By Ellen Morrissey
Photographs by Megan Haley
Ian Rasch’s goal for Prospect sounds modest: “We’re trying to provide a pause to the intensity of life that we all experience, even for a moment,” he said. “If you can sit in one of those cabins and look out at the lake and take a breath, I feel like we’ve accomplished something.”
Getting to such a beautifully simple result has taken loads of work.
Prospect Lake in Egremont has been the backdrop for countless community events and family gatherings for more than a century. The property is experiencing a rebirth of sorts with the opening of Prospect. As a “landscape hotel,” it’s designed to blend seamlessly into its setting, maximizing the experience of nature while minimizing its ecological impact.
It’s a tall order, but one that the Prospect team is uniquely positioned to meet. Rasch and Roman Montano of the Alander Group in Great Barrington, and Rasch’s wife, Jade-Snow Carroll, all have deep roots in the Berkshires. Rasch and Montano grew up along the New York-Massachusetts border, and Carroll was raised in Egremont.
Together with the team they’ve assembled, including general manager Max Scherff, they’re hoping to attract new visitors to the area while also re-engaging the community with a local gathering space. Carroll recalled that there used to be more places to meet up and socialize in town, and on a recent visit to Kingston, New York, she was “floored” by how many young people she saw in coffee shops and beyond. She wondered how to bring some of that energy back to her hometown.
Though all three live within a half mile of Prospect, Rasch said they sort of stumbled upon the project. The property had been a summer campsite and picnic spot for years. In the midst of the COVID pandemic, when the opportunity arose to purchase the property, they took the long view (along with, it must be said, criticism from some longtime renters of seasonal campsites).
“There was a need to create something new,” said Rasch. Not only do they hope to be a hub for the community, “we will be employing upwards of 40 people. And we built it with I-don’t-know-how-many-hundreds of hands that have been building and restoring Berkshires cottages for 30 or 40 years. We’re trying to create unique spaces and support a tremendous amount of tradespeople that need to continue their craft.”
Their approach was an alchemical one of dissolving and refining, thoughtfully stripping away what was there before building it back up. Early meetings focused on improving the health of the lake and the landscape, which called for removing existing infrastructure like septic hookups and old RVs, and relocating wires and water lines. “There was wire through the entire forest and in the trees,” Montano explained. Putting all of the utilities below grade not only allowed the resort to operate year round, but, Montano added, “it made a huge difference visually.”
From there, landscape architects Andropgon and ecological planners Biohabitats built native wetland green gardens and swales, and addressed soil fertility. Local plant expert Raina Weber upgraded the plantings with all native species.
One of the bigger obstacles was the lake’s failing 100-year-old dam. The Prospect team partnered with the town of Egremont to tackle sorely needed and costly repairs. “They were incredibly helpful, responsive, and supportive. I think if we had come from out of town and didn’t have a relationship with them, this project never would have happened.”
With planting and new infrastructure in place, building began in earnest. The 49 cabins are hand-built of cedar, marble, and stone, designed to withstand the weather and the elements year over year, much like summer cottages Rasch first saw on travels in Scandinavia. “I went with my family a number of times, where we stayed in very simple structures originally built for sheep herders and farmers.” Rasch said there are now about a half million of these summer cottages dotted all over the countryside there. “The whole idea is to connect with nature.”
To create the most immersive experience, Prospect’s cabins are situated to take advantage of the scenery, with lake-facing windows and plenty of light. There are Bluetooth speakers but no TVs. As yet, there are no plans to collect cell phones upon arrival, “White Lotus”-style, but there’s always the option to leave the Wi-Fi off.
With a similar spirit, Carroll designed the interiors to be calming. The pared back aesthetic is intended to be “an antidote to all of the noise we have coming at us at all times.” The rooms are outfitted with organic cotton bed linens and robes from Carroll’s company, Sister Moons, which she co-founded with her sister and mother, as well as cozy wool blankets. A desk with art supplies and writing journals inspires guests to indulge in tech-free pursuits.
“Traveling is always an opportunity to do the things I never get to do at home,” said Carroll. “It’s a luxury to have time to do something creative. You lose track of time and your sense of time passes and you don’t even notice it passing. That’s the best feeling when you’re in that flow.”
There are, of course, other amenities that put the active in activity—pickleball and tennis courts, a heated saltwater pool, kayaks, sailboats, paddleboards, bicycles, and hiking trails. And whether you’ve exerted yourself or not, there are Finnish-style saunas along the lakefront. Communal fire pits throughout the property encourage IRL connection and communication.
Anchoring Prospect’s grounds is the Cliff House, a 5,000-square-foot structure built in 1876, with a porch that feels as if it’s floating over the lake. The structure houses an eponymous full-service restaurant and bar, with a comprehensive menu by Nancy Thomas of longtime Berkshires hospitality group Mezze, which includes produce from local growers. The restaurant is open to the public—not just overnight guests—and has recently added breakfast service on Thursdays through Mondays. “We didn’t want Prospect to feel like an island, said Rasch, “an insular little place that is not engaged with the people who live just beyond its footprint.”
In that vein, programming plans are in full swing. On the wish list are sauna nights, wildflower workshops, ice fishing, cold plunges, cross country skiing—and partnerships with local cultural groups. He envisions performances on site, for example, and curated outdoor dinners.
Asked how he imagines Prospect several years from now, Rasch doesn’t think long before he answers: He cites Berkshire historian Gary Leveille’s book, Eye of Shawenon, about the history of the Prospect Lake area. “In some of the pictures, from the 1920s, the ’50s and ’60s, you can see the property with tons of people enjoying it, whether it was movie nights or classic car shows, there were locals and guests among the people enjoying the lake. It was very active, with families that came year after year. That’s what I’d like to see.”
prospectberkshires.com
cliffhouseberkshires.com
Originally published May 19, 2025
Updated November 26, 2025
