The best luxury weekend getaways near New York City: 5 properties worth knowing about
A Victorian castle on 40,000 acres. A private lake in the Catskills where the guest count is deliberately tiny. A Rockefeller Great Camp with black-tie dinner and 11 rooms. An Auberge resort with meadow views and a fireside cocktail situation that’s hard to leave. And a Gilded Age estate 90 minutes from Manhattan. Five properties, five completely different experiences.
Not every extraordinary trip requires a passport.
I plan a lot of Italy. A fair amount of Scotland, Spain, and beyond. I have clients whose custom itineraries span three countries and two weeks. But one of the questions I get asked most often, especially right now, when transatlantic airfare is what it is, is simpler: where can I go that’s genuinely luxurious, genuinely restorative, and doesn’t require a full travel day to get there?
Photo©: Olegana Travel Boutique, Anna Fishman
The answer, if you’re based in the Northeast, is closer than most people realize. Within two to three hours of New York City, there are properties I put in the same category as the finest hotels I’ve stayed in anywhere in Europe: exceptional food, serious spa programs, and the kind of considered hospitality that makes you feel, from the moment you arrive, that someone has thought carefully about your experience.
The five properties below are the ones I know well and recommend most. They look similar on paper. They’re completely different experiences. Here’s how to think about which one is right for you.
Mohonk Mountain House — New Paltz, NY (Hudson Valley)
Mohonk is one of the most remarkable properties in the entire Northeast, and it’s consistently underestimated because it’s been there for so long. A Victorian castle sitting at 1,200 feet above the Hudson Valley, surrounded by 40,000 acres of protected forest on the Shawangunk Ridge.
Photo©: Olegana Travel Boutique, Anna Fishman & wikipedia/Fred Hsu
The scale of the place is what gets you first. Then the farm-to-table dining, which draws from the property’s own gardens and local Hudson Valley producers. Then the spa, which has won more awards than I can list. Then the trails: 85 miles of them, through forests and along cliff edges, with the Valley spread out below you.
Best for: Couples who want genuine outdoor immersion alongside serious luxury. Families who want space, activity, and the kind of old-fashioned generosity that makes a property feel like it was built for guests rather than for Instagram.
Wildflower Farms — Gardiner, NY (Hudson Valley)
Photo©: Wildflower Farms Auberge Collection
Wildflower Farms is an Auberge Resorts property, which tells you something about the level of hospitality before you’ve even arrived. Auberge builds properties the way I plan trips: with an obsessive attention to the details that most guests never consciously notice but always feel.
Set in the Hudson Valley foothills near the Shawangunk climbing area, the property is built around meadow views, farm-to-table dining sourced almost entirely from the property’s own land, and a physical design that feels contemporary and rooted in the landscape simultaneously. The fireside cocktail situation is exceptional.
Best for: Couples who want something that feels current and design forward, where the luxury is quiet and effortless rather than grand. Also the property I’d recommend for a girlfriends’ weekend where the group wants to feel genuinely taken care of without the formality of a more historic hotel.
The Chatwal Lodge — Sullivan County, NY (Catskills)
Photo©: The Chatwal Lodge
The Chatwal Lodge sits on a private lake in the Catskills, and the experience it delivers is built entirely around that fact. Stone fireplaces, nature trails, kayaks on the water, and a stillness that’s increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
This isn’t a property that competes on scale or breadth of amenities. It competes on intimacy and depth. The number of guests on the property at any given time is deliberately small, the service is correspondingly attentive, and the overall feeling is of having found somewhere that not everyone knows about. Which, relatively speaking, is accurate.
Best for: Couples who want genuine seclusion. Anyone who needs a reset that involves actual quiet rather than a spa menu. Anyone who’s been to the bigger, more famous properties and wants something that feels more private.
The Point — Saranac Lake, NY (Adirondacks)
Photo©: The Point Resort
The Point is in a different category from the other properties on this list, and it knows it. A five-star Relais & Châteaux property on Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks, originally built as a Great Camp for the Rockefeller family, it operates more like a private house party than a hotel.
There are eleven rooms. Meals are communal, served at a single long table. The dress code for dinner is black tie on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The lake is yours. The boats are yours. The extraordinary Adirondack wilderness surrounds you in every direction.
Best for: A significant anniversary, a honeymoon, or any occasion where the experience itself needs to be as memorable as the destination. One of the most romantic properties on the entire East Coast, and one of the most genuinely exclusive. Note: guests must be 21+ (unless you book the entire property exclusively, in which case children of all ages are welcome). Requires booking well in advance.
Glenmere Mansion — Chester, NY (Hudson Valley)
Photo©: Glenmere Mansion
Glenmere is a Gilded Age estate less than 90 minutes from Manhattan, which makes it the easiest answer on this list for someone who wants true luxury without much of a drive. Built in 1911 and restored with the kind of care that preserves what makes a building extraordinary rather than smoothing it into generic luxury.
The dining at Glenmere is genuinely world-class, which separates it from most country house hotels. The grounds are beautiful. The rooms are individually designed, with the personality and specificity that comes from a property that treats each space as distinct rather than replicating a formula.
