Briarcliff Motel

I love love love this place from the top to the bottom. Wonderfully situated. Great Barrington can be a bit much in terms of taking its reputation a bit too seriously and the Briarcliff has the perfect amount of whimsy to combat that. It is a motel done right. I love the design. People were great and the bed was SUPERRRR comfy. While I was unable to take advantage of the wonderful fire pit, it looked fab! The breakfast is spot on as well — living for those cheddar/​chive scones… Place is a keeper. And oh yes, the place is kept impeccably clean!

Absolutely adorable place! Not what you think of when you hear the word motel. My husband was a bit nervous when I told him we were staying at a motel rather than the hotel up the street where our friends booked a room. We couldn’t have been happier with our choice. The room itself was very clean and nicely decorated. The lobby was decorated beautifully and was very modern. There was a cool fire pit where we enjoyed a glass of wine at the end of the night. The owners couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. We’ll definitely be staying here again the next time we visit the area.

Nice motel between Stockbridge and Great Barrington. Friendly atmosphere with easy checkin and checkout. Rooms were spacious and clean although the bathroom got a bit cold in the winter. Monument Mountain is right across the street if you want to go hiking and there is a nice fire bowl they lite in the evening if you just want to sit around and relax and talk. Breakfast was nice, good coffee to get the day going.

A motel that is situated just outside downtown Great Barrington. Perfect location to explore the Berkshires and a very short walk to the trail head for Monument Mountain. The motel has been nicely updated with a firepit outside, lounging space in the back, DVDs to borrow in the lobby and a fabulous local breakfast (delicious coffee, granola, juice, scones and muffins)
This motel is dog-​friendly, but only has a few dog-​friendly rooms so it is best to call them to make sure to call ahead to make sure they have space for your pup.

This place lived up to the reputation it has built. The owners are friendly and knowledgeable of the area. The rooms are clean and well kept. And don’t miss out on the breakfast, great local produce and coffee. Right across the street from monument mountain and five minutes from downtown. I’d recommend this place to anyone staying in the area.

Do not look further than this clean motel. Absolutely neat as a pin with owners showing clear pride of ownership from grounds to bathroom simplicity and cleanliness. One feature no other motel offers in the area in the simple beauty of the unobstructed and beautiful view of Monument Mountain from every room and from the outdoor «fire bowl» on the expansive front lawn with a beautiful red birch allay (sp?). Only $ 90 on a Tuesday night, wish we could stay longer… can’t wait to come back.

Great place for a family weekend in Great Barrington. Not a luxury experience, but clean, hip, modern and fun décor (think Ikea-​ski lodge chic). The owners are onsite and are awesome — they take good care of you. Great included continental breakfast (scones, muffins, granola). I have stayed here at least 6 or 7 times over the last 3 years, and have always enjoyed it. The personal touch really does make all the difference.

Read a couple of critical reviews and was somewhat surprised because my experience was quite different. When reviewing and rating a business I try and compare it to other similar businesses that I may or may not have patronized. For example, if I order a steak in a diner and it’s really good, that will be reflected in the rating. If I was to compare it to Peter Luger, however, my rating would be way lower. Same with a motel. I have stayed at Ritz Carltons before and they are solid 5 Star performers. Does that mean the Briarcliff should be 1 Star? No, not at all. So when I compare them, I do so based on other similar places I have stayed and clearly, they are superior.
The owners took what was undoubtedly a run down 1960s era strip motel, modernized it and made it really cool and interesting. Ecclectic and rustic touches abound, adding to a warm and comfortable ambiance. Owners and staff could not have been more accommodating or friendly. We actually had a prior last minute schedule change and they went out of their way to assist us. They even gave us blankets for our ill-​fated trek to the fire pit to have a glass of wine. Word of advice: When it’s –5 degrees a fire pit is not going to do much to keep you all that warm. Cool touch though.
The room and common area were really nice and inviting. Small touches like little signs and photographs were placed in various locations adding a bit of interest and humor. Unlike many photographs I have seen of other motels, the ones on here really do tell the Briarcliff’s story quite well.
If you are looking to be nestled in the lap of luxury there are certainly better choices, although they may be quite a distance from Great Barrington. But if you want to stay in the area, The Briarcliff is a solid choice. We were more than pleased. You will be too.

The customer service here is fantastic. The décor is great, the rooms are clean, and there are really fun, personal touches. My husband and I stayed here overnight for our anniversary. We wanted to love it, and while there were certainly things to love (the staff, the fire pit, breakfast), we were also disappointed by a couple of things. The walls are paper thin, and while our neighbors were not being intentionally loud, we easily heard every word of their conversations well into the night, as well as every car door open and close throughout the night. We also had a hard time getting comfortable on the beds and pillows. It was a cute little place to stay in the area, but not the romantic, relaxing hideaway we were seeking.

Nicely refurbished, clean, spare and comfortable. Cheaper than other area places. Great, helpful, interested owners. Tasty breakfast. Biggest downside for me-​I could hear my friends snoring through the walls. Not terribly private, if that’s what you’re seeking.

My wife and I stayed here for a kid-​free weekend in November. It’s perfect. The owners are lovely and were very helpful when it came to planning our night out. The room is nicely decorated and very comfortable. We sat outside by the fire bowl and had a drink after an excursion into town for dinner. The bones of this place are still the same as your standard roadside motel, which I actually enjoy, but every room, every surface and detail has been beautifully redone. We requested coffee at 3pm and 5 minutes later, the owner was at our door with a french press of great, locally roasted, beans. Highly recommended!

