolic setting and not take advantage
of the Yoga Loft, a light-filled former barn that overlooks a zen
garden. And for those who spend a night in one of the inn’s eight rooms,
a free yoga class is part of the deal.
Opened in 2007 by husband-and-wife
actors Richard Gere and Carey Lowell and partner Russell Hernandez, the
inn is known as much for its restaurants and related comforts as it is
for its unique yoga program. Only a few years after opening, the Bedford
Post Inn was named a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux
organization of boutique hotels.
“We’re on the smallest end of the spectrum,” says general manager Peter Ruvolo. “We’re very proud and lucky to be a part of it.”
Nestled on 14 acres in Bedford,
Westchester County, just under an hour’s drive from New York City, the
property has original structures that date back to before the
Revolutionary War. A restaurant called Nino’s was located there from
1953 to 1994. But when Gere, Lowell and Hernandez decided to buy the
property, it was in disrepair.
“This was their brainchild. They live in
the area, and they kept going by this property, which was lying
fallow,” says Ruvolo. “They wanted a place for the community, a
beautiful setting, where people could do their yoga and relax. They also
wanted it to be an oasis for travelers.”
Visitors to the inn come from all over
the world, but a substantial number of patrons are local. They take yoga
classes, which are offered daily, and dine at The Farmhouse, the less
formal Barn, or get takeout coffee and pastries from The Bakery Within
the Barn. The emphasis at all three is on fresh, healthful ingredients.
“We try to source local farmers as much
as possible, and we work with several in the area,” says Ruvolo. “We do
organic when we can. We have a foraging program. The owners have about
100 acres behind us, where there are berries, wood sorrel, mustard
greens, and other wild edibles. One of the things we’re thinking about
for the future is having guests at the inn go out and forage with the
chef if they like.”
Executive Chef Jeremy McMillan first
worked at the inn as part of its opening team. He was chef de cuisine
under Chef Brian Lewis, overseeing daily kitchen operations until a year
later, when he moved to New York City to become sous chef at the
Michelin-starred A Voce Madison. He helped launch A Voce Columbus as
Chef de Cuisine, which opened to wide acclaim and was named one of the
three best new restaurants in the U.S. in 2009 by The Wall Street
Journal and received a Michelin star a year later.
But the Bedford Post still called to
him, and in 2010 McMillan returned as Executive Chef. The Farmhouse is
open for dinner and blends Italian traditions with seasonal and local
ingredients. The less formal Barn offers classic country cuisine. There
are several private dining options, including a Chef’s Table and Wine
Cellar.
Situated atop The Barn restaurant is the
Yoga Loft, where there are daily classes in different forms of yoga as
well as the Feldenkrais form of therapeutic technique. Workshops on such
topics as Fundamentals of Tibetan Medicine and aromatherapy are given
by experts. “Because Mr. Gere practices yoga, he felt it was something
he wanted to bring to the local community,” Ruvolo says. “He really
wanted people in Bedford to have access to this.”
As for the guest rooms, “think
Restoration Hardware,” says Ruvolo, referring to the chain of home decor
stores. “Some of them have fireplaces. Some have terraces. The whole
property was designed by Carey Lowell and her architect, so it has a
cohesive style. It’s simple and elegant, with a lot of whitewashed
wood.”
Stones that were excavated when the
builders were creating a geothermal heating system were repurposed when
possible. Some of the timbers in the rooms and the Yoga Loft come from
lumber on the property. A long table in The Barn restaurant is made from
the floors of reclaimed box cars.
The inn is open year-round. An
increasing number of guests come from New York City for a weekend
getaway. “It’s a quick jaunt, and a great way to get someplace in an
hour that feels like much further away,” Ruvolo says. “It feels like
you’re in Vermont.”
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