Last updated January 5, 2024
Upstate New York—in particular, the Hudson Valley—has long been a top weekend getaway destination for quaint towns, farm-to-table cuisine and outdoor adventures. A respite from the hectic pace of New York City. These days, though, pampering is flowing upstream in the form of ultimate relaxation experiences. Here are 5 weekend spa getaways in Upstate New York with a wow factor.
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Head north of New York City and the suburbs begin to give way to deeply forested trails, mountains and lakes. And spanning both sides of the mighty Hudson River all the way upstate lies the bucolic Hudson Valley.
One of the top weekend getaway destinations in Upstate New York, the Hudson Valley offers city folk a dose of nature with a side of culture. The valley extends 150 miles above the tip of Manhattan north to Albany and is sandwiched between the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains.
This Designated National Heritage Area comprises 10 counties—complete with a host of wellness retreats, destination spas and picture-perfect vistas. Hot spots like Kingston, Monticello, Tarrytown, Accord and Rhinebeck all beckon with idyllic getaways.
Here are five weekend spa getaways in Upstate New York guaranteed to impress.
1. YO1 Health Center — Monticello, NY
About two hours from Manhattan in the Catskills is spa getaway #1—YO1, which in Sanskrit means youthful. The experience at this wellness center focuses on rejuvenation and lifestyle change.
Through a customized application of Ayurvedic principles and holistic remedies—such as acupuncture, water treatments, massage, mud therapy and reflexology—trained counselors provide guests with personalized recommendations.
Ayurveda, if you’re not familiar with it, is a 3,000-year-old form of wellness intervention that originated in India. It focuses on helping individuals find a healthy balance among the interconnected realms of the body, mind and spirit, which theoretically lead to the eradication of any disease you might be suffering from.
The first step in the process is to determine your individual dosha, or body type, of which there are three. To simplify, if you are Vata, you tend to be slender. If you are Pitta, you have a medium muscular build, and if you are Kapha, you have a heavier build.
The YO1 Experience
You can choose from a variety of all-inclusive wellness programs or customized itineraries focused on relieving specific ailments such as sleeping problems, anxiety, depression, digestive issues, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels or diabetes.
Three organic vegetarian meals a day are included (and you’re encouraged not to bring food or drink from outside the center).
The 1,300-acre rural property is dotted with lakes and was formerly known as Kutsher’s Country Club, a once-famous summer destination. Guest rooms and suites are monochromatic and tasteful in décor plus boast a lake view.
2. Castle Hotel & Spa — Tarrytown, NY
Tarrytown is just one hour from Manhattan in Westchester County, or better known as the lower Hudson Valley. The most notable landmark is the Mario Cuomo Bridge, a beautiful modern structure stretching from Westchester County to Rockland County.
Equally stunning is spa getaway #2—Castle Hotel & Spa, located on 10 acres high above and overlooking the river. The luxury hotel has 31 guest rooms and suites, a breathtakingly beautiful outdoor pool and whirlpool and a fitness center. Bonus points for a private hiking trail.
Originally built between 1897 and 1910, the Castle turned into a luxury hotel in the 1990s with an update in 2013. The décor and feel is Old-World leather and wood, luxury and “bygone elegance” as management puts it. Basically, you’ll feel like royalty here!
The hotel is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Historic Hotels of America. Massage appointments are available. On weekends, guests can opt for a private prix-fixe dining experience. New American Style cuisine is offered on Friday nights, while Japanese cuisine is prepared on Saturday nights.
Beyond the Castle property, you can walk, run or cycle on the scenic Hudson Riverwalk in the shadow of the bridge. Cocktails and lunch (and say yes to the bread) at RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen right off the walk is a local favorite.
If you’re up for it, you can also visit Lyndhurst Mansion, a Gothic Revival architectural and landscaping marvel, where you can choose from a variety of house and garden tours.
3. Mirbeau Inn & Spa — Rhinebeck, NY
Moving north along the river to New York’s Dutchess County, you’ll find spa getaway #3—Mirbeau Inn & Spa Rhinebeck, a luxury wellness resort nestled just on the edge of town. It’s slightly different but very much the same as its sister properties in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Skaneateles, New York.
The classical chateau-style architecture is elegant and inviting. While the interior is calming and restorative with cool grays and marble floors. It’s all very swanky, from the in-house Willow restaurant (helmed by Chef Charlie Palmer) to the expansive spa.
Spa Mirbeau features treatment rooms, a resting area with a fireplace, a Himalayan salt sauna, a eucalyptus-infused steam room and a heated pool/whirlpool in the outdoor Aqua Terrace (which also features a private bar). A small gym offers a variety of exercise equipment. Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates and strength training are held daily.
Beyond Mirbeau
There’s much to do in this charming pocket of the Hudson Valley. Close by in the town of Hyde Park, you can visit the home and library of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s smaller lakeside cottage known as Val-Kill, and the Vanderbilt family’s neoclassical country estate.
For lunch, if you wish to venture out, book a reservation at one of the Culinary Institute of America’s upscale restaurants (one American, one Italian, one French cuisine), where students cook, serve and host guests as part of their education. Anthony Bourdain was a graduate, with a hall now named after him.
You’ll also find a bakery/café, brewery and a gift shop on the grounds of CIA (yes, that is its acronym), one of the prettiest academic campuses in America.
If you enjoy flowers, take a short ride to Brittany Hollow Farm. You can pick your own bouquets from dozens of flower varieties for just $20 a bucket from late June through September each year. And for evening entertainment, check out what’s playing at the Hyde Park Drive-In theater.
4. Hutton Brickyards — Kingston, NY
When you cross the Kingston-Rhinebeck Bridge, you enter the Hudson Valley’s Catskill Mountains. And there, you’ll find spa getaway #4—Hutton Brickyards, an unexpected, innovative, 73-acre boutique hotel rising out of the ruins of an old brickyard. Discarded bricks and the remains of industrial buildings are charmingly scattered all around the property, along with a massive crane and three kilns from the site’s previous incarnation.
Opened in 2021 and situated right on the banks of the Hudson River, Hutton Brickyard’s claim to fame is its luxury back-to-nature vibe. Guest accommodations are in the form of 31 upscale cabins, some of which have all-glass walls facing the river.
The open-air River Pavilion restaurant—helmed by Chef Dan Silverman, formerly of Balthazar, a popular New York City restaurant—is open to the public. Amenities include a spa, outdoor yoga classes, archery, croquet, kayaking, an outdoor gym and fire pits.
Or you can just sit on the lawn by the river and watch the boats go by.
5. INNESS — Accord, NY
Looking for more of a rustic farmhouse vibe? Half an hour south of Kingston and inland, you’ll find another innovative wellness resort that opened in 2021 in the Catskill town of Accord.
Spa getaway #5 is called INNESS. Amenities include saltwater swimming pools, hiking trails and pastures, gardens, a shop and fire pits. A spa is due to open in 2023. The farm-to-table, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine is cooked over an open fire in view of diners and is open to the public.
INNESS has 28 cabins and 12 guest rooms in the main farmhouse, all decorated in a shabby chic, vintage style that screams “RELAX!”
You can play tennis or golf at their 9-hole course, take outdoor yoga classes, learn archery or croquet, and go kayaking. You can also join their members club, to return again and again to this 220-acre resort. The best part? INNESS is dog-friendly!
Weekend Spa Getaways in Upstate New York Won’t Disappoint
The scenic Hudson Valley is only a two-hour drive from New York City. It’s the ideal escape route for a weekend spa getaway in Upstate New York.
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