Scribner’s Catskill Lodge Is Our Favorite New York City Weekend Getaway
I love New York, but sometimes the grind of the city wears on you, and you need to getaway from it all. We fell in love with Upstate NY this past May when first had the opportunity to visit Scribner’s Catskill Lodge, just 2.5 hours from the city.
This Fall, in partnership with the Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, we traveled to Hunter, NY and Hudson, NY, and using The Infatuation’s Where To Eat & Drink In The Hudson Valley, created in partnership with American Express, were able to discover the best food and drink in all of the Hudson Valley.
Scribner’s Pool Makes It a Top Destination for NYC Summer Getaways
Scribner’s Lodge History
The Catskill Mountains have been a NYC getaway dating back to the 1800s. In 1881, on the same site as Scribner’s, the Hunter Mountain Prospect House was built. It was a luxurious accommodation, accessible mainly by steamboat, but as steamboat travel fell out of favor, travelers went elsewhere and the hotel was shuttered.
In 1960, aprés-ski was in full swing, and at the end of the decade, nearby Woodstock hosted 400,000 people, it brought a new development to the plot. In 1966, an artist opened Scribner Hollow Motor Lodge. The hotel gained legendary status thanks to its indoor swimming pool grotto, becoming something akin to the Playboy Mansion grotto of the East.
Scribner’s Lodge opened in 2016, having built from the ground up, and sadly (or happily) removing the grotto. The two owners, Marc Chodock, who quit his private equity job in NYC, and Glennon Travis, who formerly managed the Soho House, have created a “Brooklyn of the North”. The property has 38 rooms, with an on site restaurant, Prospect.
Use your Amex Gold Card and you can earn 2X Membership Rewards Points at US restaurants (terms apply).
The Scribner Hollow Motor Lodge was notorious for its grotto.
How Do I Get to Scribner’s Lodge?
Scribner’s Lodge is located in Hunter, NY. The fastest and most efficient way to get to drive by car from New York City. It’s a 2 1/2 hour drive, and if you’re like me, and don’t have a car, you’ll need to rent a car.
I recommend using an Amex Gold Card because you can earn 2X Membership Rewards Points at US gas stations (terms apply). Speaking from experience, when choosing your pickup location, pick a spot on the West side of Manhattan so you can avoid driving through traffic.
Best Restaurants in Hudson, NY
Fish & Game
Lil’ Debs Oasis
There aren’t enough adjectives in the English language to describe just how amazing Lil’ Deb’s Oasis is. It may look like a dive bar on the outside, with a small neon sign in the front window, but this place is anything but. The food is more delicious than most high end restaurants and the people are friendly. There’s also a really impressive wine list, with some great descriptors for those that aren’t wine savvy. If you don’t know your way from a Cabernet to a Merlot, you’ll appreciate seeing that one wine tastes like “red leather” while the other tastes like “stained glass”. The plantains with cilantro cream sauce were one item we kept wanting more of, and there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll keep coming back in the future for years to come.
Rivertown Lodge
You know when you see a perfect photograph of a cozy upstate lodge and wish you could be there? The place in those images may as well be Rivertown Lodge. It looks like the best parts of every ‘cozy’ Instagram photo you’ve ever seen, with blonde wood, mid-century furniture, and more books than you’ll ever be able to sit down and read aligning the walls. The food, too, is absolutely amazing. The current chef, who used to run a bakery in Hudson, cooks up unique comfort food with a twist. Because of the bakery background, just about anything dessert or bread related is guaranteed to be good.
Prospect at Scribner’s Review
Prospect has a large cedar deck that is perfect for sipping cocktails and relaxing after a long day and a huge meal. It also boasts a large, circular bar that serves delicious, signature cocktails. The food is both rustic and delicious, a perfect pair with the floor-to-ceiling mountain views.
Some ‘must eats’ here are the octopus, which is mouth watering, and just about anything from the dessert menu. We got a chance to try the froyo with fresh fruits and it was not only beautiful but super delicious. Very light and refreshing, but also satisfying.
Best Dishes at Prospect
- Brunch is a must, and you won’t be able to leave without trying the pancakes
- While the sea bass and scallops are excellent, when you’re dining in a lodge you have to get the cheeseburger to get the full experience
- Order the Burn’t Maple Old Fashion, made with Nocino, Burn’t Maple Syrup (which they also sell in the lobby) & Bourbon
Meet The Chef
Joseph Buenconsejo is the executive chef here at Prospect. His fresh approach to dining includes a playful twist on typical, upscale mountain cuisine. Chef Buenconsejo was inspired by Hudson Valley, and his food is a clear inspiration of his everyday surroundings.
Hearty preparations, local vegetables, and delicious cuisines are all what you can expect here at Prospect thanks to Buenconsejo, whose goal is to utilize the region’s already rich agriculture to shape his daily innovative offerings.
American Express sponsored this trip and this blog post, but the opinions are my own.
