Bryce Nantes

Review of Mohonk Mountain House

A tired Hudson Valley hotel, that is less the adve...

A tired Hudson Valley hotel, that is less the advertised Victorian Castle Resort and more lodge surrounded by 40,000 acres of forest, easy trails, and sporadic wildlife. Nestled on the bank of Mohonk Lake, expect to be greeted by "lodge's" incredibly friendly staff and dine on some of the best food you will find anywhere in the region at the small dining room - the Duck Ragu and the Prime Rib are tops - although the wine selection could be revised to better compliment the exquisite menu offerings. Clearly Mohonk Mountain House has seen better days. The entire structure is in dire need of an extensive, and probably costly, renovation, aesthetically and structurally. I counted no less than 7 different patterns of carpeting, some flowing into the next, and the wall papering might have witnessed the end of WWII and the moon landings. The building is drafty and the hallways cool, even on mild days, and the beds leave much to be desired and are a chiropractors nightmare. Surprising to me is the remarkably tiny and limited hotel bar, almost an afterthoguht, tucked away and hidden.
Clearly, Mohonk Mountain House was a choice Hudson Valley destination for vacationers to experience the great outdoors in relative comfort during the days of horse drawn carriages and prohibition, but now, you could there are dozens of alternative options across the region and country at the same cost or less but offering substantially better value. The premium pricing for a night, or even weekend stay is staggering given the tired accommodations and arguably limited activities and amenities available. The Smiley family has definitely forgone decades of necessary capital expenditures at the expense of the client experience. The repeated accolades awarded to the spa are questionable. Average in size and with an advertised mineral pool which is clearly just a regular hot tub, the staff is nonetheless friendly and capable, but I we aren't talking Canyon Ranch or others.