The Hudson Valley has lately become the epicenter of experimental, artistic, and creative design, and the swiftly growing culture of boutique hospitality destinations is no exception. From a brand new bespoke luxury hotel on Hudson's Warren Street to a remote converted Catskills motor lodge, deciding where to book your latest weekend escape has become increasingly challenging.
In this selection, we have chosen six avant-garde hotels and inns that have excelled in their design choices and unique curated experiences. Every one of our selections has a variety of additional offerings that can help fill your stay with fun activities, and all have highly-rated restaurants with inventive menus.
The (Micro) Urban Experience:
The Maker Hotel
Hudson, NY
Photography via The Maker
The Maker Hotel is the latest and much-anticipated venture from creative directors Lev Glazman, Alina Roytberg, and Damien Janowicz; the former two being the co-founders of the celebrated beauty brand Fresh. With a focus on curated, emotional interior design and intimately constructed experiences, the Maker Hotel brings one back to an era of hotel culture long gone, while matching the needs of modern life and luxury desires.
The Maker’s rooms are cozy, elaborate, and indulgent, featuring furniture and textiles from talented local and global designers. The hotel is comprised of only 11 rooms; each space is generous in size and unique in its layout and design, making your reservation a challenging choice. Our favorite selection? The Gardener suite, where wrought-iron screens, floral art, and warm, moody furnishings coexist perfectly.
Make sure not to miss a meal at their newly opened restaurant led by executive chef Michael Poiarkoff, and try to fit in time to alternate between their lounge, outdoor terrace, newly opened gym, library, and private pool.
Rivertown Lodge
Hudson, NY
Just up the road from the Maker Hotel is Rivertown Lodge - a converted historic motel with a striking, retro silhouette. The owners, Ray Pirkle and Kim Bucci, collaborated with the NYC and Hudson Valley-based design studio Workstead and several local craftsmen and artists to create a uniquely fresh hospitality experience.
Photography via The Rivertown Lodge
The rooms have been styled with comforting natural tones, extensive woodwork, and pops of color and eccentricity, creating the perfect in-town, upstate getaway.
Don't miss the food and drinks available at the Rivertown Lodge's cozy Tavern, where the dinner and brunch menus are intentionally concise and well thought out.
Hotel Kinsley
Kingston, NY
Photography via Hotel Kinsley
If you're looking to explore design and architecture on the other side of the river, Kingston's Hotel Kinsley is an ideal introduction. Located in Kingston's charming historic district and spread throughout four unique 19th-century buildings, Kinsley features refreshing interiors with unique furnishings, considered use of diverse materials, and an abundance of greenery. Room and suite color palettes are present, but not distracting, creating a serene and peaceful space to rest.
The hotel is not only known for its thoughtful design and timeless spaces but also the lauded Restaurant Kinsley. Born of the collaboration between renowned Chef Zak Pelaccio, restaurateur Taavo Somer, and developer Charles Blaichman, Restaurant Kinsley offers New American cuisine featuring seasonal, locally sourced dishes.
For the Budding Ruralist:
Photography via Scribner’s Catskill Lodge
Scribner’s Catskill Lodge
Hunter, NY
Built on the site of the circa 1800s Hunter Mountain Prospect House, Scribner's Catskill Lodge is the perfect marriage between a nostalgic 1960s Catskills rural retreat and a modern, chic escape in a burgeoning Hudson Valley area.
The Brooklyn-based design collective Studio Tack, known for their exceptional work in the global hospitality and restaurant industries (and locally for their work on Germantown's popular eatery, Gaskins), has helped give Scribner's an eclectic and cozy atmosphere. Textured white walls and dark maple floors are paired with rustic, colorful textiles and carefully-selected vintage rugs.
In addition to its 38 guest rooms, the lodge has bountiful gardens, a large pool, indoor gathering spaces with fireplaces, and an outstanding restaurant, Prospect.
Hasbrouck House
Stone Ridge, NY
Photography via Hasbrouck House
Settled into fifty rolling acres of land in the Ulster County hamlet Stone Ridge, Hasbrouck House is a simple, yet luxurious hotel created in a historically significant 18th Century Dutch Colonial stone house.
The hotel was designed by Akiva Reich & Co to preserve and restore the historical authenticity of this unique property while creating modern spaces for contemporary experiences. Wood floors, historic windows, warm brick, marble, and opulent carpets are common themes in the hotel's rooms, which are spread out over three buildings. New to the hotel's offerings is the Cottage; a private and recently restored two-story home with 3 bedrooms.
On its grounds, you will find the property's summer pièce de résistance - a landmark, 100-year-old pool with a stylish lounge area.
Hasbrouck House is also home to Butterfield, a farm-to-table restaurant featuring colorful and fresh manipulations of the Hudson Valley's finest culinary productions. For those seeking a casual evening, make sure to visit the hotel's Club Room, catch a film at their Sunset Flix outdoor cinema series, or dine at Butterfield's down-to-earth sister restaurant, Butcher & Bar.
The DeBruce
Livingston Manor, NY
Brought to us by Foster Supply, a Catskills-based hospitality group, The DeBruce is simultaneously an experience of evocative design and awe-inspiring natural beauty. Overlooking Willowemoc Valley and 600 acres of private parkland featuring mountains, a river, and several large ponds, this rustic hotel is the perfect escape into the rugged beauty of the Catskills.
Photos by Lawrence Braun via The DeBruce
The DeBruce has only 14 guest rooms, several with expansive views, and all featuring premium linens, natural color palettes, and plenty of cozy details. Common areas for all guests include the Great Room, a central gathering place with Catskills-themed design motifs, the Conservatory, the perfect place to curl up and read a book near the original stone fireplace, and the Tackle Room, a place to prepare for the outdoor adventures that await you just on the other side of the hotel's doors.
There is no doubt that half of the beauty in your stay at the DeBruce is experiencing its surroundings, and we recommend you get acquainted with their five-mile trail system (guides available) and try fly-fishing at their private riverfront access (lessons available).
