The Lake Ellis Lodge

The drive in does a lot of the work. Past the field, past the treeline, and the lodge comes into view at the top of the lawn --- arched windows two stories tall, a covered porch running the length of the front, and the ground falling away behind it toward water. There's no neighbor in the sightline and nothing to hear but the property itself. Just lawn, lake, and a very large house that was clearly built for people who intended to have company.

Inside, the scale holds. Ceilings run high enough that the main room reads as a lodge rather than a living room, timber beams cross overhead, and a staircase splits and climbs from the center of the hall beneath a wall of glass. The millwork is the real thing --- deep-grained wood on the ceilings, built-in shelving, arched openings between rooms --- and stone fireplaces give the big spaces a center of gravity. There are enough deep sofas that a group of twenty can spread out without anyone hovering.

Food is where The Lake Ellis Lodge earns its keep. The chef's kitchen is built around a long stone island with the counter space, storage, and capacity to feed a full house --- cooking for a group here is genuinely easy rather than theoretically possible. The dining room seats eight under the windows for a formal night. The sunroom off the back seats far more, with standard and bar-height tables under a glass roof and views straight out across the grounds --- coffee in there in the morning is the reason people get up early.

The rest of the house is unusually well set up for a group with an agenda. A dedicated conference room seats up to 28 around a long table, which makes an off-site or a company retreat straightforward instead of improvised. A private library with floor-to-ceiling shelves sits nearby for the quiet breakout conversations, and there's a separate office for anyone who needs a door to close. The full-size pool table handles the part of the day when the agenda is over.

Outside, the property gives you options. The heated pool sits in open lawn with loungers along the edge and countryside rolling out past it. A fire pit ringed with eight Adirondack chairs takes over once it gets dark. A private tennis court, a pickleball court, and a basketball hoop cover the competitive hours, a hammock and seating are tucked along the wrap-around porch, and a path leads down to the water where a private beach, a dock, and a gazebo look out over the lake. Rowboats, kayaks, and paddle boards are there for anyone who wants to be out on the water before the rest of the house is awake.

Twelve bedrooms, each named for a tree, each with its own private full bathroom --- which is the detail that actually makes a group this size work. Nine hold kings and three hold queens, split across two floors, so families, couples, and colleagues can all be housed without negotiation, and two half baths on the first floor keep the main level running smoothly when the whole group is downstairs.

The setting is the Harlem Valley, the quiet eastern edge of the Hudson Valley up against the Connecticut line, where the farms are still farms and the towns are small on purpose. Kent is about fifteen minutes east for its galleries and Main Street, with the covered bridge at Bulls Bridge just before it and the cascades at Kent Falls State Park a little further on. The Appalachian Trail crosses just south of here, the Dover Stone Church trail and its waterfall cave is a short drive north, and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail runs paved and flat for miles. Macedonia Brook and the Litchfield Hills are close for hiking, Thunder Ridge handles winter, and farm stands and antique shops fill the fall. Metro-North's Harlem Line stops in Wingdale about ten minutes away, and New York City is roughly ninety minutes by car --- far enough that nobody's checking their phone, close enough that everyone actually shows up.

AvantStay provides a personalized hospitality experience to elevate your stay. With our Concierge Service, guests have access to our tech-enabled services like fridge stocking, private chefs, massages, transportation, special occasion celebrations, baby gear rentals, ski gear, beach gear, and more. For anything you need, we're at your fingertips!

Comprised of quaint towns, each with their own charming main street, upstate New York's Hudson Valley is famed for its natural beauty and seasonal produce. After all, it was here that inspired an entire artistic movement of Romantic painters who captured the area's rolling hills, colorful foliage, and pastoral setting. View the landscapes in person by hiking the Catskill Mountains. Then, visit local farms where there's a lot to pick: apples in the fall, strawberries in the summer, and vegetables in between.

Local Attraction: Hunter Mountain Ski Resort, Windham Ski Mountain and Resort, Hunter Mountain Ski Resort, Rip Van Winkle Lake Park (just a 1--2 minute walk and literally around the corner from the home), Windham Path, Windham High Peak, North Lake/South Lake hiking and kayaking area, Kaaterskill Falls, Hensonville's farm-to-table market, Maplecrest trailheads, and the nearby towns of Windham, Tannersville, Hudson, and Catskill.

Home Truths:

Parking Details:

All bookings over 30 days require a security deposit to be charged after booking.