Mohonk Mountain House
Resort hotel · Ulster County
1000 Mountain Rest Rd, New Paltz, NY 12561
Highlights
Victorian castle resort offering all-inclusive packages, spa, golf
Victorian castle resort offering all-inclusive packages, spa, golf
"When I last stayed there with my kids, my father joined us last minute and Nina Smiley, director of mindfulness, found him a cot and personally toured him around the property, sharing stories—an intimate example of how the Smiley family, which has run Mohonk since 1869, blends family stewardship with hospitality. The resort is structured more like a trust than a typical business (no Smileys take dividends; only working family members are paid), they reinvest everything—including a multi-million-dollar overhaul of the kitchen and operations building that replaced an 1880s structure—and that long-view ethos showed during the pandemic when they cut capacity dramatically but kept most of the 800 employees on the payroll; the property remains almost completely television-free and family-friendly, summed up by the refrain “let nature be the entertainment.”" - Heidi Mitchell
"A historic, family-owned Victorian resort perched on a lake and surrounded by rugged ridgeline, featuring an award-winning spa, farm-to-table dining, and a broad seasonal roster of outdoor activities—from snowshoeing and ice skating in winter to canoeing and hiking in warmer months." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"An iconic, family‑owned Hudson Valley resort founded in 1869, this all‑inclusive Victorian castle-in-the-woods delivers meals (including afternoon tea) and many activities for overnight guests and leverages its setting inside the 40,000‑acre Mohonk Preserve. Winter options include inner-tubing and outdoor ice skating beside a glacial lake; warmer months bring hiking, horseback trails, swimming and paddling on the lake, and lawn sports, with evening outdoor movies (summer) or fireside marshmallow roasting. The kids’ club runs daily mid‑June through early September (weekends and holidays otherwise). Accessible guest rooms and public spaces are available; rates start at about $800 per night." - Sarah Bruning Sarah Bruning Sarah Bruning is the special projects and surveys editor at Travel + Leisure, where she has been on staff since 2018. She assigns stories across the magazine, primarily for the Experiences section and feature well. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Perched on a clifftop 90 miles north of New York City, this fifth-generation-owned lake retreat emphasizes gadget-free outdoor adventures for kids—frog hunting at the complimentary kids club, rock climbing, and illuminated nighttime disc golf—alongside mindfulness meditation programs and multigenerational lodging options like the six-bedroom Grove Lodge." - Nina Kokotas Hahn
"A historic, family-operated mountain resort owned by the Smiley Family since 1869, offering a Junior Naturalist Program where kids can learn animal tracking, bird and tree identification, fossil hunting, and more. The property maintains over 85 miles of trails for hiking, biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, plus gardens, a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, an ice-skating pavilion, horseback riding, and a glacier-formed lake ideal for boating, fishing, and swimming. Overnight rates include historic accommodations, three meals, afternoon tea and cookies, and most resort activities; accessibility and valet parking services are provided." - Amanda Eyre Ward Amanda Eyre Ward Amanda Eyre Ward is a New York Times-bestselling novelist whose novel THE JETSETTERS was a Reese's Book Club pick. Amanda writes about travel, food, and wellness for Travel + Leisure, Texas Monthly, Afar, Fodors, PaperCity, Matador, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
