The Long Island, N.Y. property was transformed from a luxurious private getaway owned by an oil tycoon into a premiere conference center and special events space, complete with fine dining and guest accommodations. 

On the historic Gold Coast of Long Island, N.Y., where oil industry tycoon John Pratt and his wife Ruth once maintained a quiet country residence away from the hubbub of New York City, is the home of the Mansion at Glen Cove. The former 55-acre Pratt estate, first built in 1910, has since been transformed into a premiere conference center and special events space, complete with fine dining and guest accommodations.  

More recently, the Mansion underwent a property-wide redesign of its guest rooms in response to an increased need for bookings. According to Marketing Manager Amy Lin, the renovation “was done in stages because we also had to fulfill the need of bookings of room blocks and transients at the same time.” Beginning last March and wrapping by September 2021, the property now boasts refreshed luxury and premium rooms that blend new amenities with old world-charm.

Honoring the Past

To preserve the authenticity of the Mansion’s original design, careful attention was made to introduce new décor elements while adhering to the property’s roots. “The transitional renovation of the lodging spaces keeps the historical character and gives our customers a new experience with modern elements,” explains Lin. 

Each of the luxury rooms, ranging from 300-350 sq. ft., feature traditional crown moldings and baseboards and are outfitted with one king or two queen beds. Nightstands, smart television, sofa, chair and coffee/espresso maker round out the amenities. Premium rooms, also 300-350 sq. ft. and situated mainly in the east and west wings, follow a similar style but with one king bed or two full extra-large beds. All rooms are equipped with upgraded Wi-Fi and 1G Internet service.

To make these spaces more aesthetically pleasing, the outdated wallpaper was stripped and replaced with fresh coat of Bruton White paint—reminiscent of an eighteenth-century design that is characterized by a warm, softer look. “For smaller rooms, we used Simply White to make the rooms look bigger and brighter,” adds Lin. 

Carpeting was swapped out in favor of dark hard wood flooring, while window treatments are awash in grey velvet. Helping to enhance the sophisticated look in select rooms are customized headboards in a color scheme that correlates with existing furnishings. 

In the luxury rooms, adjoining bathrooms have also undergone a complete makeover, with new fixtures, vanities and other design highlights. Of note are the new shower kits, featuring handheld shower sprays and shower head, along with refreshed bathroom tiling in creamy Marvel Calacatta. 

“The brightness of the whole design is enhanced by the brilliance of the glaze on the white body wall tiles, whose mirror effect goes well with the depth of the polished floor tiles,” says Lin.

Ready to Serve

Since the Mansion’s guest room redesign, bookings have been on a steady uptick, with staff focused on keeping up with the increased demand. According to Lin, the main challenge was not in a reduction in weddings and corporate events in the last 18 months, but a tighter timeframe in which to book. “To handle the situation of 2021, our employees were trained to react faster and work more elastically to fulfill our customers’ needs,” she says. “From the increasing leads, we expect a busy peak season in 2022.” 

As evidence of the positive feedback received thus far, Lin points to one recent guest who commented, “Luxury convenience at an affordable price … satisfied, I’ll be back.”

Design Snapshot

The Mansion at Glen Cove
Glen Cove, N.Y.
Furniture: Safavieh
Lighting: Elegant Lighting
Window treatments: Bramson House
Paint: Benjamin Moore
Bathroom fixtures: House of Rohl, Kohler
Bathroom tiles: Atlas Concorde

C+RB