The Best Hotels for a Nature Escape From NYC—No Airport Required

Getting out of New York City by car offers something flights can’t: control over timing, pace, and where you land. Within a few hours, the urban skyline gives way to forests, lakes, and mountain towns—and hotels designed to make the most of them. This Hotels We Love list focuses on retreats in nature worth the drive, organized by time from New York City.

Pendry Natirar

Courtesy of Pendry Natirar

Pendry Natirar sits within a 500-acre park in central New Jersey, with a restored 1912 Tudor-style mansion at its core, alongside a working farm and a long-established culinary program. While the hotel itself is a recent addition, the property’s restaurant, Ninety Acres, along with its farm and private club, have been part of the estate for more than a decade.

The 66 guest rooms are housed in a newer wing, with interiors that reference the mansion’s heritage—think dark wood furnishings, antique mirrors, and fruit-and-flower still-life paintings among more contemporary elements like teal-painted accent walls and tailored upholstery. Walk the surrounding parkland and its three nature trails, visit the farm sheep, or spend time in the 19,000-square-foot spa.

Mohonk Mountain House

Courtesy of Mohonk Mountain House

Founded in 1879 and still family owned, Mohonk Mountain House remains one of the Northeast’s most enduring resorts. The Victorian, castle-like hotel sits above a private mountain lake, surrounded by thousands of acres of protected land. The retreat offers family-friendly ways to explore the great outdoors via skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, and ice-skating in winter and hiking, biking, boating, and horseback riding in summer.

The 259 guest rooms retain a cozy, turn-of-the-century feel, with warm wood accents and a muted palette. On-site amenities and activities include a large indoor pool, an amenity-filled spa, and activities ranging from tennis to rock climbing. Meals, most activities, and the resort’s Kids Club are included in the nightly rate.

Six Bells Countryside Inn

Photo by Kate S Jordan

The Six Bells Countryside Inn, an 11-room boutique hotel in New York’s Hudson Valley, is built around the fictional rural village of Barrow’s Green, with English countryside influences and cottage-core design. An extension of the Brooklyn shop Six Bells, the hotel incorporates a retail component where guests can browse new and antique goods like handmade quilts, ceramic pitchers, and beeswax candles.

Out back, a deck overlooks the gently flowing Rondout Creek. On the ground floor, Feathers Tavern serves a seasonal American menu built around local produce; the chicken pot pie is a standout. Upstairs, guest rooms continue the escapist narrative with patterned wallpaper, floral upholstery, and decorative detail—heart-shaped metal sconces among them.

Inness

Photo by Christian Harder

Spread over 225 acres in the Hudson Valley, Inness reimagines the grand, all-in-one Catskills resorts of the past. Accommodations include 28 standalone cabins with kitchenettes and a 12-room farmhouse, all oriented toward privacy and the surrounding landscape.

Offerings include a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, and hiking trails, with seasonal programming supported by an outfitter stocked with gear. There are two swimming pools, an events barn, and a farm shop for coffee and provisions, as well as a three-acre organic farm that supplies the restaurant.

The wellness center is a focal point, with geothermal-powered steam rooms and saunas, indoor and outdoor pools, and a small treatment program that blends holistic therapies with more clinical approaches.

Related: Where to Stay in the Catskills and Hudson Valley, New York

Troutbeck

Photo by Nicole Franzen, courtesy of Troutbeck

Since reopening in 2017, Troutbeck has drawn city dwellers looking for immersion in nature without giving up comfort. Set across several buildings, including the 1919 Manor House and the late 18th-century Benton House and Cottage, the property is composed of 37 rooms with four-poster beds topped with crisp white linens. Rooms in Benton House, added in 2022, feel more contemporary, with grass cloth walls and subtle plaid and striped patterns. Custom four-poster beds in saffron yellow or navy blue were designed by Connecticut-based furniture maker Ian Ingersoll.

A small spa and sauna, a pool, tennis courts, and yoga in the barn are all set against the property’s lightly manicured grounds.—Sophie Friedman

Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection

Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection

The classic New England escape of stone walls, spectacular old barns, and winding lanes reaches its crescendo in Connecticut’s Litchfield County. Against that backdrop, the Mayflower Inn & Spa grandly rests. Bought and converted from a boarding school to an inn in 1920 by a former student, the cozy hotel inspired the bed-and-breakfast in Gilmore Girls. In 2018, luxury hotel group Auberge Resorts Collection took over and brought in Manhattan-based interior designer Celerie Kemble to refresh the look. For the summer 2026, she has redesigned the pool area.

Four-poster beds, gleaming wood floors, and chintz remain, but there’s now more energy in the mix of handmade furniture, artwork, and color. Auberge also introduced the Well, a New York spa concept that blends Eastern and Western approaches. The country-chic Garden Room overlooks the Shakespeare Garden and serves a seasonal menu with dishes like turnips à la bourguignon, kale gnudi, and fried quail.—Nicholas DeRenzo

Related: These Are the 15 Best Hotel Getaways in New England

Belden House & Mews

Courtesy of Belden House & Mews

A stately restored 1888 New England mansion, Belden House & Mews opened in 2025 as the sister property to Troutbeck in Amenia. Victorian details are concentrated in the main house, with ornate carved mantels, stained glass windows, paneled walls, parquet floors, and ceramic fireplaces. Meanwhile, the 1959 Mews have more of a midcentury-modern feel. The 31 guest rooms are split between the two buildings, connected by landscaped gardens.

Onsite amenities include a restaurant and bar focused on local ingredients (cavatelli with Thumbelina carrots and snap peas; pork collar with rhubarb and spring onion), along with a bathhouse featuring a dry sauna, steam room, and Japanese ofuro tub, plus two treatment rooms and a seasonal outdoor pool.

