There’s a place along the Hudson River where the soft lap of waves whispers against a small-town background with infinite charm. It’s a place where people can come to relax, unwind, and maybe even discover more about themselves as they escape from day-to-day life. It’s precisely this place where the James Newbury Hotel resides.
If the hotel sounds new to you, that’s because it’s new to the Hudson Valley. Tucked in Coxsackie, the James Newbury resides in one of those places you almost don’t want to tell people about because it’s so idyllic. But you do, because sometimes discoveries are simply too good to keep to yourself.
Case in point: the James Newbury Hotel packs everything people love about Hudson Valley getaways in one place. Waterfront views? Check. Elegant rooms with amenable staff? Check. Top-notch dining? Check. Things to do and see in the area? Check and check.
The Greene County hotel boasts all those things, as well as one more thing that Hudson Valleyites appreciate in abundance: history. Before transforming into its current iteration, the James Newbury edifice began its life as a manufacturing facility in 1906 before later becoming the State Wire + Cable Company. The property was once the site of a 19th-century shipping port and iron foundry as well. In ode to the space’s past, the team behind the hotel opted to keep both names, branding the hotel after James Newbury and the accompanying event space after the cable company. In both locations, the décor and aesthetic pay homage to the site’s manufacturing and maritime past.
Speaking of the team behind the James Newbury Hotel, that would be Empire Riverfront Ventures, a team of four brothers – Wayne, John, Mark, and Aaron Flach – all of whom were born and raised in the area. While each brother owns companies in different fields, they all banded together to collaborate on the hotel project. For Aaron Flach in particular, the chance to work on the hotel and accompanying projects has been especially meaningful, since it gives him a chance to give back to the area in which he spent his youth. Plus, as someone with a strong passion for historical restoration, he knew he was just the person to oversee a project of such scale and scope.
“We purchased the property in 2018 and saw that restoring it was a great opportunity, yet typical apartment units would not do the location or landscape justice,” he explains. “The idea of the hotel was born when seeing that the long-term ability to host many guests/people was a bigger notion and larger gift to the community.”
So they got to work. The buildout took two years to complete, with Flach working closely with Scott Townsend to craft the modern industrial design that helps to define the James Newbury Hotel. As for the aesthetic, he collaborated with Glen Coben to create the warm, nature-inspired interior.
The James Newbury Hotel opened its doors in Coxsackie in mid-July 2023. Already, it’s made a point of welcoming guests to its unique, relaxing location on the Hudson River. The hotel boasts 47 unique keys, including a luxury one-bedrooms suite, four river-view oversized tub king rooms, and a variety of double queen and single king rooms. Inside each room, an elegant mix of industrial, modern, and warm designs greet guests. There are local and historic prints throughout the edifice, echoing back to the history of the property and the Hudson Valley at large.
“The James Newbury Hotel is a warm, relaxed, and refined hospitality destination that has become truly the only Hudson Valley region riverside resort,” Flach observes.
Across the driveway, The Wire Event Center is the location for onsite event programming. The long, eye-catching building stretches from the hotel straight to the Hudson, so event-goers can take in the idyllic views. The 13,500-sq-ft space can hold up to 500 for a standup event and 250-300 for weddings. And indeed, The Wire has already hosted a number of weddings for couples looking to get married by the water. The James Newbury Hotel partners with Mazzone Hospitality, based in the Albany area, to deliver a flawless catering experience for events.
When it’s time to grab a bite, guests need only walk to the adjacent building for gourmet pizza and bites at Patrick Henry’s. Housed in a 100-year-old saloon building, Patrick Henry opened its doors at the beginning of 2023 after receiving a renovation from Flach. Albany restaurateur Dominick Purnomo, the owner of Dominick Purnomo Restaurant Group (behind restaurants like Yono’s and dp An American Brasserie), leads the kitchen concept, bringing an extensive resume of experience with him. On the menu, diners can tempt their taste buds with brick oven-fired pizza, salads and mains featuring ingredients from nearby farms, and a slew of local craft brews, not to mention mouthwatering desserts. (Pro tip: If they’re available, don’t skip out on the Nutella empanadas.) Later, when it’s time for a nightcap, visitors can retreat to the hotel’s lobby bar for drinks and conversation.
Of course, that’s just the start of the exciting goings-on at the James Newbury. Next up, the property will open Dayline, its rooftop seafood and oyster bar, in mid-September 2023. Purnomo will also oversee that concept, which will feature a seafood-inspired menu and raw bar. Also around that time, the hotel will debut its spa and wellness boutique, which will reside in in the multi-floor building next to the main structure. The hotel will soon offer an in-facility gym for guest use as well.
“The hotel will evolve into a leading destination resort location for Hudson Valley respite seekers,” Flach predicts. “The additional business retreats, wellness events, single-day visits, and other surrounding close proximities to Woodstock, Hunter Mountain, and more make it a perfect location year-round.”
To his point, the James Newbury is proximal to a number of top destinations around the Hudson Valley, with Catskill a few minutes away, Hudson (and Whitecliff’s new tasting room) just across the river, and Albany only a 24-minute drive up the Thruway. Already anticipating the appeal of day trips around the area for guests, the hotel is working on a partnership with the Hudson Ferry, which runs between Athens and Hudson, to add a stop at the James Newbury so that guests can take a river ride from one town to the next.
And then there’s Coxsackie itself. The Greene County town embraces small-town charm with historic edifices seemingly everywhere and a number of eateries and shops for visitors to explore. The Coxsackie Riverside Park next to the hotel is ideal for walks and picnics and boasts a spot for kayaking rentals as well.
“The location creates a walkable, activated historic village with a rich history,” Flach explains.
Plus, thanks to Flach and his team, the attractions will only get better. Just down the road from the hotel, Empire Riverfront Ventures acquired the old opera building, a striking red-brick edifice with a multi-floor structure that makes it ideal for mixed-use development. With the help of historic redevelopment grant money from New York State (Coxsackie received $4.5 million as part of the NY Forward grant initiative), they aim to get started on that renovation at the beginning of 2024, with plans for businesses led by local vendors on the ground floor and apartment rentals and short-term-stay spaces on the upper levels.
Above all, Flach and team want to support the community as much as possible and show visitors just how rich in culture and attractions their sliver of Greene County truly is.
“The family tradition that is taking place all over the Hudson Valley is expressed here more than any other with a new generation to grow up in and pass along traditions and a quality of life that we all seem to seek,” Flach observes. “The addition of the Hudson Ferry service to Athens and beyond, a destination on the ‘Great Loop’ map, and an ultimate Hudson River Valley wellness retreat is all to come.”
To learn more about the James Newbury Hotel or book a stay, visit its website.
James Newbury Hotel
60 S. River St, Coxsackie
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