The Howland Estate, which has been uninhabited for 20 years, will soon be the home of Mirbeau Inn & Spa Beacon — the “pinnacle” of the Mirbeau collection and their most “ambitious project to date,” according to Vice President and Partner with Mirbeau Hospitality Jon T. Dal Pos.
One of Mirbeau’s biggest goals, Dal Pos highlighted, was to do justice to the historic estate, while respecting it in a way that would “raise it back up.”
The historic mansion, built in 1859, was the former home of Joseph and Eliza Howland, and has been restored to the National Park Service’s historic standards. It just took a little longer than expected due to “typical” construction delays, Dal Pos said, in combination with the brutal winter, pushing the anticipated winter 2026 grand opening back to May 8.
When you walk into the mansion, you’re greeted with the first of countless chandeliers, and from the parquet flooring to the intricate woodwork on the fireplace mantels, “You’d never be able to recreate it again,” Dal Pos said.
Quite luxurious, even in its “final stages” of construction, Mirbeau Beacon isn’t a private, exclusive space, but a “community asset,” Dal Pos says.
“We want it to be for the people of the community,” he continued, but of course, they will welcome out-of-towners to increase overnight stays in Dutchess County, and potentially tourism.
“It’s like a historic wellness resort reimagined,” Dal Pos said.
Restoration of the former Howland Family Estate
The mansion had good structural bones; it just took a bit of an “imaginative eye,” Dal Pos said, and custom-made pieces by French Heritage and Spanish designer Martínez Otero, to see the mansion revived.
Mirbeau’s signature French-inspired aesthetic wasn’t compromised by the Gothic architecture of the mansion, either. The two were blended to create something new, while preserving “Tironda’s” integrity.
The estate’s other name, “Tironda,” is Native American in origin. The word describes the “meeting of waters,” in this case, the confluence of the Fishkill Creek and the Hudson River. For more on the mansion’s history, visit beacon.mirbeau.com/history.
The exterior’s bricks are back to one of the original peachy, salmon tones the Mirbeau team found when they first got to work. They brought it back utilizing a special solution that doesn’t remove the exterior layer of the brick, Dal Pos said.
The wealthy Howland Family was in the shipping business, particularly from China, and had trees shipped over, including a giant Ginkgo tree from the 1800s.
The property is centered on horticulture, and guests will be able to see it in fine detail, like the spades as part of the spires that come out of the top of the mansion.
Inside the mansion, the “Hunt Music Room,” Dal Pos said, holds a restored organ, which isn’t playable yet, but what some may soon dub the hand-painted heart of former Howland Estate.
How you can see Mirbeau Inn & Spa Beacon
Soon, mid-Hudson Valley residents will be able to look out onto Claude Monet’s Giverny-inspired pond gardens of the estate from the windows of the Wine Bar and Bistro, which is open to the public and located in the mansion.
Much of the first floor of the mansion will be “free-flowing dining and restaurant space,” Das Pos said, but there are also event and conference areas.
A day trip to the spa is also an option, in one of their 21 spa-treatment rooms, situated on the lowest floor of the château, where guests can enjoy facials, massages, manicures, pedicures and couples’ treatment.
For the Mirbeau collection, 65% of their spa business is from the day spa, similar to their food and beverage. They mostly serve people within half an hour of each of their locations, who Dal Pos dubbed “hyper local” guests.
The château building also holds Dal Pos’ favorite architectural detail of any of the Mirbeau properties — a floating staircase up to the first floor encompassing a custom Ginkgo-leaf light fixture.
The mood and aesthetic of the château is true to Mirbeau’s French-inspired brand, and you can feel the difference when you walk in, without the darker, historical and Gothic undertones the mansion has.
They also have wellness memberships, including their fitness facilities and use of their 65 acres of walking trails, meadows, rivers, ponds and waterfalls.
For a staycation, most of the 72 guest rooms and suites are in the château building, which also houses the spa.
The mansion has seven historic rooms, most of which are suites, including General Howland’s personal room.
From the Poughkeepsie Journal’s research, Mirbeau Beacon, on average, has a higher price point for overnight stays compared to their other properties, from approximately $515 on the low end to around $730.
Dal Pos said in an email statement this pricing reflects Mirbeau’s “significant investment in the Hudson Valley,” from the 25,000-square-foot world-class spa to the historic preservation and meticulous detail.
“The beauty of the Mirbeau model is that an overnight stay isn’t required for total immersion,” Dal Pos continued later. “Whether you are joining us for a meal at the Bistro & Wine Bar or spending a day of restoration, our restaurant is open to the public, and our spa and fitness amenities are available to all Mirbeau Wellness Members or guests who book a treatment or day pass.”
Mirbeau Inn & Spa Beacon hired a local team
As the grand opening approaches, Mirbeau is in the process of hiring, and their Mirbeau Beacon team is composed almost entirely of locals, according to Dal Pos.
“As a hospitality brand, we view our staff as ambassadors for both Mirbeau and the city of Beacon,” Dal Pos said in an email statement. “By hiring locally, we ensure our guests receive authentic, neighborly recommendations.”
As well, they’re still hiring for a variety of positions, such as licensed massage therapists, nail technicians, laundry and housekeeping supervisors, as well as restaurant staff like sous chefs, servers and bartenders.
Open positions can be found at beacon.mirbeau.com/employment.
Nickie Hayes is the Breaking & Trending News Reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal and focuses on how to make the most of what the mid-Hudson Valley has to offer. See her most recent articles here. Contact reporter Nickie Hayes: NHayes@poughkee.gannett.com, 845-863-3518 and @nickieehayess on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Mirbeau Inn & Spa Beacon set to open soon at historic Howland Estate
Reporting by Nickie Hayes, Poughkeepsie Journal / Poughkeepsie Journal
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