Even before the pandemic made the region the hottest destination for those seeking to Escape from New York, a number of creative entrepreneurs were planning to open new inns and hotels across the region. They’ve come online just in time for the recent surge in popularity the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Berkshires are experiencing. Here’s some of the latest boutique accommodation openings you should know about.
Maker Hotel | Hudson
Stepping inside the Maker Hotel in Hudson is like stepping back a century. Occupying an entire corner of Warren Street, the Maker is characterized by opulence, indulgence, a richness of texture and materials that feels utterly sumptuous and anachronistic. No cost was spared in restoring and decorating this establishment, and the effect of such a splurge of luxury is both mind-blowing and deeply soothing. The Maker complex—with its cafe, restaurant, lounge, gym, and hotel rooms—is spread out across three historic buildings. The lounge has been open since summer 2018, serving up craft cocktails and elevated pub fare in a glamorous, high-ceilinged space that feels straight out of the Gilded Age.
The hotel accommodations are in over two historic buildings. On the c.1897 Georgian mansion side, four expansive Maker studios embody peak luxury and design, each a romantic take on the life and habitat of a different maker. They are: the Gardener, the Architect, the Artist, and the Writer. Glazman even made up fictional personas to drive his designs for these four suites. In the other wing of the hotel, in the historic Greek Revival building, there are seven more rooms: the Terrace Lofts, the Corner Studio, the Apartment, and the Bedrooms, including one handicap-accessible room. These spaces are less imposing while still equally beautiful. The aesthetic across the accommodations ranges from Hollywood glam to boudoir sultry to the earth tones and clean lines Mid-Mod Scandinavian design.
Callicoon Hills | Callicoon
Under the stewardship of the Hills family, Callicoon Hills transitioned from a boarding house into a vacation resort in the 1940s. The Hills ran the resort through the Borscht Belt era of the ’60s. The newly reimagined version of Callicoon Hills is lodgy, with big windows and pastoral Catskill views.
The towering central boarding house has the welcome lobby, a coffee shop, and the restaurant on the ground floor, while the second, third, and fourth floors offer guest accommodations. Throughout the aesthetic is a toned-down chic, with earth tones and warm whites, lots of wood, and fun accent pieces. Out back, the midcentury Pool House offers double rooms and accessible rooms plus quick access to the pool; while up a short hill, three more one-story buildings make up the Ridge Rooms with their sweeping views of the property. The resort’s restaurant, the Conover Club sources almost entirely locally, reveling in preparing the freshest ingredients in its unfussy New American cuisine.
Borland House | Montgomery
The Borland House Inn and Restaurant building dates back to the 1780s, when it served as the home of Congressman Charles Borland, Jr. Now operating as a bed and breakfast under the leadership of owner and chef Anna Frumes, the two-story Greek Revival pays homage to its Hudson Valley history through both its interior design and its cuisine.
The 10-foot ceilings made an impression on Frumes when she first visited in 2014, amidst her search for a functioning bed and breakfast that she could revamp. “When I walked in, it was the most beautiful feeling and home, and it had this incredible open space,” she remembers. “It was set up perfectly for a small restaurant.” She purchased the Borland House that same year and opened the farm-to-table restaurant to the public in 2016 for breakfast and lunch, providing historical regional dishes and comfort foods.
The interior design of the Borland House is just as reflective of the region’s history and culture as the food. Each room of the inn is modeled around local birds and their habitats: swans for the hall, blue herons for the dining room, red-tailed hawks for the drawing room, hummingbirds and bluebirds for the bedrooms, the last of which is the state bird of New York.
Eastwind Hotel & Bar | Windham
Nestled in the northern range of the Catskill Mountains, this boutique hotel is a year-round glamping getaway that eases you into unwinding. (Eastwind’s tagline: “So Much
to Do, So Much Time.”) Founded in 2018, this retreat was built to foster a distinctive Scandinavian experience—a distinctive home away from home. With a variety of options including two-person A-Frame cabins, larger suites, and studios, Eastwind offers the notion of camping without sacrificing comforts (like the sauna).
