Months after Gwyneth Paltrow put her Montecito mansion’s guesthouse up on Airbnb, Martha Stewart is readying herself to get in on the action. The famed homemaker and entrepreneur has long kept a large piece of property along Pea Pond Road in Westchester County, New York; driving past it, as I often did going between my parents’ house in Connecticut and my Poughkeepsie college, you can catch a few glimpses of classic farmhouses and vast greenhouses hidden behind the stone wall. Now, ahead of Thanksgiving, a gaggle of lucky guests can get a closer look during a one-night-only stay.
Martha Stewart’s Thanksgiving-Inspired Farm Stay is slated for November 18, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and will cost all of $11.23. What do you get for all of those dollars and cents? Among other things, a night in the farm’s guesthouse (Tenant House, as she’s been christened) followed by brunch with Martha herself. The booking opens on Booking.com November 16, just two days ahead of the stay.
Says Martha of her Bedford, New York, property, “There’s truly no better place to spend a perfect autumn day.” That perfect autumn day, as it is detailed in the listing, has an itinerary that begins with a guided tour of the 150-acre Eden led by head gardener Ryan McCallister—chicken coop, stables, and gardens will all feature. From there, it’s off to a demo on table setting and wreath-making from Stewart’s executive director of design, Kevin Starkey, where key intel on throwing a superior Thanksgiving is promised. Also suggested is a stroll at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation—if the fall foliage remains, this is not to be missed.
While there’s no mention on the listing about dinner, CNN reports that guests will be carted off to the nearby Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean Georges—not a bad deal at all, I recommend the sushi on crispy rice. Then comes the night spent at Tenant, the guesthouse and oldest structure onsite. The 1,800-square-foot home has two bedrooms and two bathrooms—the primary with a queen bed for up to two guests, the secondary with two twin beds for another two guests. Guests must all be 21 years of age or older, and are expected to sign a non-disclosure agreement upon arrival.
Other stipulations made in the fine print include a mandate that guests will be subject to a security screening prior to entering the property, as well as a request that all staying behave as “good citizens” and cooperate wit the farm’s staff for the duration of the stay—any inappropriate or threatening behavior will be met with an early termination of the stay. And you’ll really want to see it through, for it’s in the morning that you’ll meet with Martha herself. James Beard Award-winning Chef Thomas Joseph will prepare the brunch that you will share, at which point you chat with her about her personal Thanksgiving preferences. Check-out is between 11 a.m. and noon, and you’ll leave laden with signed copies of Martha’s cookbooks as well as other promised mystery items.
More upstate retreats
In the likely case that it’s not you but somebody else that secures Martha’s guesthouse, fear not—over the past few months, we’ve put in the legwork compiling some of the best Airbnbs across upstate New York. While they aren’t hosted or owned by any of America’s leading domestic entrepreneurs, they can be found under any number of round-ups: Airbnbs in America’s beautiful small towns, Airbnbs for foliage spotting, Airbnbs near New York City. Associate commerce editor Meaghan Kenny’s favorite Airbnb is a cozy cabin in the Catskills with a hot tub and floating deck, if that’s your sort of thing.
