Opening March 2025, Belden House & Mews is a stylish, design-forward full-service hotel at the heart of Litchfield, Ct. — the first of its kind in over a century; a remarkable three-acre assemblage just steps from the Litchfield Green, reviving Litchfield’s much deserved, and often closely guarded destination status. Situated atop the Litchfield Hills, amongst the finest examples of early American architecture and with a remarkable collection of modernist works by Marcel Breuer and Eliot Noyes, Belden embodies the varied and understated richness of this vibrant and sometimes overlooked epicenter of American history, modernism, education, art and natural recreation.
Belden House is conceived by the team which owns and operates Troutbeck, the widely acclaimed Hudson Valley estate hotel in Amenia, NY. In collaboration with Champalimaud Design, PBDW Architects, Reed+Hilderbrand landscape architects and Dumais Made lighting, Belden reinvigorates the 1888 Dr. Charles Belden mansion, “The Mews” — a c. 1960 modernist addition to the estate — and binds them together with the historic c.1891 Litchfield Firehouse. The property offers butler and valet service across 31 gorgeously appointed guest rooms and suites, a locally driven dining room, bar, along with a restorative bathhouse, treatments and fitness, in addition to a seasonal outdoor pool and lawn club.
“Fire and history erased its once numerous predecessors. For too long Litchfield has been without its guest house, one which reflects the curiosity, temperament, refinement, eccentricities, ambitions and values of this exceptional place. We aspire to welcome our guests into a residence restored — a home, as it once was — principled in our approach to hospitality, lacking pretense and prescription. It is a natural sister to Troutbeck, sharing in its values and aspirations to be both the destination in and of itself, but moreover, to enable and encourage the rediscovery and enjoyment of inspiring surroundings.” — Anthony Champalimaud, Owner
Overnight and dining guests arrive to Belden House on North Street, stepping across the expansive front porch into a central reception, beckoned-in by an enormous fireplace, from which to the left is the Living Room — with its original and curved bay windows, window seats, fireplace, and soft seating. Restored to its original arrangement, the Living Room flows into the Dining Room where again banquets, warm lighting, a fireplace and elegantly lit tables set the tone — comfortably chic for which to dress up or, dress down. The sequence culminates in the verdant jewel-box of the bar, into which streams natural light, offering coffees and teas in the morning, turning to regional craft spirits, classically inspired cocktails, mocktails, beer and wine. With a seasonally driven culinary program overseen by Connecticut native, Chef Tyler Heckman (New York City’s El Quijote, Ferris, Le Turtle) Belden House will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and by reservation only. The cozy, textured Library, lined with books and Litchfield historic ephemera, may double as a private dining room for up to 12 guests.
Of the total 31 guestrooms on offer, 10 are located within the original 1888 Belden home. Averaging 400 square feet, each unique floorplan echoes the home’s historic framework and carefully preserved details. All guestrooms enjoy views to Litchfield’s architectural treasures — or, as a result of its position at higher elevation — across the treetops to surrounding and uninterrupted landscape. Thoroughly to standard, all guestrooms are subtly modernized. At the surface, all enjoy expansive bathrooms stocked with Wildsmith products, radiant heated floors, fiber internet, desk, comfortable seating and exceptional linens. Available amongst them are suites and guestrooms with fireplaces, balconies and soaking tubs, one of which is fully accessible.
The three-bedroom Penthouse (all ensuite, sleeping 6) offers an experience unique to Belden — an area totaling 2,100 square feet. Accessible via a single key to the third floor, the Penthouse offers a bountiful private living room, dining room, and roof-top terrace, with comfortable seating on which to catch the sun, breeze and unobstructed views of the Litchfield Hills to the horizon. The kitchenette is serviced discreetly and directly from Chef’s kitchen via a dumbwaiter. Here, as with all guestrooms at Belden, butler service is available 16 hours per day.
The Mews, the modernist three-wing structure set apart from the Belden home, contains 21 guestrooms and suites averaging 430 sq ft. Seven Mews rooms are accessible via their private, lushly planted terrace gardens. All of them equally spacious and serene, their palette relates to those in Belden House, punctuated with saturated tones — splashes of yellow, red, and blues — and furnished in the modernist vein. Two guest rooms, in addition, have private balconies with westward views over the pool, gardens and Litchfield Hills beyond. The Mews also houses a fully ADA accessible room.
Bathhouse is Belden’s wellness offering located within the Mews. Fitness equipment, floor exercise and Pilates are either self-guided or accompanied by private instruction. The wet area at the heart of the Bathhouse can be enjoyed as a circuit: first a dry sauna, a salt scrub and drenching overhead shower, a steam room, followed by a 225-gallon Japanese Ofuro tub for hydrotherapies and cold plunges. One of the two available treatment rooms connects directly to the baths.
Featuring Wildsmith Skin, the cruelty-free, high-performance skincare line from United Kingdom, guests may elect to experience a specific facet of the Bathhouse “à la carte” or as a “prix fixe” circuit, building on the propulsive energy of moving between treatments, temperature, and media. Skilled practitioners offer massage, acupuncture, astrology and more. A seasonal outdoor 50-foot pool will serve as an oasis during the warmer months. Bathhouse services and amenities are available exclusively to Belden guests.
Opening mid-2025, the Firehouse overlooks the Litchfield Green on West Street, and offers the ideal backdrop for family gatherings, social events, retreats and meetings. As a “third space” for informal social gathering, a place to work or a quick bite, the Firehouse offers membership and exclusive access to Belden’s incomparable experiences. Constructed in 1891 and designated a National Historic Landmark, Firehouse is connected to Belden by footpath or via its elegant driveway off North Street.
Belden House & Mews is poised to become a perennial, in-town refuge, located a short two-hour drive from Manhattan and walkable to downtown shops, restaurants and cultural resources of the vibrant New England town. Surrounded by thousands of protected wilderness acres and accessible to year-round recreation, it also affords visitors a homebase to explore nearby White Memorial — a 4,000-acre nature preserve that encircles Litchfield, Bantam Lake, Connecticut’s largest natural lake, and Lake Waramaug. Bicycles and electric vehicle charging stations are offered complimentary to guests in residence.
Belden is proud to partner with BMW to provide guests the opportunity to experience the ultimate driving machine. Chauffeur services are available.
