American Idyll

Kreis claims to have no extraordinary hospitality intelligence, only an endless reserve of perseverance. But beyond elbow grease, she lives by a handful of axioms that any host could adopt:

1. Cop an attitude of willingness. "Our family motto is 'The answer is yes. Now what is the question?'" Kreis says. Whether it's hunting down a specific pair of hiking boots, having a favorite Norah Jones CD waiting in the room, or putting the exact number of requested chocolate chip cookies on the bedside snack plate, Blackberry Farm's staff makes guests feel ultrapampered.

Pictured above, in Lucy Braun, the guest cottage named for a pioneering plant ecologist, the dressing room is a mix of organic textures, colors, and patterns.