This winter, refresh your harried soul not in Sun Valley nor Stowe, but Shandaken. If the quiet Catskills hamlet is not on your radar, it soon will be, in no small part thanks to the Shandaken Inn. Dating back to the 1920’s, when it served as the clubhouse for the celebrated Rip Van Winkle Golf Course, the lodge hosted guests for nearly 100 years before closing for the current reimagining. For a soft opening this month, and a formal debut in February, the 15-room inn has been re-done as a high-end, year-round escape that pays homage to the region’s historic summer camps and resorts.
A re-imagined room at the Inn Photo: by Hugh Joyner, courtesy Shandaken Inn
“Opening the Shandaken Inn is a huge dream come true for all of us, and it’s been fantastic watching our vision to create your ‘home in the Catskills’ come to life,” says owner Jay Jacobs, who is also CEO and major owner of the TLC Family of Camps & Inns, founder of SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education) and chairman of Project Heal the Children (not to mention Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee.) “Our hope is that guests will feel a sense of comfort and peace when visiting the Inn, where they can disconnect from the everyday stresses of life.”
The Inn was once a golf course clubhouse Photo: Courtesy of Shandaken Inn
As a nod to the golden era of Catskills retreats, each of the seven rooms and eight suites has been named after a historic resort or summer camp; the Concord Master Suite, for example, is a reference to The Concord Resort Hotel, which was the area’s most lavish getaway in the 1950’s. Other notes to the past are scattered throughout (like the vintage phone booth from the original Inn), but the rooms themselves are modern rustic chic, courtesy of New York-based interior designer Alise Yang of AY Designs; expect La Lune and Old Hickory furniture, textured wallpapers from Philip Jeffries, Frette linens and robes, and sweeping mountain views.Phillip
The Concord Suite
After you’ve settled in your suite, you may very well decide to break out the cask-aged Macallan and laze the afternoon away by your fireplace. If you can tear yourself away, the Inn’s 12 sylvan acres also house a tennis court, heated pool, fitness center (with Peloton bikes), and—opening in February—a restaurant and bar. Off-property, enjoy the Catskills winter with cross-country-skiing or snowshoeing, skiing at nearby Belleayre and Hunter mountains, and visits to breweries or distilleries (our picks include Catskill Distilling Company, Tuthilltown Spirits, and Woodstock Brewing). In warmer months, let the inn set you up on a guided fly fishing excursion with Esopus Creel, ziplining at Hunter Mountain, or a scenic hike. Any time of year, be sure to book a private yoga class at Catskills Yoga House, which also has a partnership with the property. Suite rates start at $225; the Inn can be bought out for exclusive use starting at $3,876 per night.
