Linda Law grew up on the west coast, but she has had what she calls “a lifelong love affair” with the Berkshires, a region in western Massachusetts known for its appealing mix of mountain scenery, historic estates, cultural institutions and small towns.
As a real estate developer, she became active in the area when she took over the Blantyre Estate in Lenox, Massachusetts in 2017, and operated it as a 5-star luxury-resort until she sold it in 2023.
And now Law, through her company Law & Associates, is taking on what is her most interesting project to date: remaking the former Elm Court — which commenced construction in 1886 — into a luxury resort with an emphasis on health and longevity. The property will be called, appropriately, Vanderbilt Berkshires Estate.
Elm Court was designed in 1885 by the architectural firm Peabody and Sterns as a summer residence for Emily Vanderbilt, granddaughter of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. and her husband, William Sloane. The property, which straddles the Stockbridge and Lenox town lines, has been shuttered since 2012. Law is only the third owner of the asset.
In its heyday, the estate housed 34 greenhouses, including one large enough to accommodate full-grown palm trees. The greenhouses supplied flowers and fruits for the estate and the Vanderbilt’s New York City residences and, at one time, comprised the largest acreage of private greenhouses in the U.S. During its prime, according to Law, Elm Court was a center of power, hosting the 1919 “Elm Court Talks,” which helped shape the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.
The asset was most recently owned by Amstar and Travaasa Experiential Resorts, which invested in the planning for a wellness-focused resort before abandoning its hospitality division and selling the estate. The property went up for sale in 2020 with an asking price of $12.5 million. Law acquired it in late 2022 for $8 million in cash.
The plan is to transform the 55,000-square-foot mansion, the largest shingled residence in the U.S., and its 89 acres of grounds into a four-season destination with 26 guest suites in the manor house and 48 lodges in 12 newly constructed buildings that slope down a hill to a lake. These buildings will not be visible from the manor house. The original landscaping, designed by legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, will be restored. The project will also involve a number of individual custom lots.
The development “will preserve the Gilded Age property’s architectural character while introducing more wellness-focused hospitality,” Law said
Groundbreaking is scheduled for the third quarter of this year with a full opening for the resort set for late 2028. It will cost $90 million, funded by Law and a group of investors.
A tremendous amount of research has been done by her team on the architecture and design of the Gilded Age and the history of the Vanderbilt family, Law said. She feels “a tremendous responsibility,” she said, to pay homage to the estate’s legendary past. As a symbol of its era, the destination will ultimately not only preserve architectural and artistic excellence but also serve as “a living classroom,” fostering a deeper appreciation for heritage, craftsmanship and innovation.
Law’s business partner is Richard Peiser, PhD., who, she said, is the only chaired professor of real estate development at Harvard University. It is also important to Law that John Cecil, a descendant of the Vanderbilt family, is participating in the project as an adviser and investor.
“We’re very proud that John has been involved in landscaping the property, especially because of its Olmsted heritage,” Law said.
Structures on the grounds will be repurposed depending on the condition they’re in, she said. The stables will be utilized for events and conferences. The main greenhouse, once the largest in the country, will become a spa, covering about 25,000 square feet and incorporating whatever can be saved of the original structure.
No decisions have been made yet on a management company or a brand flag, Law said, noting she anticipates those discussions will happen later.
The potential market will be broad and diverse, with guests expected to arrive from nearby urban areas, as well as regional, domestic and international sources, she said. That demographic mix has been stable in the Berkshires for decades.
There is skiing within 20 minutes, but the resort is being designed to be a four-seasons destination. When her Blantyre Estate opened, it was considered a one-season property focused on summer demand but was expanded to near year-round appeal, she said.
There is no other five-star hotel in the Berkshires, she said.
Law said the bottom line is this is a complicated undertaking because the original structures were built before the turn of the 20th century.
“It has taken us a long time to understand this property,” she said. “And there has been a long process of getting approvals.”