© Monhonk Mountain House
Positioned atop limestone bluffs in the heart of the Shawangunk (pronounced “Shown-gum”) Mountains lies a spectacular, historic, luxury resort known as the Mohonk Mountain House, which has the unique privilege of being family owned, for five generations, by the Smileys since its creation in 1869. The house, labeled a ‘Victorian Castle’, is situated on a very scenic 26,000 acres of state park lands, private preserves and resort property. In 1986, the house was designated a National Historic Landmark.
The house itself, which has been added onto over the years, is a jumble of different buildings designed to meld into one large resort. An old stone castle with wrought iron balconies mingle with more rustic looking wooden additions sporting green paint, and somehow it works.
Walking through the inn, you’ll find much of the original carved woodwork, period furnishings, hallways lined with family portraits and photos of the house over the years, and many fireplaces, which unfortunately weren’t burning for our September visit. Many of the more expensive rooms also offer this type of Victorian charm. Our room was small, yet cozy and decorated in a cottage style with a red, white and green color palate. The room was perfectly fine, but definitely didn’t display the same warmth and charm as those more expensive rooms in other parts of the inn.
© Mohonk Mountain House
Every room is equipped with a balcony and rocking chairs provided to take in the picturesque views of Lake Mohonk or stunning panorama of the Rondout Valley and Catskill Mountains, depending on your room’s orientation. I appreciated the free, lightning fast WiFi in the rooms, which could be upgraded to uber-lightning-fast for a fee.
An activities schedule is posted daily, which offers guests info on sunrise and sunset times, guided tours of the house, fitness classes, swim schedules, dining times and evening entertainment, which includes a movie and a talk or presentation on the history and wildlife at the inn. Being a kid friendly resort, there is even a section on children’s activities. One such nature-related activity that caught my eye was a special journal where children and adults alike could catalogue their daily encounters with the wildlife seen on the property. Sightings and stories of owls, squirrels, deer, chipmunks, snakes and fox were all present.
© Robin Locker Lacey
The property itself boasts 85 miles on over 2200 acres of marked trails and roads, ranging from easy walks to rough, rocky terrain, making it a perfect spot for folks of all fitness levels to explore and commune with nature. Both visitors and guests alike can relax, read or take in the picture-perfect views in one of over 125 summerhouses precariously perched on cliffs or nestled along trails on the grounds. The rustic gazebos, which once numbered over 155, remain a popular symbol of Mohonk – it’s their official logo!
The resort and property are open year-round and offer outdoor activities which change along with the seasons. In the warmer months, golf, tennis and enjoying the lake by rowboat, paddle boat or canoe are available to overnight guests. Winter brings snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing and ice-skating in the covered pavillion complete with a roaring outdoor fireplace.
© Mohonk Mountain House
Meals, which are included in the overnight room rate, consisted of a buffet breakfast with a fresh omelette station, a buffet lunch, and a four-course dinner for which reservations were required, as well as proper attire which is advertised as jackets for gentleman. We came prepared but found the dinner jacket rule was very relaxed, if non-existent. We saw several men sans jackets seated in the dining room which made me wonder why they would require jackets if the rule wasn’t enforced. It may be better to just refrain from letting anyone dine in shorts, jeans or dripping wet bathing suits. In the warmer months, dinner offers the option of a casual outdoor barbecue or a lobster bake, which overlooks the lake.
The food was very good, the selection varied and the wait staff friendly and professional – but that said, I wouldn’t plan a visit simply for the food. Meals are all served in a very large dining hall, which of course lacks intimacy, but if you are lucky enough to score a table near the large windows, you’ll enjoy your meal with a lovely view. Overnight guests who want to forgo the free dining also have the option of paying for room service or dining on lighter fare in the smaller, Carriage Lounge.
© Robin Locker Lacey
The Afternoon Tea and Cookies that are served daily from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Lake Lounge, is a nice touch. If the weather cooperates, you can enjoy your snack out on the lodge porch and sit on a rocker on one of the two levels, which both overlook Lake Mohonk.
Mohonk’s most recent addition is an award-winning, eco-friendly, 30,000 square-foot spa , which Travel & Leisure named one of the Top Three Spas in the Continental US and Canada for 2010. We were excited at the thought of a couple’s massage, until we saw that the rate was $380 before the automatic 18% gratuity that would be added on. The massage might be deep, but our pockets weren’t, so instead we opted for a $20 day pass that entitles an overnight guest to full use of the mineral pool, sauna and steamroom, while donning a large white comfy robe and spa slippers, for the entire day from 7am until 8pm.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time together relaxing in the outdoor mineral pool with jacuzzi jets and our complimentary tea and water while warming ourselves in front of a fire in the co-ed solarium. However, we had to part ways to enjoy the sauna and steamrooms in the same-sex locker rooms, which was a bit disappointing, but understandable. A lovely added touch in the women’s locker room was complimentary chilled cucumber slices for your eyes and a refreshing cold camomile spray facial toner.
For the budget minded, Mohonk offers no shortage of special packages and theme vacations, depending on the season, which I would encourage you to take advantage of. Romantic Couple’s Weekends, Spa Weekends, Weight Loss and Wellness, Stargazing Programs, Ballroom Dancing, and Photographer’s Weekends are just a few of the over 50 special options that I counted. There is certainly something for everyone at Mohonk!
Those just wanting to visit and hike the beautiful grounds can do so for the daily rate of $20 per person mid-week and $25 per person on the weekends, which entitles you to full access of the grounds, but not the inn. Day passes {from 7am to dusk} are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis, and limited to the capacity of the visitor’s parking area, which fills up quickly on peak foliage weekends. My advice is to get there very early.
This post couldn’t possibly cover every morsel of fascinating history, the philosophy, the amazing nature experiments involving the Peregrine Falcon, and everything else Mohonk has to offer. So I encourage you to spend hours perusing Mohonk’s website or read either of these two books, which I own personally and highly recommend:
You can also view more of my own personal photos of Mohonk Mountain House in my Flickr photo stream.
But honestly, the other thing I highly encourage you to do is plan a visit. If time or budget prevents you from a lengthy sojourn, come for at least for a day. A very long, fun, relaxing, rejuvenating, nature-inspired day.