East Wind, Gurney's, Mohonk Mountain House and more hotels offering all-in-one experiences
Guests use canoes and paddle boats at the Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in Highland, NY. Credit: Jeremy Bales
Looking for a getaway with an all-inclusive resort vibe, but you have limited vacation days? We've got you covered. Independent hotels on Long Island and upstate New York offer amenities that will make you feel like you're at a resort, minus the flight. Some have vast spa facilities; others offer unique on-site boutique shopping. Guests can eat, shop and drink a stone’s throw from their room or walk a short distance to see concerts and entertainment.
LONG ISLAND
American Beech
300 Main St., Greenport; 631-477-5939, americanbeech.com
The Monkey lounge at the American Beech hotel in Greenport. Credit: Randee Daddona
American Beech in quaint downtown Greenport is a mini village unto itself. Thirteen rooms, suites and apartments with their own entrances are clustered around a tiny plaza called Stirling Square, right off Main Street. The lively complex, geared toward adults, includes a boutique selling apparel and candles; the American Beech Restaurant, a chic bar open all year; Black Llama Bar; and 1943 Pizza Bar, an artisanal pizza place.
The rooms are decorated in crisp black and white, with bright pops of color. Each is configured differently, some featuring wooden beams and exposed brick, as they’ve been carved out of a vintage building. Complimentary breakfast — bagels, yogurt, fruit and coffee — is delivered in a basket every morning. In one corner of the square at the Black Llama Bar, guests recline on velvet seats and sip specialty cocktails like the Whiskey Business (coconut-infused Scotch and aromatic bitters) or the Hotter Older Brother (ghost pepper-infused mescal, honey, lemon).
The shopping boutique, which doubles as a reception area, has a similar sense of fun, stocking glittery earrings, art books, candles and other stylish souvenirs. The hotel’s eponymous restaurant serves an eclectic dinner menu with items meant for sharing: hummus with warm pita, burrata with roasted beets, cheese and charcuterie. Brunch is also served.
Cost Rates start at $195 per night
East Wind
5720 NY-25A, Wading River; 631-929-3500, eastwindlongisland.com
Guest can enjoy a hot whirlpool bath at East Wind Spa and Studio in Wading River.
This spacious hotel at the gateway to the North Fork has traditionally decorated rooms and suites in a bucolic setting.
The hotel’s 10,000-square-foot spa includes saunas, steam rooms, treatment rooms and a full-service hair and makeup salon. An indoor pool makes for year-round fun. Desmond’s, a full-service restaurant, offers lunch, dinner and a lavish Sunday brunch. Other dining options include Ruggero’s, a casual Italian restaurant, and Brezza Pizza Kitchen.
The resort is a popular spot for weddings and engagement celebrations, and appointments can be made for photography on its old-fashioned carousel to commemorate special occasions. The attraction is also open on weekends to visitors ($5 per ride or five ride tokens for $20). An on-site shopping village called The Shoppes is a destination in its own right. Stroll down winding brick paths, exploring local products at the North Fork Craft Gallery, trying on trendy Hoka sneakers at Sole Provisions, enjoying sweet and savory items from Sweet Melissa’s Candy Shoppe, Cheese and Spice Market and your spirits at Wines by Nature.
Cost Rates start at $129 during the week
Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa
290 Old Montauk Hwy., Montauk; 631-668-2345, gurneysresorts.com/montauk
Guests at Gurney's Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa, located in Montauk, hang at the heated seawater-fed pool. Credit: Gurney’s Resorts/Gurney’s Resorts
If it’s a scenic, full-service, activity-filled break you desire, look to Gurney’s for a seaside escape. Situated on a long stretch of Atlantic beach, its rooms, suites and cottages offer dramatic views. Guests visiting during sweater weather can enjoy prime leaf peeping, curl up with a book, or have shareable bites or a cocktail at the firepits. The Seawater Spa is known for its seawater- and marine-based therapies and includes a bath house with thermal pools, a seawater pool circuit, dry sauna, eucalyptus steam room, and heated stone bench. Other amenities include a fitness center with a full schedule of Pilates, yoga, boot camp and tai chi classes.
The hotel also has Camp Gurney's kids club on holiday weekends during the school year and daily through the summer season. Kids can make crafts, play in the indoor pool and try culinary activities like cookie decorating. The kids club also features family-friendly movie nights and "Dive in Movie" nights at the Seawater Pool. Camp Gurney's is available to Gurney's Montauk guests ages 12 and under. Children under age 5 must be accompanied by an adult.
