In Litchfield County, 9 Academy Offers Bespoke Lodging
A thoughtfully designed, three-suite guest house in Salisbury, Connecticut
In the pastoral northwest corner of Connecticut, where Litchfield County runs alongside New York State’s Hudson Valley and the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, the village of Salisbury epitomizes an all-season escape—from sunny summer weekends to its abundance of autumnal splendors, warm winter delights and hopeful spring blossoms. Situated along a side street in the center of Salisbury, 9 Academy is unlike any other offering in the region. This upscale guest house, which opened in late fall 2023, includes three multi-room, full-floor suites. It is owned and operated by Aidan Cassidy and Charles Teti, who—under their banner of their design company, Cassidy & Teti Interiors—imbued each space with a comfortable elegance, pared back but nuanced, cozy yet sophisticated. It’s here that guests will find a home-away-from-home experience with comforting touches—a reading nook, a balcony, a back garden—and all the conveniences modern travelers now desire.
“Both of us spent our entire working careers in the design field, myself in interiors and Charles as an executive in men’s fashion. We knew this area as weekenders for many years. We recognized there was a deficit of upscale hospitality,” Cassidy tells us over coffee at The White Hart, a historic Salisbury establishment that’s a brief stroll from 9 Academy. He adds that, as their children attend school nearby, they’d observed the town’s “proximity to so many world-class boarding schools, so we felt that there was an audience for parents who were traveling in from international locations.”
Cassidy and Teti bought the structure that houses 9 Academy in early 2021. “It was a fairly nondescript building. It was simple. It had been a historic building at some point but there was very little of that left by the time we arrived as someone had done a very large renovation of it in the 1980s,” he says. “We took it on for the location. We wanted to offer something that had a walkability to it. We wanted to be in the center of town because that’s an important component for visitors. People want convenience. We didn’t want to be out in the country.” During our stay at 9 Academy, we were able to walk to The White Hart for dinner, and to nearby Sweet William’s for morning coffee. We even stepped into the town’s general store for gifts. Salisbury’s enchanting ambiance envelops 9 Academy.
Each of 9 Academy’s three suites weaves in its own alluring attributes. The aptly entitled Garden Suite incorporates a private outdoor space. The second-floor Parlor Suite, where we stayed, features the aforementioned reading nook, as well as stairs to a backyard. A private terrace enhances the footprint of the third-floor Loft Suite. Two of the three suites include freestanding tubs, while the Parlor Suite’s spacious bathroom feels spa-like.
“We had a clear vision of the style,” Cassidy says. “We didn’t feel the need to duplicate the types of properties that were already available—be they Airbnbs or small hotels. We wanted to do something that was different, that had a more contemporary vibe. At the same time, we didn’t want people to feel like they were not in Connecticut. To do this, we focused on natural materials to make you feel a sense of place.” This manifested as lime-washed walls, soft white oak floors and a reserved use of concrete.
All three suites are equipped with full kitchens, washer and dryer units, as well as an array of homewares, cutlery, pots and pans, an iron and hairdryer. Extra towels were in a drawer; a closet held additional sheets and blankets. Everything felt considered—and all elements luxurious. “Part of it came out of a business sense that Airbnb has changed the hospitality industry,” Cassidy explains. “We could have carved the building up into much smaller units. Instead, we wanted to give people the sensibility that they get with a boutique hotel—fresh towels and nice linens and spa products—but we also wanted them to feel as though they were in an apartment for the weekend that’s bookable by the night.”
Ultimately, what Cassiy and Teti have established is a sense of home. There’s a spaciousness to the suites, and a flexibility to the purpose of several rooms, that allows them to accommodate families. There’s the attention to detail that runs from the online reservation system to the contactless checkin all the way to the interior design. “We are both designers so we have a high standard,” Cassidy says. “Guest experience is something that we innately felt good about. We knew we could offer that. We did the research but we also leaned into what worked for us as global travelers over the years.” The only challenge, however, is accepting that it’s time to leave.
What are your thoughts?