This place is gorgeous. Unfortunately, the owner, Stacy, is not. I attended a wedding there in the summer of last year, and the memories of the bride crying on her wedding day made me come back to this review and edit this. Stacy is militant about cleanliness. And being personally part of the cleanup crew I can attest to the job we did after the wedding. However Stacy dug into the trash and found cigarette butts and charged the bride $150 PER BUTT to the tune of several thousand dollars. In the middle of the reception. The inappropriately dressed staff kept the brides mother from entering the main house to use the bathroom. She's 95. He found a leaf in the hot tub and charged her for cleaning the tub. Which, if you're a respectable establishment. You should be cleaning that anyways, between EVERY guest's stay. Several times in the lead up to the event Stacy threatened to cancel the event leading to multiple breakdowns - emotional, not automotive. He maintained a persistent presence in the house during the stay of the bridal party, which was annoying. The bride and groom have been in a protracted battle with Stacy to get their security deposit back. The bride just wants it to be over. The unfriendliness of the staff, the rules imposed, considering the exorbitant price paid - tens of thousands of dollars. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Stayed here for a work-related getaway this winter and it's really quite impressive. It's definitely the type of place I would love to revisit during the summer while I could see the property in full bloom, though it was really beautiful covered in a blanket of snow. The estate is made up of several buildings. There is a large mansion with lots of bedrooms (I think I counted 8 at least, not including a little hidden alcove with a real-life hidden room behind a bookshelf!), most of them with private bathrooms, though not all of them including showers, and with a variety of sleeping arrangements. Some had large beds, some with bunk beds, all of them comfortable. We got a bunk bed room but the mattress was great and there were real feather pillows. This main building has a large dining space with a piano, two big fireplace sitting rooms, and a beautiful industrial size kitchen with all the things you need to cook for a crowd. The smaller buildings include a barn with several bedrooms, another smaller house with its own kitchen, and a large theater which also may have had a bedroom or two, but I didn't get a chance to look around there. All of the buildings were very well maintained, impeccably clean, and spacious for a crowd. I can see why people would have an intimate 40-person wedding or family reunion type gathering here. I did find the artwork in the main building to be interesting - lots of different styles and not all from the same period. I'm not an artist so it was more interesting to me than anything but if you're looking for something very cohesive or a certain style you might be a bit surprised. Also - lots of signage. Something about a thousand signs of Do's and Don'ts everywhere makes me worry that the ownership is overly anxious about the property, but maybe they've had big issues with boarders in the past, I don't know. We had a really fantastic breakfast prepared by the staff/curators; it was beyond opulent with fresh fruit, breakfast pastries and breads, ham and egg sandwiches, sausages, yogurt, and some sort of a breakfast pasta that really made me go HRMMM to look at but when my husband convinced me to give it a try I was humbled by how tasty it was. Tasted like... breakfast pasta. Ha! That evening, the staff made an amazing bonfire out on the grounds, complete with warm blankets, Ghirardelli s'mores, hot cocoa, and truffled popcorn. As we were wrapping up for the night out there, suddenly there was a fireworks show that even our event organizer for the weekend didn't know about. Very lovely and unexpected. My one BIG issue that I wish could be addressed was the navigation issues in getting there. For the most part, people had no problem driving there, but my husband and I used Google Maps and Apple Maps to navigate there on both our phones and not only is the cell service practically nonexistent up there in the mountains, both of those apps took us to what felt like the middle of nowhere on rural unpaved, streetlight-less roads. This happened to a couple other members of our party as well. It actually took us an extra hour of driving around anxiously in the dark trying to find the place and to several dead end and unplowed roads. The website itself doesn't give any clear directions to the estate, though it does give coordinates for flying your personal helicopter there... I don't have that option these days, though. :) read more

rules rules rules and extra hidden costs galore. For a property rental that boasts as a luxury experience, one would expect basic amenities like air conditioning and good bedding. But no, the bedding is cheap, the beds are thrown into rooms willy nilly to pack in as many people as possible, the availability of hot water for all guests to shower is very poor and the owners and staff treat you like you aren't good enough for this place. Go somewhere else where you can feel more comfortable and like you are really on vacation. read more

