Where to Cuddle Up, De-Stress, Unwind, and Restore
After the unrelenting gallop that is every holiday season, why not devote some time to yourself? Set up an Out of Office greeting, pack a bag with some comfy slippers, then walk away from your desk (and troubles) for a well-deserved winter getaway at one of these three cozy Catskills destinations. Your mind, spirit, and body will be glad you did.
IN NEVERSINK
The newest property in the Foster Supply Hospitality portfolio, the campus of Hemlock Neversink is the ideal restorative retreat for guests who want to walk in the door and not ever need to leave. Each room booking covers access to a gorgeous, glass-enclosed indoor pool and hot tub, plus group fitness classes, experience guides, an outdoor sauna and steam room, a craft studio with daily programming, and a goat sanctuary for animal therapy. An onsite spa offers treatments targeted to whatever ails you—these include myriad massage styles and packages, detoxifying wraps, facials, reiki, and reflexology.
The campus at Hemlock Neversink has paths for walking or snowshoeing, while next door to its on-campus Barbour Shop, featuring the British lifestyle brand, there is a Barbour Borrowing Closet providing complementary loans of waxed jackets and wellies. Rooms are spun toward therapeutic comfort, with some offering attached treatment rooms and others with private outdoor showers and patios. All are sustainably and luxuriously appointed with Bellino linens, 100% down bedding, Turkish waffle bathrobes, and Oneka bath products. Meanwhile, its restaurant, Bittersweet, offers wraparound mountain views and a vegetable-forward menu geared toward helping guests feel healthy, pampered, and satisfied.
NEARBY…
Spend a Day in Livingston Manor
Twenty minutes from Hemlock Neversink lies Livingston Manor, named “The Catskills’ Newest Hotspot” by Condé Nast in 2019. Not only does this mighty little Sullivan County town have a serious art gallery in the Catskill Art Space, but also tons of sophisticated independent shops and businesses. When visiting, look for sharply curated retro and mid-century furniture at Long Weekend, while Nest showcases contemporary furniture, interior design, and lifestyle goods. Anglers can easily lose an entire day in the oldest family-run fishing shop in the world, Dette Flies (since 1928)—and aspirants might covet Dette Flies’ cool branded hats, caps, and tees. While in town, don’t miss chicly relaxed fashion and home goods at Seasons (formerly Concrete + Water). To refuel, stop by Main Street Farm for breakfast, lunch, or a midday snack spun from ingredients sourced at local farms. And if you’re in the mood to relax with a craft beverage, visit Catskill Brewery. They brew using Catskill Mountain water in a sustainably certified facility, and you can also enjoy a full menu from their onsite Catskill Food Truck.
Courtesy of Catskill Art Space
Bryan Gardner
If you’re looking for a low-impact, scenic walk, drop in at any point on the 20+ mile Sullivan O&W Rail Trail. This remaining right-of-way from the now defunct New York Ontario & Western Railway (1868–1957) offers nearly flat wooded trails through Catskill hamlets, towns, and villages spanning Parkville (near Livingston Manor) to Wurtsboro.
IN WINDHAM
On a 20-acre plot banking the Batavia Kill River, this family- and dog-friendly resort offers wood-fired saunas, electric and mountain bikes, fire pits, and Land Rover Defender shuttle service to nearby Windham Mountain and some of best in skiing in the Catskills. Snowshoe rentals are available for guests looking to take on the Windham Path, a flat(ish) 2.5-mile loop through snowy forests that reward with surprise panoramic views. Accommodations include suites for families and groups, and rooms are stocked with Bamford bath amenities. Some rooms showcase spectacular mountain or streamside views, while others come complete with soaking tubs and Carrara marble bathrooms. Next to the Batavia Kill, its onsite restaurant, Babblers, offers a menu that welcomes all palates, whether you’re looking for steak frites, bangers and mash, or vegan squash cassoulet. Look for seasonal offers, packages, and promotions that level up your stay with welcome cocktails, in-room treats, s’mores kits, and private sauna bookings.
