A “Hidden Gem” Inn in Upstate New York Nonetheless Exists — Learn Our Editor’s Evaluation

Some cliches, it seems, nonetheless maintain a kernel of fact. So once I arrived at Deer Mountain Inn, the luxurious lodge in Tannersville, New York, on a spring afternoon, I laughed when a staffer informed me, “We’re only a hidden gem up right here.”

You see, the thought of an undiscovered hidden gem tucked away on a secluded mountainside has turn out to be a little bit of travel-writing patter, a say-nothing flip of phrase that’s been so overused that it has misplaced all that means.

And but, the Deer Mountain Inn actually is one thing singular. That’s partly due to the wealthy heritage of this Catskills property, which traces its historical past again to the Eighties. Nowadays, the Royce household owns the lodge — additionally they personal Rhode Island’s inimitable Ocean Home — who’ve lately added to their six-room Catskills inn a set of 4 stand-alone cabins that really feel like personal woodland houses.

Then there’s the over-the-top design of the place, a rebuke to the concept that the one good lodge is one that appears as clean-lined as a Scandinavian practice station. Quite the opposite. Deer Mountain Inn proves that maximalism nonetheless performs, with an over-the-top look courtesy of inside designer Iliana Moore, whose imaginative and prescient “takes inspiration from Craftsman-style vintage furnishings and William Morris textiles, making a heat and welcoming ambiance,” as she places it.

My duplex cabin for a weekend keep this spring was actually heavy on the vibes, with a wood-paneled dwelling area stuffed to the first-floor ceiling with authentic vintage paintings and different decor, together with antlers, with window remedies made out of up-cycled Pendleton blankets and Adirondack-inspired, rustic-log balusters and furnishings. The look echoes the unimaginable interiors of the principle lodge constructing, which spans three flooring and is equally crammed with treasures.

“It’s my demented fantasy,” Moore informed me one morning as she confirmed me across the constructing, stating chestnut paneling, an Egyptian lamp, and a console desk hewn from a wrought-iron gate she uncovered in Buenos Aires. “It’s a little bit treasure hunt for the friends,” she stated, describing the numerous one-of-a-kind items that taste the inn.

The lodge additionally advantages from the cooking of Chef Corwin Kave, who helms the kitchen at Deer Mountain Inn. The eating room, which works by the identical title, is open to friends and most people, with a full bar room and a collection of intimate eating rooms on the lodge’s first flooring. The formidable menu choices on my go to included steelhead trout with sunflower curry, cavatelli with ramps foraged on the property, and tempura soft-shell crab. I used to be significantly taken by a pleasant bundle of roasted asparagus, topped with trout roe and crème fraîche, and a transcendent hunk of crusty sourdough, flecked with salt and served with a dish of house-cultured butter topped with za’atar. In different phrases, the eating was as distinctive and pleasant because the design.

For all of the exuberance, Deer Mountain Inn felt calm, with loads of studying nooks, climbing trails, and peaceable hideaways. One night, the workers organized sundowner cocktails at considered one of two rustic lean-tos on the property, a spot with a sweeping view of the mountains and a roaring campfire. The jaw-dropping charcuterie board they prepped would’ve been lots, however the staff remembered the bug spray and even supplied an Instax digicam for some lo-fi selfies. Some issues by no means exit of fashion.

Right here’s my evaluation of Deer Mountain Inn, the distinctive Catskills lodge in Tannersville, New York, a perfect year-round escape for anybody in search of a dose of nature.

The Rooms

Deer Mountain Inn has simply six rooms in the principle lodge constructing and 4 personal cabins. As befits a historic constructing, every of the six visitor rooms is exclusive, with options reminiscent of stone fireplaces, wealthy textiles, and vintage furnishings. Added in 2023 are 4 cabins, three of them similar, with a fourth constructed particularly to be accessible (see extra on that under).

I stayed in No. 3, named for Grace Gallatin Seton, the creator and suffragette, whereas others are named Burroughs, Dodge, and Dresser. My cabin spanned two ranges: a sitting space, moist bar, toilet, outside deck (with gasoline fireplace pit) downstairs, and a sleeping loft with a writing desk upstairs. The decor is tastefully distinctive, although the toilet is a up to date reprieve with marble, tile, and stone. Some friends would possibly discover the cabin too dimly lit, although I assumed it was appropriately moody.

Meals and Drink

My meals at Deer Mountain Inn have been unbelievable, with fabulous meals, terrific service, and a variety of cocktail, beer, and wine decisions (with non-alcoholic choices accessible), all supplied within the elegant first-floor eating room and fundamental lodge’s bar.

Dinner service, together with home sourdough and a menu heavy on regionally sourced and foraged components, was a selected spotlight. How native? On the evening I visited, some oysters plucked from the waters close to Deer Mountain Inn’s sibling property in Rhode Island have been supplied, topped with pickled spruce ideas from the Catskills. The intensive wine listing, which received a Wine Spectator award in 2023, runs for practically 60 pages and options quite a few rarities and “producer spotlights,” with a number of labels from a single vintner. Continental breakfast on the inn is included within the fee and is artfully introduced with bagels, spreads, fruits, and different buffet-style choices.

Actions and Facilities

Deer Mountain Inn seems like its personal world, with a community of climbing trails throughout the property, a spacious deck, fireplace pits, gardens, and a third-floor sitting room outfitted with an enormous TV (for film screenings or dwell sports activities), a classic pool desk, an honor bar, and a library. Particular person cabins have well-provisioned minibars as effectively. Two rustic lean-tos with sweeping mountain vistas are well worth the brief uphill hike (or, upon request, trip), significantly round sundown. One factor you received’t discover is a swimming pool — although there are a number of pure ponds and waterfalls inside a brief driving distance.

Household-friendly Choices

I didn’t see any children throughout my brief keep, however youthful friends are welcome, says the property’s occasions director, Maureen Tussing. “We’re family-friendly and have many video games and books accessible for kids in our attic lounge,” she defined. “We additionally usually arrange s’mores for households to get pleasure from after dinner. Our entrance garden is a superb place for garden video games and to run round.”

Accessibility and Sustainability

One of many 4 new cabins at Deer Mountain Inn is totally ADA compliant, constructed throughout one flooring relatively than two, as is the case for the opposite three cabins. “The primary lodge does have stairs and is sadly much less accessible because it was constructed within the Eighties,” Tussing informed Journey + Leisure. Deer Mountain Inn does have on its web site 3D excursions of the cabins, together with the ADA-compliant Burroughs cabin, which might help vacationers establish accessibility options (or obstacles) that could be of curiosity.

Location

The lodge is positioned about 125 miles north of New York Metropolis, at practically 2,500 ft. It’s near year-round points of interest, together with Hunter Mountain and Kaaterskill Falls, quite a few state-managed wilderness areas, and cities reminiscent of Kingston, Saugerties, and Woodstock. A automotive is crucial for getting round this stretch of New York.

The right way to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

Deer Mountain Inn is an unbiased lodge, so it’s not a part of a significant factors program. (It is attainable to order on the restaurant by Resy.) Room reservations open 90 days out; usually, mid-week stays are extra reasonably priced than in-demand weekends.