The 15 Best Catskills Hotels for an Upstate Vacay

Field magazine

Located roughly 2-3 hours north of NYC, nestled west of the Hudson River and east of the PA/NY state border, the Catskill Mountains have long been an “upstate” destination for New Yorkers. It’s where the Field Mag team prefers to escape to, if we’re not heading further north to the Adirondacks.

Besides the rich array of year-round outdoor activities the region offers, like skiing, hiking, biking, boating, swimming, and waterfalls etc, the area is home to countless well-designed boutique hotels and resorts reflective of the taste of its New York City visitors (especially those from design-obsessed Brooklyn), each with their own je ne sais quoi. Take for instance, the popular Wylder Windham, a high-end, kid-friendly resort featuring a swimming pool or the barebones Roscoe Motel, a perfectly lo-fi fly fishing retreat with a loyal following. And while there are dozens of impressive Catskills cabin rentals, sometimes you just don’t want to deal with Airbnb fees and taking out the trash.

Beyond the mountains, charming towns in the eastern Catskills like Woodstock, New Paltz, Tannersville, and Kingston are popular hot spots. On the western flank, areas around Lumberland, Narrowsburg, Callicoon, and Livingston Manor are hotbeds of art, food, and cabin culture. Each community scattered throughout the rolling hills features its fair share of cute main streets, live music, local wineries and cozy coffee shops, all set against the backdrop of Catskill Mountains—the perfect places to hang after a long day exploring outside.

Field Mag’s Top Catskills Resorts

Piaule Catskill — Catskill, NY
Camptown — Leeds, NY
Callicoon Hills — Callicoon Center, NY
Inness — Accord, NY
Troutbeck — Amenia, NY
Wildflower Farms — Gardiner, NY
Getaway — Catskill, NY
Hotel Lilien — Tannersville, NY
Eastwind Hotel Oliverea Valley — Oliverea, NY
Little Cat Lodge — Hillsdale, NY
AutoCamp Catskills — Saugerties, NY
Scribner’s Catskill Lodge — Hunter, NY
Deer Mountain Inn — Tannersville, NY
Urban Cowboy — Big Indian, NY
Starlite Motel — Kerhonkson, NY

There’s no bad time of year to visit the Catskills, either, as each season offers its own slice of beauty. The region is probably at its best, however, in Fall, as it offers crisp, picturesque hiking and cozy nights— an excellent combo.

The following collection of upstate New York hotels offer up a range of styles of stays in a region as diverse and unique as each property. Many have their own restaurants and taverns, along with the area’s characteristic thoughtful design. Spread throughout the Catskill region, each option is an awesome basecamp for exploring during a weekend getaway or a relaxing destination by itself.