NEARBY…
With a 1,600 vertical drop and 285 acres of trails, Windham offers 11 lifts and 97% snowmaking coverage. It is unusual in that the mountain is “public-private,” which means that park access is guaranteed for all skiers, but Windham Mountain Club members have access to year-round amenities. Lift lines and trails are impressively uncrowded—and both tickets and season passes can be purchased ahead of time. Read Windham Mountain Club’s ticket buying FAQs before you plan (and keep in mind that Hunter Mountain is only a 16-minute drive away if you’re looking for some variety in your downhill diet).
Browse contemporary fine art in this meditative gallery on Windham’s main drag that showcases original paintings, photography, and sculpture. It offers year-round programming (check in with its website) and represents more than 60 artists, both local and international.
In a region so packed with craft brewers and distillers, it’s refreshing to find a welcoming spot dedicated to the best of New York State wines sourced from the Finger Lakes to Long Island’s North and South Forks. Here, on four acres overlooking Windham Mountain, you can wind down with one or three glasses. NB: To preserve the intimacy of the Vineyard’s tasting room experience, reservations are required—happily, it’s a quick online process that you can click through 24/7.
IN CATSKILL
This gorgeously designed boutique collection of independent cabins is a Philip Johnson-esque fever dream where glass facades engage visitors with a direct experience of nature. Most offer spectacular—and mostly private—vistas of snowy forests, browsing deer, changing weather, you name it. You can happily snuggle in organic Piaule linens, watching the day pass, or you can take advantage of Piaule’s nature-spun experiences: forest bathing, yoga, sound baths, and group meditation. Don’t overlook its restorative spa offerings: massage (both couples and private, both Swedish and deep tissue), reiki, and facials. Its restaurant features spectacular views from a sleek, warmly minimalist interior, and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner serving seasonal food sourced from local farms and purveyors.
NEARBY…
Expect wildly sophisticated ceramic and porcelain tableware and home and garden furnishings at this Catskill atelier of Meg Oliver and Lucie Piedra. Their sleek cosmopolitan aesthetics (we especially love their Saturn pendant lamp) belie a locals-first commitment. They design, form, glaze, and fire their goods by hand in this storefront shop/studio on Catskill’s historic Main Street.
Tucked into the basement of a brick building steeped in Catskill’s industrial past is this reverent cidery making crisp, elegant European-style ciders from locally sourced apples. Upstairs is a convivial taproom that serves not only ciders and meads, but a bar menu and New York beers, wines, and spirits.
Catskill offers a handy bridge (literally) between the estates of two of the most luminous of the Hudson Valley School art luminaries. Here, the Thomas Cole National Historic Site preserves the home of the eponymous artist and environmentalist, which is sited to exploit staggering Hudson River views. Built on the ancestral lands of the Muh-he-conneok (the People of the Waters That Are Never Still), it was largely developed in the late 18th century and includes a main house (1815), a cottage (1797), an old studio (1839), and a new studio (1846). Be sure to check its website for programming and opening times before you visit and consider making it an art-and-history-filled day by hiking the spectacularly scenic six-mile roundtrip to Olana State Historic Site via the Hudson River Skywalk.
Built by a student of Cole’s (and far grander than his teacher’s homestead in Catskill), Olana was never finished by its owner/designer/fantasist. Artist Frederic Church tweaked elements of the property through the entire period of his residence, one imagines, to the ire of his architect, Calvert Vaux. The residence looms over the Hudson River atop a natural slope on 250 acres, and its pick-and-choose approach to architectural styles—onion domes, dizzying tile patterns—was influenced by Church’s travels to Rome and the Middle East. Look for educational tours that showcase Olana’s interiors, exteriors, landscapes, and views. Before visiting, be sure to check opening times and available exhibitions and programming.
