Enduring instants
“Most-instagrammable” lodgings highlight a visit to Catskills.
We’re close to the Adirondacks, the Catskills, the Berkshires, and for that we can be so grateful especially during a time like this when immersing ourselves in nature can be important for our mental and physical health. What originally drove me to the Catskills is the hiking trail to Kaaterskill Falls. What kept me there was the most Instagrammable hotel, cute country stores, and delicious restaurants.
A night at the Roxbury
The Roxbury at Stratton Falls, 48 County Road 41, Roxbury
The Roxbury hotel was put on the map despite opening just this year right around the time the pandemic turned our lives upside down. Opening a business during a time like that is certainly not ideal, but they trekked forward in a way that is extremely commendable, gaining national recognition as the most Instagrammable hotel in North America by Luxury Travel Advisor. In my opinion, they should’ve won the world title.
The point of the hotel is to immerse you in what feels like a movie set. Each room is extremely different and themed, throwing you into nostalgia, your favorite movie or a mythical world. The Roxbury technically has three sets of amenities: a renovated motel; the Stratton Falls Mansion Rooms, named for the spaces in the mansion on the property, and the Stratton Falls Tower Cottages, which are themed, smaller buildings unto themselves. I checked into the Superhero Incognito Tower Cottage and was just completely amazed. Everything was decked out in Wonder Woman decor from the light fixtures to the color scheme and tiling in the bathroom. I felt like I was in a superhero's lair and it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had in a hotel.
In addition to the rooms being quite individual and special, they also had all of the modern touches that we crave. They had a big luxurious bathtub, spacious showers, two outdoor balconies overlooking the park, big king beds, light dimmers, TVS and more. After having our breakfast delivered to the room, we took a short walk to Stratton Falls right behind the Stratton Towers where our room was. The falls were completely stunning, but there were even wooden towers that you can play in and explore. Don’t forget to grab a bottle of water or a glass of wine and head over to enjoy the pool or the hot tub in the cooler months.
Where to Shop/eat
The Catskill Mountain Country Store and Restaurant (6014 NY-23A, Tannersville) is full of goodies like apparel, candies, fudge, jam, toys, and more to browse through. You can visit Bones & Stones (5977 Main St., Tannersville) to treat yourself to a custom piece of jewelry or a specialty pocket knife.
Phoenicia Diner; 5681 NY-28, Phoenicia
In addition to the scenery in the Catskills, there are wonderful places to eat like Phoenicia Diner. Opt for their steaming pot pie with flaky puff pastry or their gooey mac & cheese. Everything was so delicious, including the frozen palomas with fresh, tart grapefruit juice, that I ended up actually getting their cookbook to mimic some of the recipes while at home.
Last Chance Antiques & Cheese Café; 6009 Main St., Tannersville
When I discovered Last Chance, I was too excited that a place like this even existed. Some of my favorite things on Earth are antique stores, cheese shops and old five-anddime stores with oldschool candies. Last Chance antiques and cheese shop combines all of that in one place with a fantastic restaurant. They have the most delicious, cheesy French onion soup along with local cheese platters, tender meatloaf and more.