From vacationing families to skiing couples or solo hikers, this is the perfect place to call your basecamp. In the main hotel building, you’ll find a full bar, supper tables, and a roaring fireplace where you can enjoy carefully crafted cocktails and light snacks. Though if you can’t bear to leave your cabin, a tasty breakfast basket can be delivered to your door. This space really encourages a slower pace of life where one can take in each scent, taste, sound, and (breathtaking) view on site. With BBQ Kits, hammocks peppering the hillside, campfire pits, and additional weekly events like yoga and live music, there is no shortage of experiences but no rush to take it all in.
Starlite Hotel | Kerhonkson
Aside from a few Airbnbs, there weren’t many lodging options in Kerhonkson until
the vintage Starlite Motel reopened in early 2020, refurbished for a new century by new owner Alix Umen, who purchased the motel with Adriana Farmiga in December 2018. The motel’s retro neon sign stands alongside Route 209 in Kerhonkson, just as it has since the lodge’s inception in the ’60s. But today, as you drive toward the property you’ll be greeted by
a billowing flag that reads in colorful letters, “All are welcome”—an art piece designed by famed Native American artist Jeffrey Gibson and a symbol that proudly proclaims the lodge’s progressive stance. The couple repainted the building and opted for classic blue and
pink branding throughout, evocative of Miami art deco. “It’s almost like Caribbean-meets- Miami-meets-Kerhonkson,” says Farmiga. The six single-queen guest rooms are humble yet well-appointed with luxe linens, organic bath products, and locally made art adorning the walls. Guests will find complimentary Bjorn Corn popcorn as well as artisanal soaps. There are no TVs, but WiFi is available, and the Starlite Canteen serves drinks and light snacks.
Hudson Whaler Hotel | Hudson
The Hudson Whaler Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Hudson, is a nod to the town’s history. The lobby, modeled after a ship captain’s quarters, features a wraparound hand-painted mural of the Hudson River resembling an old parchment map. The hallways are deep nautical blue, and the suites are a soothing combination of cool colors—light blues, grays, and whites. Handcrafted ornate woodwork can be found throughout the interior—in the three-level staircase, windowsills, and fireplaces. When restoring the hotel this year, Hudson Whaler owners Michael Glickman and Ben Rinzler let the design process be guided by the question: “How can we bring to light, as a conversation piece, that Hudson was a whaling town?”
The 16 suites of the Hudson Whaler each have a vintage brass porthole on the wall and a fireplace with a ship mural around it. A small handmade chocolate whale can be found in each guest’s room upon their arrival, made by local century-old chocolatier Vasilow’s Confectionery. Every street sign in Hudson is marked with a small whale logo, but Glickman and Rinzler were hard-pressed to find any other echoes of Hudson’s whaling history. They decided to reflect that history in the name of the hotel and “gently integrate a nautical theme” into the interior, per Glickman.
Miraval | Lenox, MA
Hop across the NY/MA border and you can stay at the Miraval Berkshires Spa and Resort, where the focus is on mindfulness and being in the moment. Perhaps you find living in the moment challenging? No worries—Miraval will help you with that. If you’re hovering weightlessly above the ground in a silk hammock during floating meditation (in your pajamas, no less), kayaking around Laurel Lake, walking a labyrinth or focusing on your breath while throwing a hatchet, you probably won’t want to be thinking about the past or worrying about the future.
Miraval, owned by Hyatt Hotels, took over the former Cranwell Resort and Spa in and added 12 new buildings to the 380-acre campus. With the mission to help individuals find their paths to well-being, it offers guests a tranquil bubble, with its Clodagh-designed guest rooms, Life in Balance spa, 32 treatment rooms, healthful meals and creative programming. It’s a digital device-free environment, too — at check in, guests receive a cell phone “sleeping bag.” A Tibetan gong in the garden by the outdoor pool rings out twice a day, a reminder to be present. Serenity reigns here.
This article appears in Fall/Winter 2021.
