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Bellwether on Main: Comfort, Resilience, Passive House; an AAC building

Hillsdale vacation home with kitchen

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Photo gallery for Bellwether on Main: Comfort, Resilience, Passive House; an AAC building

Private kitchen
Exterior
Interior
Living area
Interior

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

2 bedrooms3 bathrooms112 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Kitchen
  • Parking available
  • Outdoor space

Explore the area

View in a map
Hillsdale, NY
  • Place, Hillsdale Town Hall
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Community Library
    ‪1 min drive‬
  • Place, Catamount Ski Area
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Airport, Hudson, NY (HCC-Columbia County)
    ‪24 min drive‬

Room options

About the area

Hillsdale

In Hillsdale .You'll be within half a mile (1 km) of Hillsdale Town Hall and 2 miles (3 km) of Community Library with a stay here. Catamount Aerial Adventure Park and Catamount Ski Area are also within 3 miles (5 km).
View more Vacation homes in HillsdaleOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Hillsdale Town Hall - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Community Library - 1 min drive - 1.4 km
  • Catamount Ski Area - 4 min drive - 5.7 km
  • Ski Butternut - 22 min drive - 25.9 km
  • Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort - 44 min drive - 70.1 km

Getting around

  • Hudson Station - 25 min drive
  • Hudson, NY (HCC-Columbia County) - 23 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Stewart's Shops - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Martindale Chief Diner - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Taconic Wayside Inn - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Mom's Country Cafe - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Hy’s Fried - ‬5 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Bellwether: Passive Plus

About this place
This listing is for a private home. There are also listing's for two rooms in the adjacent duplex with shared spaces on AirBnB.

Experience the extraordinary comfort of a certified Passive House in the heart of Hillsdale's historic hamlet. The property, which looks out on the Taconic Mountains, is nestled between the Berkshires and the Hudson Valley. Ten miles from Great Barrington MA and sixteen miles to Hudson, NY. The shops and restaurants in Hillsdale are in walking distance.

Similar to Dan's previous Woodstock Passive House, this is built with autoclaved aerated concrete. AAC, developed in Sweden in the 1920s, is a mainstay of construction worldwide. Dan's work has been in the press as buildings ready for climate change.
See GreenspringBuilding.com, or search “AAC Passive House” for multiple articles.
The space
The two guest rooms have queen beds with ensuite bathrooms; one bathroom has a shower, the other has a tub-shower combination. There is also a first floor bathroom with a shower. All toilets have bidet seats. Enjoy the kitchen with an eat-in counter, open space living room, den, and front and side porches. Induction and convection range; energy recovery ventilation for clean, pollen-free indoor air. All electric home; fossil fuel free. A home that looks historic and is surrounded by nineteenth century buildings yet is a home of the future.
Guest access
The entire home is private.
During your stay
Dan (designer & builder) lives in the adjoining duplex, so is readily available. We can interact if you'd like; some come especially to learn about how this home was built. Yet it is ideal for anyone who'd like to experience a peaceful, healthy indoor environment.
Other things to note
This property provides exceptional comfort, ideal for any guest. It is also an ideal experience for architects, engineers, builders, and code officials, plus anyone considering building a home or larger scale commercial property. This creates an energy efficient, healthy indoor environment, free of common toxins.
For more information see greenspringbuilding.com, or a general search for 'AAC Passive House. ' Or just come for a peaceful stay in a town near many NY and MA cultural, historic, and scenic amenities (Tanglewood, Jacobs Pillow, Catamount Ski Resort, and many more).

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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Parking on site

Bedrooms

  • 2 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 3 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Bidet
  • Hair dryer
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Outdoor areas

  • Garden
  • Porch/lanai

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • Welcoming dogs only
  • One pet total

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Wheelchair accessibility
  • Smoking not allowed

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Safety features

  • No carbon monoxide detector or gas appliances (host has indicated there are no carbon monoxide detectors or gas appliances on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher

General

  • Garden
  • Unit size: 1,200 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Check-out instructions

The host requires you complete the following before checking out:
Gather used towels
Remove personal items and remove leftover food and drinks
Lock the doors and return the keys
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.

Rules

This entire property is smoke free.

Pets

  • Pets are welcome
  • Only dogs are allowed
  • Maximum 1 pets
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Events

No events allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there are no carbon monoxide detectors or gas appliances on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a private host, not a professional engaged in trade or business. This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children. If you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room. Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited. For guests' safety, the property includes a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector in each accommodation.

Reviews

Bellwether on Main: Comfort, Resilience, Passive House; an AAC building Reviews

10

Exceptional

9.4/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 3 out of 3 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 3 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 3 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 3 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 3 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Shelagh M.

Liked: Cleanliness
We had a great stay in Hillsdale! Thank you, Dan!Look forward to another visit!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Nigel

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Yes. We had a fantastic stay there. We'd definitely stay there again.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Uldis S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Though we arrived early, we were quickly welcomed to this unique building and given a tour by the owner. All the amenities from a freezer for the ice cream and a compost tin for the watermelon. The house is surrounded by a small meadow of brown eyed susans, a screened in porch and plants galore. The general layout was comfortable with an open area for kitchen, dining room, and living room. Two bathrooms, one for each floor including bidets. Beds were comfortable with new sheets and quilts warmly lit with lamps. Evidently, there was a wee bit of miscommunication and so it was a little warm in the bedrooms. I'm so short, I had a little difficulty with the bed being quite high. The area was full of restaurants and loads of things to do and see.... everything perfect for a girls weekend or even better a two week vacation. Enjoy!me
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025