The Henson: A Romantic Catskill Getaway
/Gentrification of Upstate New York is nothing new. Several towns (and I’ve written about many on this blog) in the Hudson Valley and Catskills have gotten the Brooklyn treatment in the last decade or so. But not all such restorations have gotten the same level of care as The Henson Hotel, a brand new luxury inn in sleepy Hensonville, New York.
Why The Henson?
I was drawn to book a night at The Henson for a very specific reason, which I’ll get to in the next section. But first, I wanna tell you how shockingly beautiful The Henson is. We’ve been to other “redo resorts” that frankly end up feeling like lipstick on a pig. Not The Henson. This property was renovated with such care and thought and with quiet luxury in mind. From the carefully selected food and drink choices offered at the inn’s honor bar to the many seating nooks offered on property, The Henson is well thought out. It’s relaxing and stylish, while still being welcoming and comfortable. And it’s absolutely PERFECT for a weekend getaway. But note that as this is a small property whose main attraction is to “sit and drink with a book or pal,” I would very much suggest leaving the kids home for this one.
Our modern room at The Henson was well appointed and offered a beautiful shared covered porch that made for a cozy place to drink our morning coffee as rain poured down in front of us. Other guest rooms face the inn’s stunning gardens. These Gardens are another excellent outdoor space in which to relax with a book, a coffee, a drink, a friend or some solitude. The inn also has a large Roof Deck with ample plush seating available for further relaxation.
If you’re more of an indoor person, right off the inn’s lobby and next to the adorable honor bar area that’s stocked with all kinds of artisanal treats, is The Living Room, yet another welcoming space for relaxation. I spotted a fireplace in The Living Room and large fire pit in The Gardens, both of which would only add to the comfortable vibes during a cooler weather visit.
On our visit, the 16 room inn was lively but never packed; and with so many seating areas sprinkled throughout, nothing felt too crowded.
Maltida + More
The impetus for our stay at The Henson was Matilda, the inn’s in-house restaurant. Matilda is a brand new fine dining destination from New York City acclaimed chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra. The Chefs have long been dining royalty via their LES restaurants Contra (now Bar Contra) and Wildair, and, judging by how lively Matilda was on our visit, we were not the only ones influenced to make the trip to the Catskills to try Matilda.
Matilda lived up to the Chefs’ reputations. Like The Henson itself, it is a restaurant that perfectly straddles comfort and elegance. The menu is full of local produce and proteins and vegetables generally steal the show here. The wine list is all natural and the beer and cocktail menus are equally great. Matlida also has a beautiful lounge area, perfect for a pre-dinner or after dinner drink - yet another area for relaxing and lounging at The Henson.
Not satisfied to simply add a Catskills fine dining restaurant to their roaster, Chefs Stone and Van Hauske Valtierra are ALSO running the food and beverage programs at Day June Luncheonette, a homey, casual breakfast and lunch cafe just down the street from The Henson. We had a great breakfast here and that added to the charm of the weekend (note that coffee was provided at The Henson each morning). If all this isn’t enough, grab some pantry items to take home from the inn’s pantry and provision store, Paracasa, located directly next door to Day June.
Catskillz
We had such a wonderful, relaxing overnight at The Henson. I had never been to this particular part of the Catskills before (other than skiing Hunter as a teen) and from the little we saw of Hunter and Windham, there’s not TOO MUCH worth seeing beyond slopes and hiking trails. The Catskill Mountain Country Store in Windham was worth a stop. And The Henson does provide inn guests with a list of their favorite things in the area.
Hudson, NY is about 40 minutes from the inn and wonderful. Woodstock, NY is also great and about 45 minutes from the inn. But the best move is to come up to The Henson for a night and really indulge in the relaxating vibes it offers. No need to leave!
