Victorian Castle Overlooking Scenic Lake Mohonk

Named to Condé Nast Traveler's gold list and ranked as the number two resort spa in 2012, the historic Mohonk Mountain House perfectly balances its regal past and Old-World charm with highly prized modern amenities. The seven-story Victorian castle has overlooked Lake Mohonk since Albert Smiley purchased the property in 1869. A National Historic Landmark, it has stayed in the Smiley family across five generations.

Your stay at Mohonk Mountain House includes all meals, afternoon tea and cookies, and access to most of the resort’s activities. The property is surrounded by thousands of acres of pristine forests, mountain valleys, and miles of hiking trails. In the wintertime, you can take part in cross-country skiing, snow tubing, and showshoeing (weather permitting), or strap on skates and hit the 9,000-square-foot pavilion rink. Afterward, warm up with a cup of hot chocolate in front of a nearly 40-foot-tall stone fireplace.

Inside the hotel, there’s an award-winning spa with 16 treatment rooms, a solarium with a stone fireplace, a steam room and sauna, and an outdoor heated mineral pool. Complimentary use of the heated indoor pool is included, as well as yoga, Pilates, qigong, and water aerobics that are regularly scheduled at the comprehensive fitness center. Throughout the day, chefs create sumptuous and health-conscious meals from local ingredients, including a full hot breakfast buffet with an omelet station and waffle bar, hot and cold lunch buffets, and a traditional served dinner.

Classic rooms, some of which have balconies, overlook the mountains or gardens and are outfitted in light country-inspired decor. Victorian rooms keep warm with wood-burning fireplaces and offer stellar views from private balconies.

Hudson Valley, New York: Roosevelts, Huguenots, and the Mohonk Preserve

New York’s Hudson Valley begins just north of Manhattan, winding upward along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers all the way to northern Westchester County. The valley was once home to the Roosevelts and Vanderbilts, each of whom built historic estates in nearby Hyde Park. More history can be found on Huguenot Street in New Paltz—about 6 miles from Mohonk Mountain House—which is lined with a collection of stone-house museums built as far back as 1690. But the real gem of the Hudson Valley is the Mohonk Preserve, a nonprofit land trust that protects 7,500 acres of pristine mountain ridges, forests, and streams.

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