I can’t pinpoint the exact moment that I became an upstate girl, but as Devon and I drove up Hunter mountain last week I was overcome with a sense of familiarity and comfort.
When I first drove up the mountain (you know, in the pitch black on a freezing November night) a few years ago, I remember being a little intimidated.
Now the twists and turns of the road are the mountain’s way of saying “welcome back!”
This was mine and Devon’s third upstate girls weekend together and I’ve also done several getaways to the Catskills with Andrew’s side of the family.
I’m at the point now where I can genuinely recommend things in this region and even smile knowingly and say “yes, I’ve been there a couple of times” about certain spots.
For this weekend trip we stayed at Scribner’s Lodge and I’m excited to share more about the property, our trip and how to spend a cozy winter weekend in the Catskills!
About Scribner’s Lodge
Scribner’s Lodge is located in the town of Hunter, known as one of the top ski destinations in the Catskills.
The property features 38 guest rooms and 11 round cabins for guests to stay in.
Check-in for the hotel is at 4pm and check out is at 11am. The lodge can also hold bags if you arrive before check-in time.
The hotel is just about 10 years old—according to House Beautiful it was originally open in the 1960’s and it closed for a long time before reopening in 2016 under new management.
The Lodge is the main property, which also features the restaurant, the library and most of the guest rooms.
If you stay at The Rounds or attend a yoga class, you’ll likely pass through The Apex, which feels very Scandinavian in design.
Our room
We stayed in the Lodge, which is the largest building on the property. You can also book a room at The Rounds to have your own mini cabin experience.
I enjoyed being at the Lodge because it meant we could visit the library, the restaurant and more without needing to go outside.
Our room had two queen beds and a bathroom. We were also given robes and there was a safe in the room for valuables.
The room also had its own private balcony overlooking the mountain, however because of a snowstorm the week before we weren’t able to open the door and pop outside.
I was also mesmerized by a tiny fire that we were able to turn on with the flick of a light switch! This was a real treat for us to have.
Amenities
The property is really pretty and has a few noteworthy amenities! Parking is included and right on the property and you can also pull your car up for drop off when you check in.
Scribner’s Lodge also has its own restaurant, but I’m giving that it’s own little section below.
The lodge also offers complimentary yoga for all guests on weekends, so Devon and I signed up for a class.
I haven’t taken an in-person yoga class in a minute, but I really enjoyed it! It was an hour long, which at first had me panicking because that sounded like a long time but it really flew by.
Our instructor was great and the property even had a shuttle to take us from the Lodge to the Apex (by The Rounds) where the class was held so we didn’t have to drive.
Scribner’s Lodge also offers complimentary sauna sessions for all of its guests, but we didn’t get to use them while we were there.
Prospect restaurant
The on-site restaurant and bar Prospect is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks every day. You can also dine here even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
We went to Prospect for Friday night dinner and Saturday morning brunch.
For dinner on Friday night, we had some Fellow Mountain Café sourdough to start and then shared the confit celery root (with miso glaze, leek foam and quinoa crunch) and the beet roots (goat cheese foam, rosemary dressing, amaranth).
For the main course, the prospect burger caught both of our eyes: made with bacon marmalade, truffle mayonnaise, cooper cheese and served with a side of parmesan fries, what was not to love?
I was stuffed by this point, but Devon did get a scoop of the Graza ice cream for dessert, which was vanilla ice cream topped with olive oil drizzle and flaky sea salt and she raved about it!
For our post-yoga brunch on Saturday morning, Devon ordered the prospect plate with eggs, potatoes and a choice of bacon or fruit and I got the chicken sausage breakfast sandwich.
I asked for a chai latte but they were sadly out, so I went for drip coffee which I later realized was silly since there is free drip coffee in the lobby for guests.
Well, you live and you learn and at least it was great coffee!
Weekend Itinerary at Scribner’s Lodge
If you’re visiting for just a few days, here is my proposed weekend itinerary for staying at Scribner’s Lodge and exploring this part of the Catskills.