Best for: A special dinner that extends into a night. Couples celebrating something in an elegant setting. Anyone who wants the country house hotel experience without the longer drive. Note: Glenmere is adults only, guests must be 16 or older. No children.
Not sure which property is right for you?
I’ve been to these properties. I know which one fits which kind of trip. Tell me who’s going and what you need, and I’ll tell you where to book.
How to choose: the quick guide
Photo©: Mohonk Mountain House
For outdoor immersion + grand scale:
Mohonk Mountain House. 40,000 acres, 85 miles of trails, award-winning spa, Victorian grandeur.
Photo©: Wildflower Farms Auberge Collection
For contemporary quiet + design:
Wildflower Farms. Auberge hospitality, meadow views, farm-to-table from their own land, exceptional cocktails.
Photo©: The Chatwal Lodge
For seclusion on water:
The Chatwal Lodge. Private lake, deliberately small guest count, genuine stillness.
Photo©: The Point Resort
For once-in-a-lifetime exclusivity:
The Point. 11 rooms, Rockefeller Great Camp, black-tie dinner, Relais & Châteaux, communal table.
Photo©: Glenmere Mansion
For elegant + close to NYC:
Glenmere Mansion. Gilded Age estate, world-class dining, 90 minutes from Manhattan.
Photo©: Wildflower Farms Auberge Collection
For a girlfriends’ weekend:
Wildflower Farms or Mohonk both deliver the right combination of pampering, space, and ease.
Photo©: Mohonk Mountain House
For families:
Mohonk, hands down. Wildflower Farms is also a great option. Note that The Point (21+) and Glenmere (16+) are adults only.
Who these getaways are perfect for
Photo©: The Chatwal Lodge
Couples who need a reset now, not in six months:
You don’t need to wait for a European trip to feel restored. Two nights at the right property can do more for you than a week at the wrong one.
Photo©: Getty Images
Anyone priced out of transatlantic airfare right now:
The money you save on flights can go directly into a better room, a better dinner, and a better experience. Some of these properties rival the best hotels in Europe.
Photo©: Mohonk Mountain House
Girlfriends’ groups looking for the right weekend:
Wildflower Farms and Mohonk are both exceptional for groups who want luxury without stuffiness.
Photo©: Mohonk Mountain House
Families who want quality time without screens:
Mohonk’s 85 miles of trails, farm-to-table dining, and Victorian castle setting create the kind of unplugged family weekend that becomes a tradition.
Photo©: The Point Resort
Honeymooners and anniversary couples:
The Point is one of the most romantic properties on the East Coast. Black tie, communal table, Rockefeller legacy, eleven rooms. It’s not just a getaway, it’s an experience.
Why a travel advisor for a domestic getaway?
Photo©: Olegana Travel Boutique, Anna Fishman
I plan domestic travel with the same level of care I bring to Italy and Europe: the right property matched to the right traveler, the right room requested, dinner reserved at the right table, every detail handled. These five properties look similar in a Google search. The experiences they deliver are fundamentally different. Knowing which one fits your specific moment whether that’s a romantic anniversary, a girlfriends’ reset, or a family weekend is what I do.
Europe will always be there. The reset you need right now might be two hours away.
Anna Fishman is the visionary and soulful force behind Olegana Travel Boutique, orchestrating transformative journeys where meticulously curated adventures meet authentic connection and exquisite, bespoke exploration.
Ready to book your weekend?
Tell me who’s going and what kind of escape you need. I’ll match you with the right property and handle everything from there.
Let’s find your perfect getaway. Grab a time on my calendar for a free consultation here!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Glenmere Mansion in Chester, NY. This is less than 90 minutes from Manhattan. Wildflower Farms and Mohonk are both about two hours. The Chatwal Lodge is roughly 2.5 hours. The Point in the Adirondacks is the furthest at about 4–5 hours, but the drive is part of the experience.
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The Point on Saranac Lake is in a class of its own for romance, 11 rooms, Relais & Châteaux, communal dining, black-tie evenings, a Rockefeller Great Camp. For something closer, Glenmere’s elegant setting and world-class dining make for a beautiful anniversary night.
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Mohonk Mountain House is exceptional for families, 85 miles of trails, farm-to-table dining, kids’ programming, and enough space that everyone has room to breathe. Wildflower Farms also welcomes families beautifully. Important: The Point is 21+ only (unless you book the entire property), and Glenmere Mansion is adults only (guests must be 16+). The Chatwal Lodge is best suited to couples seeking seclusion.
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Wildflower Farms for a design-forward, pampered experience without formality. Mohonk if the group wants more space, activity, and a grander setting. Both deliver beautifully for groups.
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These properties look similar online but deliver very different experiences. Knowing which room to request, which dinner to reserve, and which property matches your specific trip is where a travel advisor adds real value — even for a weekend two hours away.
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Fall (October) is stunning for foliage across all five. Spring and summer are ideal for outdoor activities. Winter works beautifully for Mohonk (skating, snow trails) and The Point (frozen lake, fireside). Wildflower Farms is lovely year-round.