Red Lion Inn is a throwback in time in heart of the Berkshires

The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Mass., welcomed its first guest more than 250 years ago. (Red Lion Inn)

When people think of staying at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Mass., the chances are it is for enjoying a summer session of the Boston Pops at nearby Tanglewood or savoring the fall foliage in the Berkshires. But the inn that greeted its first guests in 1773 also can be the place to base a ski trip for western Massachusetts.

From the moment you walk through the doors off Main Street and into the lobby with a fireplace, it is like a rustic ski lodge but with a much nicer dining room and antique teapots instead of old-fashioned skis. Guests in the lobby can be seen reading, playing a board game or in the middle of a discussion.

It is taking a step back in time. Antiques, old maps and pictures line each hall and adorn each room, giving a unique look to every space. Some of the antiques are still in use, like the “birdcage” elevator that was installed in 1897 when the current building was erected after a fire the previous year destroyed the original building.

While its age is part of its charm, it also has the amenities people are looking for in a hotel in the 21st century, like a fitness center in an adjoining building and a heated outdoor pool that is open year-round.

The 125 rooms and suites between the main inn and the nine guest houses can accommodate parties of all sizes.

The Red Lion Inn’s newest guest house is the town’s former firehouse, which was made famous by Norman Rockwell’s painting “The New American La France is Here.” It is now a 1-bedroom, 1.5-bath house.

Rockwell moved to Stockbridge in the 1950s, and there is a museum in town dedicated to his work, which is featured prominently in the halls and rooms of the inn.

Stockbridge is centrally located in the Berkshires, about 10 minutes off the Mass. Turnpike exit in Lee. For the skier, the Red Lion Inn is close to all five ski areas in the county — as close as 15 to 20 minutes away at Ski Butternut and Bousquet to 20 to 30 minutes to Catamount and Otis Ridge. The larger Jiminy Peak is about 35 minutes away. A bit farther away are Berkshire East (1 hour) and Hunter Mountain in New York (1.5 hours).

Despite being so close to the slopes, winter is the offseason and rates are far more affordable than compared to the much busier summer and fall seasons.

Dining can range from white tablecloth with crystal chandeliers and antique china to a speakeasy in the basement. With winter being the offseason, the restaurants are closed on Monday and Tuesday nights.

A pianist accompanies dinner in the main dining room on Friday and Saturday nights, and the wine list regularly receives awards for its selections.

Widow Bingham’s Tavern, a pub on the main floor, is named after one of the inn’s original owners and offers a menu more likely to strike the eye of a weary skier. Antiques and knickknacks adorn the wall and hang from the ceiling in the interesting spot.

In the basement is The Lion’s Den, which has a full bar and a limited menu. It also has a stage for live music. It can be reached from outside or from inside via a staircase in the tavern.

The list of people to spend the night at the inn includes Presidents Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, William Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt as well as well-known poets, actors and musicians over the past 200-plus years, such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Wayne, Steve Martin and Post Malone.

Jack and Jane Fitzpatrick purchased the Red Lion Inn in 1968, and it remains in the family. Sarah Eustis, a granddaughter of the Fitzpatricks, founded the Main Street Hospitality Group in 2014, and among the other properties in the group are The Little Lion (formerly Briarcliff Motel), three miles away in Great Barrington; Hotel Downstreet and The Porches Inn in North Adams, Mass.; Hammetts Hotel and Island House in Newport, R.I.; The Beatrice Hotel in Providence; and a spot in Boston, South Street, on the way.