Friday evening
We drove from the NYC area on Friday afternoon to Hunter and it took about 2.5 hours by car. When we arrived, the staff had our room ready, and we checked in.
There were a few hours before dinner, so we grabbed a drink and sat in the library playing Yahtzee.
We always travel with our own game (like true Yahtzee aficionados), however Scribner’s had a few shelves of games in the library.
We had dinner at Prospect and spent the rest of the evening in our room by the fireplace.
Saturday morning
Being an early riser, I grabbed my book and went to the library to read before our first activity.
I was able to grab a cup of drip coffee and saw some skiers getting ready for their early morning slope session.
Devon and I met in the lobby at 8:45am and took the complimentary shuttle to the Apex where our yoga class was.
The class was an hour long and as someone who normally does cardio workouts, I really enjoyed it.
We grabbed brunch at Prospect and then returned to our room to get ready for the rest of the day.
Saturday afternoon
Hunter is actually right next door to another lovely town called Tannersville, which we were familiar with from a previous stay at Hotel Lilien.
We decided to spend the afternoon popping in and out of all of the shops looking for antiques, trinkets and treasures.
Devon found some cute things, I struck out this time but I’m sure I’ll be back at some point!
After a few hours of wandering, we made our way to Hunter Mountain Brewery at my request since I love discovering new breweries upstate.
I tried a beer called Crazy Hazy (an ode to the first episode of season 3 of Gilmore Girls I assumed!) which was a delicious hazy IPA.
Devon ordered a cider and we shared soft pretzels with cheese dip. Not my favorite dip or pretzels personally, but they were alright.
Saturday evening
We were originally planning to pop into Hotel Lilien to enjoy their lounge area but they were sadly closed for a private event!
If you can, you should definitely make it a point to stop in here though the vibes are delightful and the lobby design is stunning.
Instead we pivoted to Tabla where we had just come for drinks a few years back and indulged in some pizza and pastas for dinner.
Finally, we made our way back to Scribner’s and to the library where we both rolled Yahtzees before bed.
Sunday morning
On Sunday it was time to check out and head home. Before we made our way back to the highway, we had to make a pit stop in Tannersville again.
Shandaken Bake is the town’s bakery and home to so many yummy and creative pastries.
I ordered a chubby squirrel (a scone meets coffee cake hybrid with cinnamon crumble) and got a few peanut butter cookies to bring home to Andrew.
They don’t have specialty coffee or espresso-based drinks but they do have tasty drip coffee to sip on while eating your pastries.
The bakery also has limited hours, currently open on Thursday afternoons and weekend mornings so keep that in mind when planning your visit.
If you have time or are looking for a stop on your way home, I’d definitely suggest Kingston, NY or any of these 5 other spots!
What’s the best time of year to stay at Scribner’s Lodge?
Truthfully, I think you’d have fun here any time of the year! We went on one of the coldest weekends in January and still had a blast.
If you’re into skiing, you’ll probably want to book between November and March to take advantage of the Hunter mountain slopes, but be sure to check for exact dates that they’re open.
I could also see it being lovely here in the late summer and early fall seasons, with opportunities for leaf peeping, hikes and maybe exploring a local brewery or two.
Do I need to make any reservations in addition to booking my room?
Yes! I would recommend reservations at Prospect restaurant, especially for dinner as space tends to fill up in the evenings.
You also need to make reservations for the complimentary activities that the hotel offers.
We were able to book a reservation for yoga, but by the time we realized we’d need to reserve the sauna, it was all booked up.
I’m definitely bummed we didn’t get to experience that so if the sauna experience is important to you, be sure to book ahead of your visit.
All in all, we had a fabulous weekend and I would absolutely stay at Scribner’s Lodge again.
It might be cool to try The Rounds next time (but likely not in the middle of January for me personally!)
Do you have any questions about Scribner’s Lodge that I wasn’t able to answer?
Let me know in the comments!
yours,
Austen
Note: we received a media rate for our stay and were given some complimentary appetizers at dinner, but all opinions are my own.
