Hit pause and take a moment to soak up some R&R at the latest addition to the Catskills’ hotel scene: Hemlock Neversink. Nestled in the northern corner of Sullivan County, this getaway was created with experienced spa-goers, the wellness curious, and adventurous newcomers in mind.
Hemlock, which opened last October, is a pioneering concept for husband-and-wife team Sims Foster and Kirsten Harlow Foster, the owners of James Beard Award-nominated Foster Supply Hospitality. (You may know their other Sullivan hotels: Livingston Manor’s The DeBruce and Arnold House, and Kenoza Hall in Kenoza Lake.) Hemlock Neversink (which dates to the 1800s) sits on 230 acres with 34 rooms, 12 spa treatment rooms, a fitness space, an indoor pool, tennis courts, and an activity building.
Kirsten redesigned the destination (which was formerly the New Age Health Spa) and took inspiration from both its Quaker roots and Shaker-style wooden handcrafted furniture—whose simple designs, such as peg rails, are present in guest rooms and other spaces. Accommodations are situated across five different buildings and rooms range in size (from Solo Traveler to Neversink King to Hemlock Grand Suite), each with ensuite bathrooms, spacious closets, and many with custom dressers. Some suites have patios or balconies, and even outdoor showers.
Unlike most hotels, after booking, guests are asked to fill out a short goal-oriented survey, which helps staff develop a personalized daily itinerary. Activities include fitness classes, guided nature walks (with or without friendly goats from nearby Frederick Farm Goat Sanctuary), yoga sessions, aerobics classes, cooking lessons, guided meditations, mindfulness workshops, soaking in the indoor swimming pool or hot tub, and even stargazing. If your wellness journey relies on the outdoors, the nature trails around the property are open year-round. Seasonal offerings this winter include floral pressing and a food dye workshop. (If it snows, you can go snowshoeing and sledding.) The creative studio, housed in the activities building, offers a variety of artistic pursuits—from pottery to needlepoint.
Perhaps the biggest perk at Hemlock is its high-end spa, with a steam room, saunas, a sun-soaked relaxation room, an herbalist who crafts botanical teas and nurturing balms, and rejuvenating treatments. The “Return to Nature Ritual” is extremely popular: It begins with a berry seed and white peat exfoliation, followed by a mask of organic mushrooms, helichrysum blossoms, and berry oil. Guests then move to a bath soak of salts and birch extracts. Afterward, stop by the herbalist stand and meet director of spa and wellness Katie Childs. Here guests can have one-on-one consultations and receive custom herbal blends, capsules, and tinctures, plus nutrient-packed brewed teas to take on the trails. For example: A blend of organic licorice and organic burdock to help improve skin texture, tone and clarity, or holy basil to help lower cortisol levels and improve immunity.
Of course, no state-of-the-art destination is complete without excellent food. Bittersweet—the full-service, plant-based on-site restaurant open for prix-fixe lunch and dinner—is headed by executive chef Charlie Mercein, formerly of The DeBruce. The kitchen serves dishes like roasted kabocha squash soup with chili crisp, charred broccoli with burrata, mushroom flatbreads, bean stew with hoja santa (a Mexican herb), ricotta and spinach dumplings, and bittersweet chocolate mousse with puffed amaranth. And if hunger does strike at any point during your day, head over to the grazing tables for a quick nosh of nuts, granola, hand fruit, and infused water (in the morning) or artisan cheese boards (with various crackers, nuts, dates, and figs) in the afternoon.
All-inclusive experiences start at $299/night per guest. To learn more or book a stay, visit hemlockneversink.com.
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