Autumn light
Hotel Lilien (Tannersville, NY)
GETAWAYS • Catskills
About a three hour drive north of the city, Hotel Lilien in Tannersville is perfectly located for mounting a fall weekend upstate. Built in the 1890s and recently refurbished, the 18-room hotel opened its doors in 2022. The decor boasts an air of cool sophistication, dotted with stained glass, varying shades of wood, and Noguchi-like lamps.
On a recent stay, we took it all in as the check-in host got us sorted (the same fellow, a few hours later, would make us cocktails that rival any in NYC). The daily pace of life around the property is relaxed, as one would expect — but also, alive. If not day-tripping into Hudson for shopping and lunch (about a 30 minute drive), hang around the hotel (and its many hidden nooks) or the swimming pool, where we played played backgammon for hours and watched as 10 guests sat through a brief rainstorm under the pool umbrellas before diving back in.
In the evening, the house’s main living area calls for a game of pool under warm lights. Then, to Hotel Lilien’s cocktail bar and lounge for dinner, where the menu is short and solid. Roasted carrot salad, summer corn salad, and fries adorned our table, but carnivores could opt for smoked brisket tacos or English chicken curry. The highlight came last: a campfire skillet cookie with a roasted marshmallow texture, a rush back into memories of sitting around a campfire with my dad an era ago.
If an autumn getaway isn’t in the cards, skiers take note: Hunter Mountain is just a couple minutes up the road. –Nicole Flamen
→ Hotel Lilien (Tannersville, NY) • 6629 Route 23A • Weekend king rates from $337/night.