An hour and a half from Manhattan, you will find a 140-acre retreat at Wildflower Farms, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection. Stationed on a vast expanse of seemingly untouched countryside where the Catskills merges with the Hudson River Valley. Wildflower Farms’ scenery and the dipping landscape look like a postcard.
On the vast property you will find an indoor saltwater pool, outdoor pool, spa, restaurant, bar and lounge. One of appealing aspect of a visit is that Wildflower is, as its name suggests, a working farm, as you are reminded in delightful ways throughout your stay. Green-fingered travelers can book a session in foraging and harvesting seasonal produce, followed by a farm-to-table cooking class.
There are 65 free-standing cabins. About half of which sit in the woods; the rest float on the meadow. All have a private terrace space and floor-to-ceiling windows to bring the beauty indoors. Though the cottages and cabins at Wildflower Farms are flush with space, for extra room opt for a Ridge Suite. The Ridge Suite showcases a bedroom terrace with private cedar hot tub, walk-in wardrobe, and a living area anchored around a fireplace to cozy up to.
The hotel’s serene, spacious environment is family-friendly. The experiences on offer are educational, and any one of the six suites is suitable for those with children. However, there is not a kids’ club nor babysitting services available. All rooms accommodate pets, for a daily charge of $150.
Guests can enjoy a 3,000-square-foot fitness center, complete with ‘movement studio’. Personal-training sessions and guided yoga are also offered. There is a three-mile onsite trail that encourages an exploration of the grounds. For the swimmers, Wildflower Farms has two options: an indoor saltwater pool, where a backstroke will allow you to gaze up at the gabled roof; and an outdoor pool enclosed by wildflowers.
For those seeking a more relaxed approach, try the Thistle, An Auberge Spa. Guests can enjoy a pair of outdoor hot tubs to indulge in before or after their treatment. Treatments make use of small-batch ointments, oils, scrubs and floral elixirs paired with traditional practices. There are five single and one couples’ treatment room offering treatments that change with seasons’ rhythms. Guests are encouraged to lounge on daybeds beside the peaceful indoor saltwater pool and adjacent sauna.
Driven by the seasons, the cuisine revolves around produce that has either been grown onsite or sourced from local suppliers, all of whom use sustainable agricultural practices. Clay serves a New American menu with some pan-Asian accents that are full of unexpected delights. The wine list zones in on well-established Old and New World makers. Beverages on the ever-changing cocktail menu use herbs and plants from the onsite garden in order to create mixes and infusions.
The Great Porch, an open-air lounge that is focused around a central fireplace, draws in a crowd with its unobstructed views of Shawangunk Ridge. The Great Porch serves coffee and pastries, shareable plates and aperitifs in the evening.
The hotel’s poolside bar is found among wildflowers and foliage. It’s open from May to September, and the drinks menu takes its cues from what’s grown nearby.
Campfires are lit every day at 5pm, encouraging guests to gather around and fill up on skewered grilled cheese with local honey, and roasted apples picked from the orchard.
If you are looking for an ideal get-a-way on the East Coast; be it family, friends or a solo trip, unplug and reconnect with nature at Wildflower Farms.
Nearby Atttactions:
Tuthilltown Distillery, the first in New York’s post-Prohibition era, to get an exclusive single-barrel tasting tour; learn how to bake with edible botanicals (no, not those type); or, for the more daring, book a session to scale the Shawangunk Ridge with a local guide.
This being an area that provided inspiration for the 19th-century Hudson River School painters– big-hit art galleries abound. At Storm King Art Center, one of the world’s most important outdoor museums, site-specific commissions and large-scale sculptures punctuate a 500-acre grassy estate that’s worthy of a Brontë novel. The area is also flush with superlative craft distilleries: although based within an 1850s monastery, the tipples at Hudson House & Distillery are devilishly delicious; and at Black Dirt Distillery, the in-house apple brandy incorporates the Jonagold variety and is aged for a minimum of four years in American-oak barrels.
The historic, 17th-century hamlet of New Paltz is the closest regional point of interest, with the great dining options in the fast-changing river city of Kingston a bit north of that and the beloved villages of Woodstock and Saugerties a bit further. For hikers, cyclists, and mountaineers, the Gunks are right there, and countless trails and natural wonders are a short drive away, on either side of the Hudson River. Many of the region’s great art destinations, including Storm King, Dia Beacon, and Opus 40, to say nothing of the numerous noteworthy galleries that have opened in the area.