Cost Rates midweek in fall and winter start at $445
Northport Hotel
225 Main St., Northport; 631-628-7000, thenorthporthotel.com
Lamb chops with Greek salad at the Northport Hotel. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
"Northport is such a great little town," says Kevin O’Neill, co-owner of the Northport Hotel. The only thing missing, he adds, was a place to stay. Since its opening last summer, this boutique hotel has filled that void. O’Neill likens the hotel and its setting to counterparts in coastal Maine or the Hamptons, but without the long drive.
Located in a vintage building on a prime corner in Northport, the hotel has stylishly appointed rooms furnished in mid-century modern style. Marble bathrooms feature double sinks and heated floors.
Upon check-in, guests are greeted with a champagne toast and sweets and each morning, visitors can savor a complimentary chef's a la carte breakfast. Have dinner at the hotel's restaurant with a menu featuring seafood, pastas, salads, flatbreads and more. Located on Main Street, the hotel is steps away from the harbor and directly across from the John W. Engeman Theater, known for its Broadway-quality productions. The hotel's prime location allows guests to explore Northport's charming offerings, including shopping, nightlife, art galleries and the Northport Historical Society and Museum.
Cost Rates start at $450 per night
NEW YORK STATE
Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center
356 Villa Roma Rd., Callicoon; 800-533-6767, villaroma.com
One of the more affordable options in the region, Villa Roma prides itself as offering "a cruise ship on land" ambience. Choose from 150 rooms and 200 one- and two-bedroom suites, the latter with kitchen and living room areas. Nearby, the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts celebrates the rock and roll era in a museum on the site of the 1969 Woodstock music festival. An "All-Inclusive Fun Stay" (rates start at $165 midweek and $204 on weekends) covers breakfast and dinner, and extras such as bumper boats, go-karts, zip line and indoor bowling.
Cost Midweek rates starting at $165, $75 per child
Rocking Horse Ranch Resort
600 State Rte. 44/55, Highland; 800-647-2624, rockinghorseranch.com
Guests participate in horse riding at the Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in Highland, NY. Credit: Jeremy Bales
Still riding high since it was opened in 1958 by two New York City natives, Rocking Horse lives up to its reputation as one of the nation’s largest dude ranches with a daily horse parade. More than 100 horses can be saddled up year-round for rides on 500 acres of trails. Put on the feed bag in the Longhorn Dining Room with three included meals daily from a 40-item breakfast buffet, a lunchtime spread including salad bar and, for dinner, choices such as applewood-smoked Kansas City barbecue. Guests looking for fresh-air fun can enjoy horseback riding, boating on the private lake and three-sided rock climbing wall. Magic shows, live music and comedy performances are on tap nightly at the Silverado Saloon.
Cost Starting at $499 per night for up to four people
Mohonk Mountain House
1000 Mountain Rest Rd., New Paltz; 855-274-4020, mohonk.com
The exterior of the Mohonk Mountain House resort, located in New Paltz, N.Y. Credit: Mohonk Mountain House
A National Historic Landmark towering over scenic Lake Mohonk, this grand castle in the mountains hosts up to 600 guests in Victorian-style rooms, suites and the more-private Grove Lodge, an easy walk from the Mountain House, with its stone fireplace and a cozy Great Room.
Kathy Coley, of Port Washington, a retired college administrator, visited last winter with her daughter and 4-year-old grandson. "It’s like the resort in ‘Dirty Dancing,’ it’s very family-friendly," Coley says. The menu in the mountain-view main dining room "appeals to the young ones" as well as offering "local vegetables and plant-based options," Coley says.
Farm-to-table dining includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, and if you have room for more, afternoon tea and cookies. Whether you're hiking the over 85-miles of scenic trails or taking in views of the lake and cliffs from the porch or your balcony, the unique beauty of Mohonk surrounds you, especially in the fall months. Daily activities run from hiking up to Sky Top Tower, guided naturalist-led wildlife hikes, to archery to toasting marshmallows around a campfire. Find peace and tranquility in a wellness or fitness class. Fill the quiet hours with live music, trivia contests, family-friendly stand-up comedy and movies with popcorn provided.
Cost Starting at $1,174 for two per night