Let’s be honest, there’s not a lot to chose from in Great Barrington, but this place is far from «great», «lovely» or «comfortable». The owners took a crappy motor lodge and made it a little better. The pillows are hard as rocks, the toilet paper is Scott tissue and feels like paper thin sandpaper, the shampoo is Pantene and the location is about 5 – 10 from downtown Great Barrington. The room is small, the bathroom is smaller and there’s nothing deluxe or upscale about the place. Yes, the fire pit outside is nice and cozy and the place looks very cool when lit up at night. And yes, the homemade muffins and scones are a nice touch, but for $ 180 a night (off season) you don’t get your money’s worth. You’re better off staying at a different crappy motor lodge that’s actually located in town. I didn’t go into the Holiday Inn, but it looked like the best option in the downtown area.

Stayed here one night, two rooms, two couples. It is a real motel (drive up to your door) but with every single detail brought up-​to-​date in a thoughtful way. Bedding is high qualiity and comfortable. Rooms and public areas are immaculate. New owners have an eye for good design. The place has a good vibe. We would stay there again.

A very friendly English couple has brought charming, cute Euro chic to this old school motor hotel. My wife and I came for two nights during for a summer wedding and we enjoyed our stay. It’s really a B&B as there was delicious scones, yogurt and granola and coffee served in the morning in the very cool lobby area with 3 comfortable places to sit. They even had gluten free bread (and see very willing to accommodate requests/​needs).
The owners had great recommendations on hiking (the Monument Mountain trailhead is a 2 minute WALK down the road) and Great Barrington spots. The location is sweet — being convenient to hikes, the towns of GB, Lenox, and Stockbridge. Free Wifi too is key given the spotty cellular coverage in the Berkshires.
Enjoying wine and cheese at the fire pit (they supplied the wine glasses) was superb. The only downside was the linens — they felt stiff and cheap. If I remember right, the unified body wash/​shampoo dispenser isn’t the best either (i don’t mind being economical and environmental with a dispenser vs 1000s of little throw away bottles, but at least do shampoo/​conditioner and body-​wash).
Landscaping is a work in progress and I could see this being even more inviting with the right execution and make the fire pit/​picnic area in front a must chill at space.
Overall a great value and space for enjoying the Berkshires.

We love the Briarcliff! They were perfect for our pre and post wedding lodging. I think people were a little surprised by our choice of location given that generally when you hear «motel» it comes with wonderful memories of moderate levels of sketchiness and sheets of questionable cleanliness. However, the Briarcliff could not be further from that picture. First of all, the owners are so sweet and accommodating. They left my husband and me a bottle of champagne to celebrate our nuptials, provided helpful information to our guests around local places of interest, and oh the breakfast… I haven’t even gotten to the breakfast. Homemade granola, AMAZING scones, and colorful hard boiled eggs. Also the coffee was really good and the perfect way to start off what was a long and fabulous day ahead. The rooms are clean, modern and adorably decorated. Also they have this awesome fire pit that was the perfect place for us and our wedding party to land after a long and fun wedding. Overall, we LOVED this place! Family lives close by, otherwise we would stay here every time we came out to the Berkshires. At the very least I’ve definitely been tempted to stop by and steal a few scones on occasion.

Everything you want in an overnight stay. Super comfy bed, super clean. Just the right amount of friendly. While the Briarcliff is not upscale by any means, it doesn’t pretend to be. It delivers exactly what they promise and exactly what you expect. Modern clean interior with a hip vibe. Great breakfast with small farm yogurt and house made granola. We will be back next time we hike and will certainly spread the word.

My wife and I just stayed here for a few nights. It was the perfect getaway. Close to everything and dog friendly.
Its like a B&B laid out like an old-​school motor lodge. So if you want to do the whole B&B thing (being social and normal) or want to creep in and out of your room without seeing anyone (more my style) you’ll be happy either way.
My one regret was not stealing all the maple scones on my way out.

The bf and I were looking for a mini getaway for our anniversary. I googled «best places in New England around Christmastime» and came across Stockbridge, MA. Well, Stockbridge turned out to be lovely but boring, I actually preferred Great Barrington’s downtown area. Much more lively and plentiful.
Briarcliff is situated in between Great Barrington and Stockbridge. The roads were quiet and the landscape was beautiful. Check-​in was swift and sleek. I loved the Ikea-​designed interior: modern but cozy. The desk receptionist was helpful and gave suggestions for places to visit. The room was spacious and adorably decorated. Very simple.
Breakfast the next morning was delicious and comforting. I had a biscuit, apple muffin, hot chocolate, and juice. The bf had hot coffee and hard-​boiled eggs.
Only reservation is that this is a drive-​up motel; your room leads directly to the parking lot. There was absolutely no reason to fear because the area seemed extremely safe.

This place has used their money wisely. If you are looking for modern, homey décor, and those B&B touches like an excellent breakfast and DVDs to borrow, and you have a budget, this place is for you. The divine breakfast includes homemade pastries and granola along with tea, coffee, and hard boiled eggs. Downsides? Bed and linens felt cheap like from IKEA, but with all the other charms, does that really matter?

Stayed here when I came up to MA for a wedding… I love this place so much I want to come back and stay here again!
The owners are charming and so helpful! They provided us with suggestions and helpful information regarding local spots, including the wedding destination, and gave us a map of the area to show us how to get around. The room was clean, modern, simple and just adorable. The view from the front and back windows were gorgeous. Breakfast was delicious (the cheddar scones were fantastic!) and the location was perfect. It is close enough to shops and restaurants to get there in a short drive, and within walking distance of hiking trails.
In short, if I am ever able to get enough time off and can get back to MA, I will be staying at Briarcliff.