How do I begin to write a review for a place that made planning and hosting my daughter's wedding absolutely full of surprises and wonder and possibilities? My daughter's dream wedding was to have a place where her family, her finance's family, and their wedding party could vacation together for several days...to be joined by extended family and friends for a wedding to top off the week. She found Reading Farms Estate on homeaway and frankly, I was amazed to find such a perfect place existed. From the beginning, Stacy and the Reading Farms staff were kind, responsive, professional, and truly understood the magic of planning a wedding. We started the first night of our five night stay with just the two families - getting to know each other better while enjoying perfect end of August weather, an amazing pool and hot tub, and having a wonderful cookout out by one of the two ponds. The home is full of wonderful rooms and character and the grounds are beyond amazing - Mountain Views, starry nights, trails, comfortable nooks, and even Ms Pac-Man and a fun, popular volleyball court. The property has good flexibility in bedrooms and gathering spots - a wonderful master bedroom and another first floor 'second master' worked great for the parents. The Barn is a terrifically fun spot (with its own kitchen) where my daughter and her wedding party stayed. The 'movie theater' has attached rooms that worked great for her fiancé and his friends. I felt like we were able to have the days before the wedding be full of good and memorable times with their closest friends, in part because of the set up of the property. Our group grew to about 40 folks for the days before the wedding, and I was so grateful for such flexible and comfortable rooms for everyone - and that the well equipped kitchen and grill made meals for forty easy and fun (to be honest, I think the fact that everyone was offering to help probably was largely the secret to my good humor!!!) There is also a caretaker on the grounds to answer any questions and to help with any arrangements. What is especially wonderful about hosting a wedding here is you can make it fully your own. We had some pre-wedding music in the courtyard, the outdoor ceremony facing the hills, creative use of the barn 'stalls' for reception gathering spots, a fun cocktail hour, unique furniture added to the outdoor venue, and the most wonderful bonfire with S'mores and surprise treats. Stacy even worked to get the long unused tower bell to work again to start off the festivities with style. The wedding and reception were just what my daughter wanted - I remember the staff telling me 'Reading Farms is like a blank slate for your event. If you can imagine it, you can very likely do it.' We had our own special touches that created something that I think really reflected the style and tone of my daughter and son-in-law. My two suggestions if you stay at Reading Farms: the staff takes exceptional pride in the property which is why it is so wonderful. If you have a large gathering or a wedding, I recommend you work closely with Stacy so he knows the plans and can work with you to make it perfect. A place like this works best with a partnership to make sure you can have a wonderful time AND the property is taken care of for the next guest. And the second suggestion? Try to slow down time because this place is magical and it went much too fast for me. read more

The MOST amazing accommodations and staff on earth! We had a family reunion and wedding during the summer and it was postcard beautiful! The grounds are immaculate! The house is like something magical out of a fairy tale! Stacy and the staff are the real stars though. We worked together via phone and email for 8 months leading up to the stay! He is particular and pays great attention to ALL the details! That's what makes for an exceptional experience! FIRST CLASS all the way! Can't wait to return! read more

This is a long overdue review and, to be honest, no amount of fawning will ever be enough for this one of a kind estate. My wife and I held our wedding and next day festivities at Reading Farms Estate and we could not have been any happier. Honestly no pictures are vivid enough to capture the sheer elegance of Reading Farms Estate or its truly private nature. As so many of the reviewers have pointed out, Reading Farms Estate is a portal to another place and time. Old world elegance and charm come to mind but it is so much more. The main house is an art and food lovers' dream, housing not only an impressive and what I can only assume generations long collection of thoughtfully curated paintings, sculptures and prints; in addition boasts the single best kitchen of any house I have ever seen. All this and a choice of pool or pond for swimming, a theatre and well equipped gym, a well-stocked library and enough room for 20 adults to spread out and enjoy silence. Throughout the entire planning process, Stacy was not only professional, prompt and knowledgeable but also incredibly kind and insightful. He's knows every inch, nook and cranny of Reading Farms Estate and was the perfect guide to assist us every step of the way. Answering all of our many questions, coordinating with our planners and encouraging us to think outside the box and really personalize our wedding. His property manager, Matt, is also a tremendous help and is one of the most true and genuine persons I have ever met. My wife and I are both so happy and thrilled with our stay, our festivities and our wedding at Reading Farms Estate. Stacy and Reading Farms Estate provided us with memories we never thought possible and neither of us can express just how warmly we and our guests were received nor can we ever say enough about this truly special and unique place. read more

