Miriam W.
Yelp
I'm writing this review 3-4 years later, but my fondness for this place is that strong that I remember most details fairly vividly. That's how good it was.
LOCATION
Now, it's not a party town, and it's not a hip and happening area. This is an area for retreating, relaxing, and exploring. It's a lot of nature, the sort of thing you imagine when you hear the word "Catskills."
Let's also note, that I am a black female and the word "Catskills" both weirds me out and fills me with fascination. It is a place my people don't normally hang, and Massachusetts is a state we also don't normally hang in. I stick out like a sore thumb. That aside - I experienced very little weirdness other than occasional staring by townsfolk as I was out and about, and as to the hotel ...
SERVICE
As some have mentioned, I didn't get *exceptional* hotel service. But remember where you are. This is not a travel hub, a business hub, or a luxury hub. This is just a nice retreat for the quaint country stay. It's not a small and intimate B&B, it's not a resort. So I wasn't offended by my polite but not necessarily "warm" service. If I was in another type of place I may have been irritated but I was only a little surprised. But I think of it as a cultural difference - I'm from the West Coast. East Coast is just different. Californians are considered too warm and fuzzy and open. I figured the locals were just doing as normal and I should not be so sensitive.
My room was serviced every day, and I had breafkast included in my room and delivered to me every day. I think you're able to pick what you want in your box or call it down, they're a basic "content" to the breakfast and you can tweak (like say you want no milk and only orange juice or coffee, etc.)
ROOM
I too got the deluxe, a huge bed, a desk area, a seating area in front of the tv armoire, and a huge bathroom.
That bathroom blew my mind, it was gorgeous, the whole room felt very period-era, modernized but also country chic. But the bathroom - sophisticated, elegant, gleaming white and black tile, it was like something right out of Restoration Hardware and it made me tear up with joy at it's glory when I laid eyes on it. To be frank, I've never seen a bathroom like it since. There was just something different about it - in other glamorous bathrooms I've been in, they're usually using a pink or black marble, it's very "trite," vaguely nineties, dated looking, and has very little character. Even if the remodel is brand new, it looks like they're trying too hard to make class happen, but they're just boring or cheesy. But THIS bathroom? Glamorous.
The toiletries they provide - I had never heard of, and fell in love with. Some crisp luxury brand in yummy bottles. I'd use these over the stuff in the Four Seasons any day.
I will say that I recall there being an issue with an almost hospital-white fleurescent glare to the lighting, and extreme cold (March I think), and not being totally pleased with my shower head (weak water pressure or something, can't remember), but generally, the bathroom was a win.
The bed was just a bed, nothing special, the linens were a bit on the cottagey/grandma side to me but given the huge amount of space in the room and other amenities, I didn't mind.
Nice wood floors. The chair at the desk was not the most comfortable, but I believe there was internet. Can't remember if it was free, but I got my work/email on.
ADDITIONAL HOTEL STUFF
This not being a full service hotel, I think I had to wait around a while for someone to help me with my bags up the stairs; plus there's no room service.
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All in all, it served as a great spot for me for about 4-5 days - I was on a mix of a writer's retreat on my own plus attending a friend's wedding. We did some naturey hikey stuff in the vicinity but I didn't get too much time beyond that.
If I'm ever in this region again (unlikely, har har) I'd definitely stay here again.