Welcome to the enchanting Hudson Valley and Catskills, where the fall foliage paints a breathtaking canvas and winter brings a snowy wonderland. Nestled within this picturesque region, you’ll find a collection of distinctive hotels that beckon travelers seeking cozy escapes, memorable experiences, and farm-to-table restaurants on site.
Verdigreen Hotels | Woodstock, Tannersville, and East Chatham
Owned by husband-and-wife team Travis and Azie Shelhorse, Verdigreen hotels evolved out of the design-focused indie home furnishings shop and painting studio the couple opened in Montclair, New Jersey, in 2013. Combining Travis’s background in the hotel industry and Azie’s interior design expertise, the two have renovated eight historic properties in the Hudson Valley, New Hampshire, Florida, and Washington, DC, into artful accommodations with an emphasis on upcycling and a strong sense of place.
Their Hudson Valley lodgings include the reimagined Twin Gables Guest House in Woodstock, a fun, funky, art-filled space defined by lush, hand-painted details; Hotel Mountain Brook in Tannersville, a moody, refined take on a quintessential mountain lodge; and Silver Maple Farm in East Chatham, a breezy French farmhouse-style escape.
Getaway Eastern Catskills | Catskill
Everything you need and nothing you don’t. That is Getaway’s goal with their compact cabins in the Catskills, built with natural components—wood, metal, and glass—favoring magnificent views of the woodland setting through big picture windows. Co-owners Jon Staff and Pete Davis have been providing getaways to visitors since 2015, with 30 destinations all over the country offering a chance to escape, disconnect, and reconnect with nature.
Getaway Eastern Catskill features 51 freestanding cabins spread across 85 acres, close to the picturesque North-South Lake, countless hiking trails with breathtaking lookouts, and the Thomas Cole and Olana state historic sites, as well as the 260-foot Kaaterskill Falls. Ranging from 140 to 200 square feet, each guest room contains only the essentials: a single queen bed or queen bunk, two-burner stove, mini fridge, sink, toilet, shower, heating and cooling, and kitchenware. Simple yet functional amenities include an outdoor fire pit with grilling grate, outdoor seating, a mini-library, and a cell phone lockbox so you can get the most out of your experience. Be warned: Because the goal of the getaway is to disconnect, there is no Wi-Fi and limited cell reception, but there’s a landline in case of emergencies.
The Maiden | Kingston
In 2019, just as Jennifer Donovan was about to sign on a new building on the corner of Maiden Lane and Clinton Avenue to expand her popular Uptown Kingston-based beauty salon, Le Shag, she received game-changing news about the zoning laws. The two-centuries-old building was not permitted to house a beauty salon under existing code. With just a day to research, Donovan delved into the building’s legal possibilities, discovering, in the process, that it was eligible to be used as a boarding house. Struck with the potential of the new idea, she switched gears to develop a four-room boutique inn, giving rise to the Maiden.
The newly renovated building gives a fresh and functional impression, without losing the classic feeling of the circa-1825 design. When constructing the space, Donovan studied old deeds from the house to learn about the original family who had lived there. In their honor, two out of the four bedrooms on the top floor of the house are named after the original couple, Douw and Hazel Meyers. These rooms each host a double bed and share a bathroom with the Crew Room, which features a bunk bed with two full-sized mattresses. The Park Suite, complete with queen bed and ensuite bathroom, sits at the corner of the house and is characterized by four large windows with long draping curtains. Guests can choose to complement their stay with a private driver and concierge services that provide information about the area such as activities, hikes, and restaurants.
For parties that need a little more room to spread out, the basement is equipped with a speakeasy-vibe bar, feet away from the ancient wood stove that served as the original kitchen hearth. During parties and events, the roving pop-up Catskills Cocktail Club takes over the bar, providing craft drinks for the Maiden’s guests.
Union + Post | Windham
The Catskills offer an array of experiential getaways, whether you prefer to spend a day biking rugged trails, perusing antiques shops, hitting the slopes during winter, or just hanging out at one of the many breweries along the range.
At the end of the day, however, there’s nothing like a good meal amidst good people followed by a comfortable place to rest your head. When it comes to Catskills comfort, Union + Post—a boutique hotel and restaurant in Windham—has quickly become favored by locals and visitors alike.
Union + Post is located at the site of the former Pine Lodge, one of those places known by generations of families as a spot charmingly frozen in time. When the current owners took over in 2018, however, the process of renovating the property brought up the realities of renewing outdated rooms and dining spaces. The hotel is currently comprised of 12 rooms in four buildings surrounding the restaurant, with accommodations ranging in size from a 200-square-foot room with a king-sized bed, to a slightly larger double with two double-beds, standard bed and bath space to a spacious suite with a dining room, living room, and private deck. Each one is tastefully decked out with just enough modern-rustic flare to give that mountain-getaway vibe—think contemporary furniture with natural wood tones atop jute rugs, and canteens or antique badminton rackets as wall decor—plus luxe bath amenities, room service, or private cooking available from the onsite restaurant, and more.
Central House | Germantown
After decades spent apart on opposite sides of the country, two sisters have reconnected with their Hudson Valley roots to run an inn and restaurant in Germantown. Leslie Carr-Avalos and her sister Julia Carr grew up together in Red Hook but their paths diverged as adults: Julia headed to the city while Leslie jetted to San Francisco. In 2021, the sisters saw an opportunity to purchase one of the most well-known and historic buildings in Germantown: the Central House. In previous lives, the building served as a brothel, speakeasy, stage coach house, and multiple restaurants. In its last iteration, it was set up as an inn with restaurant space. They bought it in October 2022 and started renovating right away.
The pair kept the name Central House, but upgraded the hotel’s six bedrooms, common areas, cozy lounge spots, bar, and dining room with decor they describe as “eclectic, whimsical, and modern.” Designer Eduardo Rodriguez matched bold statements like a black-and-white buffalo-plaid ceiling in the breakfast room with toned-down elements like white country cabinetry and rattan furniture. Subtle whimsy continues by the bar, where you’ll find a large gold-framed portrait hanging upside-down near traditional-style lamps illuminating organically shaped pottery.
The Universal Cafe & Bar in the hotel focuses on small plates that add a fine dining twist to New American bites. Ingredients are mainly sourced from nearby farms and purveyors, including Kinderhook Farm, Northwind Farms, Montgomery Place, and the sisters’ own gardens. The menu is divided by three sections: snacks, sharing, and desserts. Popular options include a spicy fried chicken sandwich with buttermilk dressing and a fresh cabbage slaw ($18), chicken liver parfait with grilled bread and cherry-shallot jam ($15), and a smashed cucumber salad with radishes, sumac, mint, and feta-labneh ($16).
