Kristie B.
Yelp
Let me preface the following review with a bit of weather-related background. We stayed at Kate's this past mid-July, where the temperatures in Upstate New York can reach a 100 with almost a 100 per cent humidity. And indeed, the day weekend we stayed, it was fortunate enough (insert super sarcasm) to hit both. Needless to say, A/C was going to be imperative, even more so if you are staying in a small metal box, in full sun, not designed to handle Mother's Nature red-hot fast-balls. So, yes, we stayed in one of the quirky designed Airstream 'Cabins' that Kate's prides itself on. And yes, the a/c broke down. Of course, it was not noticed that it happened until the moment we checked in. So, basically we were given a shrug and a 'hopefully the repairman can come tomorrow' response. Say what?? It was easily about 105 inside the Airstream and we pretty much left to fend for ourselves. Not even offered a fan. If you were going to be renting out Airstreams during one of the hottest weekends of the year wouldn't you make sure they were all up and running in ever capacity. If I had been someone prone to illness there is no way I could have survived inside what was basically an enormous oven. Since we had rented a car to drive to Kate's we ended getting back in and driving off to town to find an air-conditioned restaurant where hopefully upon returning we could sort-of sleep inside the Airstream. The next day, waiting out the repairman, who showed up about four hours late and promptly said 'It's just being over-worked, it can't handle this heat. There is nothing I can do", then turned around and left. Again, I made my way up to the main desk-to find a sign on the door that if no one was in someone would be there soon and if it was an emergency then there was number to call. I called the number, as it this point we had no electricity at all in the Stream, and the woman on the phone pretty much told yes, we know of the situation someone will be there soon. So, my husband and I basically sat the rest of the afternoon out in the 100 degree heat while waiting on someone to bring us a fan. In the end, since we enjoyed the area so much, we made a pact we would not let Kate's ruin our entire experience but they really almost did. And, after all that we weren't even offered any compensation for having no choice (as all area hotels were booked) to just put up with the ridiculousness. I still have a weird sweat smell in my travel bag.
Now, Kate's is a bit like a campground, there are a few actual rooms in a pseudo-sort of hotel/cabin-like building, but for the most part the Kate's piece-de-resistance are the Airstreams. Each with their own theme (ours was 'Tiki'), they are very self-contained little units with an almost-full kitchen, tiny sitting area, and an extraordinarily small bathroom (if you were over a 180 pounds or six feet tall I have no idea how you would use it). If we had not had such terrible experience with our Airstream and then even worse service once it all unraveled, I wouldn't be writing a negative review. I can say almost wholeheartedly I will not be returning to Kate's. I feel like jerk for having stayed through the whole weekend.