Image © Jose & MidJourney
We have found ourselves returning to Tourists over the years, this is a lodging experience about three hours from Boston as you head into the Berkshires. We tend to try different things and are not very big in repeating experiences, not because they are bad, but because we want to do different things, go through our never-ending bucket lists. So, when a place makes us come back, it means it has become special. And when it does, I tend to ask myself why.
There are several reasons to go to that far end of Massachusetts, probably top of the list for me is MassMoca, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art that is a most spectacular repurposing of a 19th century factory that started out as Arnold Print Works (1860 -19420), then the Sprague Electric Company (1942–1985) and then museum from 1999. I have seen in their sprawling array of buildings some of the largest, most impactful exhibitions in my life, always a reason to come back, especially because they you will never see it all in a day and they keep rotating the exhibitions.
Tourists was co-founded by John Stirratt, the bassist of the band Wilco, and once every two years they organize the Solid Sound Festival in collaboration with MassMoca, Wilco and friends headline the event and though I have never attended, seems like another great reason to return to Tourists.
Another one is the beautiful Appalachian Trail access nearby, you cross the suspension bridge over the Hoosic River and head north towards the trail along Sherman Brook. Depending on the time of the year, you will need more of less hiking equipment, you will find yourself in the midst of a beautiful forest with water dancing between the rocks. You might be a hiker, or just someone wanting to walk the forest, it is still a mythical experience, always a reason to come back.
I could also write in detail about their rooms, how they are designed with honesty and respect for materials, how design choices become a reflection of the values and priorities of the project. But I prefer to write about the lodge, a masterclass in ‘touchpoint’ design.
You have probably read in my posts that I do not believe you can design an end-to-end experience, you can map journeys of people that might resonate with the experience, you can identify touchpoints and then focus on each according to the importance they might have in the overall experience. But we, the people, design our own experience via our choices.
This lodge used to be a ranch house and the design team left the inside almost as is and built an entire structure on the outside, which makes the building look very modern from the outside, but when you walk into the lodge, you feel you are being transported into a 1960’s space. It integrates several functions, the reception, a place to grab a bite, a store, above all a place to rest and perhaps read a book or be on your phone. All these functions need to perform without impairing each other, so issues like flow and activities mapping influence the layout, the furniture, the lighting. The reception is right at the entrance, you might go in and out, but you still look inside and teased to go further inside. Food & beverage is ordered and you sit where you choose, the kitchen is hidden away, your Hot Toddie and grilled cheese are delivered in wooden trays, metal cups and random aged ceramic containers. The small store, actually a number of shelves with some of their own products and some curated, is in a corner where you can stand and peruse without bothering anyone. The entire space is lit just enough for the different functions, with a large fireplace that acts like a constant companion, beast like, constantly being magically fed. One area has stronger lighting and large sofa beds, so you can look at their collection of coffee table books. The furniture is made of different choices, for different functions and bodies, from Mario Bellini classics to shaker wooden chairs, following a distinct color, finish and material pallet that is scrupulously used throughout the space, in small, delightful details. There is a Tourists radio, of course, and the music is an important part of the space, the experience, the surroundings, we end up listening to their radio on Spotify when we find ourselves missing the place. The people attending the place look like they were designed along with the project, they dress a bit like factory workers, proudly assuming the trade of servicing guests, with a coolness and calmness that enthuses the space, each of them is playing a part in the orchestration of the experience, if something fails, there are other components that compensates, the space is designed with positive long lasting redundances, it is hard to see someone hating it all. It is not perfect, but like I usually say, stop attempting to craft perfect products and spaces for imperfect people, we the beautifully imperfect do not appreciate it.
This detailed explanation might make the whole thing seem simple, attainable. Nothing further from the truth, it is very hard to design and maintain. The result is that you end up feeling good when you are in the lodge, you spend hours in there, doing absolutely nothing that you can remember, taking it all in, creating memories that are deep down in your subconscious. And that is what matters. Well done.
https://www.touristswelcome.com