From grand resorts to intimate bed and breakfasts, the Hudson Valley and Catskills have a long and storied history as a home away from home for travelers from all over the world. But as large hotel brands have expanded in recent decades, the small, charming mom-and-pop inns that once defined the region have increasingly become a relic of the past.
In 2018, Travis and Azie Shelhorse founded their boutique lodging company {verdigreen} with the goal of making the modern hotel experience an intimate endeavor once more. Combining Travis’s extensive background in the hotel industry and Azie’s interior design expertise, the two have now renovated eight historic properties in the Hudson Valley, New Hampshire, Florida, and Washington, DC into artful accommodations with an emphasis on experience and a strong sense of place.
“Our {verdigreen} hotels origin story started on our first date in 2006 over a bowl of linguine, when Travis announced he would have his own hotel one day,” says Azie, an interior designer and artist who has worked in both residential and commercial design for major hotel groups. “I had only known him for 48 hours so I wasn't totally convinced, but he faithfully crafted his hospitality finance career the following years to foster that goal.”
In 2010 they opened their design-focused indie home furnishings shop and painting studio {verdigreen}, which had showrooms in Montclair, New Jersey and the East Village. “In 2018, we decided we were ready to take the leap and find our first property,” says Azie. “Travis gleaned what he could from his hospitality career from investing to operations, and I was eager to be my own design client and focus on our legacy.”
After searching all over the tri-state area, they discovered what would become the first {verdigreen} hotel in Woodstock. “We visited the Catskills and Hudson Valley for years, sourcing antiques for our stores and enjoying weekend getaways and we were inherently drawn to the vibrant villages surrounded by nature,” says Azie. “When Travis found Twin Gables of Woodstock on the market and we had our first visit, it was love at first sight. The historic home right on Tinker Street needed a healthy injection of TLC, but we knew it could be restored to its former glory as the oldest operating inn in Woodstock.”
Today, the reimagined Twin Gables pays homage to its eclectic, Bohemian roots as a hotel for artists in the 1920s. The 10-room guest house is equal parts fun and funky—with light and airy guest rooms each inspired by hand-selected artwork and defined by lush, hand-painted murals and whimsical finishes applied to vintage furniture.
Twin Gables was followed closely by Hotel Mountain Brook in the Catskill Mountain town of Tannersville. Built in the 1940s, the historic accommodation—a mix of private cabins, elevated lodge rooms, and luxury suites—underwent a renovation in 2008 as part of the Hunter Foundation's mission to revitalize the town. Featuring sumptuous textiles, a saturated color palette, and intricate wood detailing, the Shelhorses’ moody, refined take on a quintessential mountain lodge strikes the perfect balance of woodsy and welcoming, with a focus on cozy hospitality.
The family’s latest project in the region is Silver Maple Farm in East Chatham, a breezy French farmhouse-style inn nestled in a valley in Columbia County between the Catskills and Berkshires. The eleven guest rooms feature original post and beam details and a soothing design scheme that emphasizes natural materials and carefully careworn detailing.
In rejuvenating each of their properties, the Shelhorses are striving to preserve the legacy and story of each place, offering an experiential stay at every {verdigreen} hotel that always feels one-of-a-kind.