I spent a few days at Reading Farms in May and it was beautiful! After driving up to the farm, crossing a stream and through the private gates, you enter the courtyard/parking area with a beautiful entry way (complete with a bell tower - because why not?!). The house is fantastic - decorated beautifully, and very comfortable. The kitchen is gorgeous - plenty of room for people to cook, or to have caterers come in and serve for an event. Lots of cabinet space and all the equipment you would need to prepare a meal. My favorite spot is the gazebo and hot tub. It overlooks a small pond stocked with trout which you can feed off a small dock. The back patio sits on top of a hill with a rolling lawn to, yet, another pond. A tree-lined lane takes you down to the pool. We all had plenty of room and felt comfortable spending time together with a cocktail on the back patio, or just walking the property and enjoying a view or the sun by the pool on our own. It is truly relaxing! Reading Farms has this wonderful feeling of transporting you back, but gives you all the comforts of today. I can't wait to return! read more

I had inquired about this venue for our wedding in 2017 and Stacy the owner was completely on top of it, he was so great about getting the rates and giving me recommendations for vendors to use and always answered my questions with great response time, unfortunately it came in just over our budget and so we were unable to go with this, but the property is absolutely stunning and very well taken care of, Best of luck to future wedding go-ers! read more

What a beautiful property. We were happy to be invited to what was billed as a very special Vermont wedding for our friends Ryan and Anne. My wife and I had no idea what was in store for us as the property is not accessible unless invited as a guest at any point during the weekend. Although we tried the anticipation made our arrival to the ceremony and reception even more dramatic. The entire bus full of guests were very excited as we bounced along the road from Woodstock to Reading Farms. Once we arrived it all became obvious why the setting is very special as billed! Frankly it blew our minds. It was a perfect day, perfect temperature and Carrie the planner was spot on! Not a detail missed. We would have liked to tour the house but it is locked to anyone not staying overnight on the property. The best part of the night was the band playing as our friends blew us kisses and sped off to their honeymoon in a town car which was waiting for the planners queue!! read more

My family and I just rented this estate during the holidays and I have to say it was amazing. The owner who was i n another country was extremely helpful and his staff was on que to all our needs. The property is breathtaking beautiful and the house has so much space that all 38 of us had our own space. I highly recommend this home for anyone wanting a luxurious retreat. Perfect! read more

I was compelled to write this after reading the review about Reading Farms Estate. I too was at a wedding this summer at Reading Farms and I have to say that the staff there was amazing and really well dressed. I can not imagine a bride in tears because of the way someone was dressed. This place was so beautiful and peaceful I really find it untrue that anyone was overbearing ,we felt welcomed and appreciated. read more

This is one of the most beautiful properties I have ever seen! I attended a wedding last month in June 2015 as a bridesmaid. From the whole entire property to the owners and the staff, this was an amazing experience. I met the owner Stacy. He was very kind and made sure all of our needs and desires were met. The staff was tending to us constantly (they were cleaning daily) and they kept the place very clean and supplied us all with everything to make the wedding and the events before and after spectacular. There were afternoon teas which were very elegant and so appropriate with this high-end extravaganza. The groom's parents even surprised on us the last day with a really fun and awesome pool party organized by the owners themselves. I would definitely check out the website and see all the beautiful photos of the property. They are all accurate. The elegance of this property matched with the very classy staff and service made this an unforgettable experience. The bride and groom as well as their family and friends were all extremely pleased, happy, and impressed. I am sure we are all going to be talking about their wedding forever. Amazing! read more