Weekend Getaway: Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY

A few weeks ago, my best girlfriends proposed a night away and some spa time. I was in! But we had to find a place to go.

Requirements were:

• The drive had to be reasonable (2-4 hours MAX)
• Spa services
• Good food
• It had to be somewhat luxe (I’m not the rustic, bare bones type, despite over 20 years at Surprise Lake Camp).

 

We decided on the Mohonk Mountain House, which is located in New Paltz, NY (around 90 miles from Manhattan). And it was the perfect choice.

Check out my video tour.

Getting There: Super easy, we drove up and was there within 2 hours. It’s right outside New Paltz (literally hang a right – right after you go through town). There is security going onto the grounds, so make sure you know who the room is booked under. You can purchase a day pass if you want to hike and do some of the activities.

The Rooms: The room we stayed in was comfy and cute. Since the Mohonk Mountain House was built in 1845 and has really been preserved, expect that it’s going to have older touches. If you want a TV in your room, you are going to have to order it ahead of it, it doesn’t come standard. Since I had my iPhone, iPad, and laptop, we didn’t need a television anyway.

Though, with all of the activities, you won’t be spending that much time up in your room anyway. But there is free wifi and the connection was excellent.

 

The bathroom was spotless and gleaming white (which appealed to me, since spotless bathrooms make me really pleased).

Spa: The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House is world class. There are so many services offered – from facials, to massages, to pedicures and manicures.

It’s gorgeous with a veranda, a solarium, and a mineral pool. There’s also a gym and a dedicated class room (where we took an energizing fitness class on Saturday afternoon and then a yoga class on Sunday morning).

The large indoor pool (and the gym) are located right downstairs from the Spa. You can access the gym and pool without a spa appointment. There are lockers and one of those cool swimsuit drying machines. It was very warm in the pool area — if you feel like sitting by the pool, you’ll be more comfortable in a bathing suit or shorts and tee. We took two fitness classes during our visit to Mohonk Mountain House, but didn’t get into the indoor pool.

There was a room full of treadmills and bikes, if you wanted to get a workout in.

You’ll need a day pass ($25 per person) for use of steam, sauna, verandas, and mineral pool – unless you have a spa treatment booked that day). Bathing suits are required for use of the outdoor heated mineral pool.

Smartphones and tablets are not allowed in the spa areas (so you can really relax). Go old school and bring a book if you want to read during or after your treatments. The Solarium is a great place to relax and sip the complimentary tea.

We took a dip in the mineral pool before our spa services. It was amazing. Afterwards, we separated for our spa services. I got a wonderful pedicure and manicure. I was very impressed and my technician was a sweetheart. While I soaked my tootsies, I was served a plate of grapes and an apple drink to flush out toxins.

The Food: You get a choice of a sit down dinner or a buffet (select before you arrive). For each night that you stay, you are allowed 3 meals — breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You are allowed to come as early as you like to the resort to enjoy the grounds and activities. You can choose whether or not to use your lunch meal the day you arrive or the next day (before you leave). We chose to grab lunch at rest stop on the NY Thruway and enjoyed a sit down dinner that night, breakfast the next morning, and then lunch before we left.

The sit down dinner was really spectacular. One of my friends is lactose intolerant and I have a lactose sensitivity (I’m fine with most cheeses, but milk/cream in certain things like soups or coffee will get me sick. I also can’t have ice cream).

The menu that we had let us know what dish had dairy, nuts, shellfish in it. It even said which dishes were vegetarian and which were vegan. Our server was able to tell us what dishes were dairy free and which wasn’t. My friend felt better that the servers knew what was in the dishes so she could make sure she could eat and not get sick.

After dinner, we walked around for a little while. There was a band in one of the rooms, but we decided to go upstairs and relax in our room.

The next day, we had breakfast and then lunch (it was officially brunch) in the buffet style.

Every dish at the breakfast and brunch was clearly marked to show allergens.

However, there were a lot of dishes with dairy that were served (both of us steered clear of the cheese plates).

 One of my favorite items at their buffet was the shrimp cocktail (served at the brunch). Delicious!

 

 

The desserts served during brunch were scrumptious.

I had to sample several (for research purposes, of course).

After brunch, we did a little walking before we left.

 

 

 

Yes, there’s a ice skating rink!

 

Activities: There are so many activities and events at Mohonk. Click here to see the daily schedules.

 

For families — there is babysitting and a kids club available (for kids 2-12). Here is a sample day’s schedule.

All in all, Mohonk Mountain House was perfect for our girls weekend away. We enjoyed the two classes we took, our spa services, mineral pool dip, walk, and delicious meals.

Mohonk Mountain House
1000 Mountain Rest Rd
New Paltz, NY 12561

http://www.mohonk.com
http://www.mohonk.com/spa

Thank you to the Mohonk Mountain House for having us for the night. I received a discount on my stay.