Feeling fancy at the foot of the Catskill Mountains
Yogi Bear Jamboree meets Teddy Roosevelt hunting camp meets Gilded Age luxury lodge. We discovered a little bit of all that at The Chatwal Lodge, a former estate located at the foot of the Catskill Mountains of New York. The Adirondack-style resort sits within a 2,500-acre gated community of luxury homes, along the shores of Lake Toronto Reservoir.
“Wow, look at this!” one of our traveling companions said when we entered the main house. “Feels like a Disney property.” Not quite, but the place makes a statement. The main lodge is an open space with soaring ceilings; thick tree trunks rise to support giant rustic wooden beams; twigs wrap around a wood plank staircase; a taxidermized elk head with massive antlers is mounted above a large stone fireplace. Next to it, a wood-carved black bear sits on a platform, framed with tree branches. There are antler horn lights, animals carved in wooden posts, and lots of handcrafted Adirondack-style furnishings. A bank of windows and doors open to a porch overlooking gardens and lawns, and the lake beyond. Stairs led to a lower level with another small bar, fireplace, library, and wine cellar. Animals are everywhere: bears, raccoons, beavers carved into wooden posts, beams, and walls.
There are only 11 guest rooms and suites on the property, three upstairs rooms in the main lodge, three rooms in a separate waterfront building called Longview at Toronto Reservoir, four hillside rooms in a building called Lookout at Running Water, and the stand-alone Stone Cottage. All the rooms are upscale campy; think lots of wood and rustic beams, handcrafted furniture, leather couches and chairs tossed with thick wool plaid blankets, clustered around fieldstone fireplaces. Bathrooms are cushy, too, with Malin & Goetz toiletries and Toto bidets.
The Stone Cottage is the newest (and plushest) suite, a house, really, with 2,800-square-feet of living space with tall ceilings, a king bed overlooking a separate sitting area with a gas fireplace, and an ultra-modern bath with a soaking tub, walk-in tiled shower and his and her sinks. There’s a mini-bar area, stocked with soft drinks and water, and a separate game room with a card table and bar cart, also stocked with complimentary spirits. The décor carried the Adirondack, luxury lodge theme, with lots of wood, leather couch, antler horn chandelier, and a railing made with branches and twigs. The suite also has two fabulous outside decks, one with an outdoor fireplace, both overlooking the water.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included, and they surpassed our expectations — sophisticated dishes that were artfully plated using fresh, high-quality ingredients. The daily changing menu is small with a handful of starters, entrees, and desserts. We dined on foraged mushrooms, shrimp and asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, roasted duck breast, and poached wild cod. High-quality wines by the glass or bottle, along with topshelf spirits and cocktails, are also included. One day, the staff surprised us with afternoon tea, featuring an exquisite tower of chocolates, truffles, pastries, and small sandwiches. And each evening, turndown service included a plate of chocolates and a small carafe of port.
The guest experiences are a big part of a Chatwal Lodge stay, and they’re included in the allinclusive room rate. Captain Clifford, former owner of a remote Alaskan hunting and fishing camp, guides most experiences, from wine tasting to flytying to print-making. In warm weather, there are boat tours, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and paddleboarding. In winter, weather permitting, there’s snowshoeing, ice fishing, and a slew of indoor activities. A network of hiking trails leads through fields and forests, and the rec room, once the former estate’s horse barn, has sports tables, board games, a small gym, and a movie theater.
One day, we took a Range Rover tour of the property with Captain Clifford, listening to tales of his backcountry adventures and escapades, and taking in the gorgeous views of rippling trout streams, thick forests, and distant mountains. We stopped to enjoy plump strawberries and glasses of bubbly on a perch overlooking the lake, where we saw a pair of browsing deer in the distance — happy to see them alive and well and roaming (as opposed to being stuffed and displayed).
All-inclusive rates start at $1,200 per night based on double occupancy and include three meals per day, per guest; beverages including wines, liquors, and champagnes, and indoor and outdoor activities. www.thechatwallodge.com