Even the most urbane city dwellers need a break from the hustle and bustle of New York every now and then. If your idea of serenity is a shady seat on a country estate, we have just the place for you. Maybe a quick ride to Queens for a beachside hotel is more your speed, or perhaps you're seeking Zen at a Scandi-style hotel in the mountains. No matter your style, we have a perfect fresh air getaway that's just right.
For our list of urban escapes, read below.
Autocamp Catskills
Saugerties
It’s hard to think of a hospitality concept better suited to the times than AutoCamp — purveyors of luxe Airstream trailers and stylish freestanding cabins, set in adventure-ready locations beloved by experience-hungry young travelers. AutoCamp Catskills, just outside of Saugerties, brings the luxury-boutique camping experience to upstate New York; accommodations include the aforementioned trailers and cabins as well as upscale “X Suites” and summertime-only canvas tents.
Eastwind - Hotel & Bar
Windham
With outdoor recreation more popular than ever, we knew the Catskills, just a two-hour drive from New York City, couldn’t stay unfashionable forever. But it’s a bit surprising just how quickly a place that hasn’t been hip since our grandparents were kids has managed to reinvent itself. Eastwind Hotel & Bar, in the town of Windham, is a case in point. It’s co-owned by a German/Lithuanian couple who saw a bit of his own childhood in the landscapes and lodges of upstate New York, and who redesigned this 1920s-era lodge (and its outlying A-frame cabins) with an eye toward Scandinavian modernist style.
Journey East Hampton
East Hampton
Montauk may be where most of the action is in today’s Long Island boutique-hotel scene, but we get the feeling that suits Journey East Hampton just fine. This is a hotel that’s less about chasing the next nightlife hot spot and more about providing an elegant escape for a clientele that’s more interested in a proper, private getaway — one that’s as cozy as it is stylish, and one where the experience is tailored to the guest, thanks to some thoughtfully personalized service.
The Rockaway Hotel
Rockaway Beach
New York City isn’t known for its beaches, but the Rockaways are the exception, and the Rockaway Hotel brings a bit of downtown style to this ocean-facing stretch of deep outer Queens. Designed by the same Morris Adjmi responsible for Brooklyn’s Wythe Hotel, it’s as hip as anything in town, and while summertime is when its beach-and-pool scene really shines, it’s relevant as a nearby getaway year-round. Its restaurant, bar, and café are still in the works, as is the spa, but for now it’s a welcome respite from crowded Manhattan and Brooklyn and an optimistic taste of a stylistic resurgence for the city’s beach communities.
Troutbeck
Amenia
Troutbeck didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to style itself a creative retreat — it’s been walking the walk for well over a century, having welcomed Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau, and many others along the way. And while this estate, in Amenia, two hours from Manhattan, has seen some changes over the years — Benton Cottage dates back to 1760, while the 17th-century Manor House was rebuilt in 1919 — it’s perhaps most remarkable for its continuity.
Hero image: Eastwind - Hotel & Bar
