The choice between a romantic getaway with your spouse and a family vacation can be a difficult one. Choosing your accommodations can be even harder. If you’re bringing the kids, all-inclusive lodging may save you more in the long run. But if you’re leaving them behind, make sure to book a place that ensures relaxation and truly fits your needs. The Hudson Valley has plenty of options for both choices.
Family Vacation
Rocking Horse Ranch
Rocking Horse Ranch is the perfect getaway for the whole family. Just a 90-minute drive from NYC, there are many on-site amenities to keep the kids entertained: unlimited horseback riding, a private lake with kayaking and paddle boating, award-winning gardens, bungee jumpers, rock climbing walls, and an indoor water park open all year-round. Plus snow tubing! Parents, don’t fret, the on-site entertainment and gourmet meals from top Hudson Valley chefs will give you the R&R you are searching for.
600 State Route 44/55, Highland (845) 691-2927; Rockinghorseranch.com
Winter Clove Inn
If you opt for a more rural setting, treat the family to a stay in the beautiful Catskill Mountains at Winter Clove Inn, a Colonial-style resort. Don’t worry about entertaining the kids, they will enjoy themselves at the bowling alley and arcade room or the indoor pool. Make sure to fit in time to use the complimentary cross country ski equipment or hike to some of the waterfalls on the 300-acre property.
557 Winter Clove Road, Round Top (518)-622-3267; Winterclove.com
Romantic Getaway
Emerson Resort & Spa
Overlooking the Esopus Creek and the Catskill Mountains is the perfect romantic getaway for the two of you. Book a regal room in the Inn or a luxurious stay in the Lodge at the newly renovated Emerson Resort & Spa. Visitors enjoy top spa treatments like manicures, pedicures, facials, and various kinds of massages. The gastronomically inclined will be ecstatic with the locally sourced entrees on the menu and the handcrafted cocktails at the Woodnotes Grille.
5340 Route 28, Mount Tremper (845) 688-2828; Emersonresort.com
The Rhinecliff
For those who want to ditch the car, The Rhinecliff is perfect. Next door to the Rhinecliff Amtrak station, this boutique country hotel overlooks the Hudson River and is loaded with gardens and patios. It is also just two miles from the regal town of Rhinebeck, which is loaded with independently owned stores, gourmet restaurants, and some of the Hudson Valley’s best architecture. Free wifi and breakfast are included with reservations.
4 Grinnell Street, Rhinecliff (845) 876-0590; Therhinecliff.com
This article appears in Fall/Winter 2016.