Driftwood Ranch Resort

Photos by Susan Portnoy

The family-owned Driftwood Ranch Resort is a working ranch set on 200 acres of Catskills land where horses and Texas longhorns graze. There is a 30,000-square-foot indoor riding arena and miles of trails to explore—ideally on horseback. Each of Driftwood’s four suites has a distinct design, but all have honey-colored wood details, custom-built beds, fieldstone fireplaces, and exposed hand-hewn posts and beams.

Colorful patterned blankets and cowboy-era artwork complement wood sculptures by chainsaw artist Paul Stark, whose on-site studio is open to visitors. Guests can book breakfast only or choose the all-inclusive option with three meals, horseback riding, and ranch activities. Meals are shared family-style with the owners.—Susan Portnoy

Related: I Swapped NYC Subway Delays for Saddles at This New Catskills Ranch

Kenoza Hall

Photo by Lawrence Braun

On 55 acres overlooking Kenoza Lake in the western Catskills, Kenoza Hall has 10 standalone bungalows and 22 restored guest rooms with original hardwood floors, Sferra linens, and custom furniture in soft grays and pinks; some have deep-soaking tubs and private balconies or porches. In the common spaces on the ground floor, guests can read or drink (or both) by the fieldstone fireplace in the Parlor Room and browse old maps and guidebooks in the Map Room.

Dining is similarly unfussy, with a restaurant and bar that open onto a lakeside terrace and draw both guests and locals. The menu sticks to familiar classics—oysters Rockefeller, burgers, or grilled salmon. Activities are similarly low-key and in step with the setting: canoeing and rowing on Kenoza Lake, pool time, yoga in the Movement Studio, and an outdoor hot tub and sauna.—Sophie Friedman

Scribner’s Catskill Lodge

Courtesy of Scribner’s Catskill Lodge

The 38 rooms at Scribner’s Catskill Lodge lean heavily on wood, from vaulted timber ceilings to built-in furniture made of pale lumber, all housed within a black-clad building. Bathrooms feature terra-cotta tiles and rainforest showers, while the Scribner’s and Hunter suites include fireplaces for a cozy après-ski. (The hotel is less than a mile from the Hunter Mountain ski area.) For more privacy, book one of 11 freestanding, yurt-shaped cabins known as the Rounds, a 10-minute walk from the main lodge. Each has a gas fireplace, private lawn, a Japanese soaking tub, and a seasonal outdoor shower. With a king bed and a twin trundle, the 550-square-foot space can accommodate up to two adults and two children.—Sophie Friedman

The Henson

Courtesy of the Henson

Tucked on a quiet street just off Hensonville’s Main Street, the Henson has an easy, residential feel. The 1918 building was converted into a snug 16-room hotel in 2024. Outside, guests can wander through the herb and flower garden, play bocce on the lawn, or cool off in a nearby creek on warmer days. Inside, the living room serves as the social center, with a wood-burning fireplace, comfortable seating, shelves stocked with games and books, and a tea and coffee bar.

The hotel was founded by Ely and Danielle Franko and chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra, known for New York City restaurants Contra and Wildair. As expected, food is central: the on-site restaurant, Matilda, highlights Catskills ingredients and draws diners beyond overnight guests with such dishes as Hudson Valley trout with sea beans and dauphinoise potatoes baked with aged ham.

The Ram’s Head Inn

Photo by Jessica Miccio

While most Long Island beaches have more of a see-and-be-seen atmosphere, Shelter Island remains notably calmer and more remote feeling, thanks in part to its ferry-only access and the fact that roughly a third of the island is protected through the Mashomack Preserve. The Rams Head Inn occupies a small peninsula overlooking Coecles Harbor, surrounded by a rolling lawn and a 900-foot private beach. Built in the 1920s, the colonial-style shingled manor house contains just 13 rooms.

The restaurant focuses on seasonal coastal fare, with seafood sourced from nearby waters (think clam strip po’ boys and steamed mussels) and produce from the property’s organic garden and on-site apiary. Keep an eye out for the hotel’s four Southdown Babydoll sheep, which add a slightly whimsical note to an otherwise understated setting.

Related: For a similar but more vineyard-focused Long Island getaway, see our guide to the North Fork

Prospect Berkshires

Photos by Cole Wilson

Prospect Berkshires comprises 49 wooden cabins spread across 30 acres of wooded land on the edge of Prospect Lake, at the foot of the Berkshire Mountains along the New York–Massachusetts border. In warmer months, canoes or kayaks are available; in winter, skiing is available through a partnership with Catamount Ski Resort, a five-minute drive away.

On-site amenities include tennis courts, a heated pool, and shared saunas, as well as two private lakefront saunas (complimentary for guests). A dock extends into the lake just beyond, making it easy to cool off with a post-sauna plunge.

Breakfast and dinner are served at the Cliff House, a lakeside restaurant with such American French dishes as steak tartare with horseradish, cucumber, dill, and crème fraîche, and a hearty cassoulet with duck confit, boudin noir, and smoked pork belly.

Related: Sauna Rituals, Lake Plunges, and Cabins From $175—All a 3-Hour Drive From NYC

Inns of Aurora Resort and Spa

Courtesy of Inns of Aurora

Owned by Pleasant Rowlands, the founder of the American Girl Company, Inns of Aurora is composed of six small hotels throughout the village of Aurora on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake in New York State’s Finger Lakes region. Each occupies a historic home or building, which lends a residential, small-town feel.

The newest addition, Farmhouse, has four rooms in the original 1835 structure with original marble fireplaces and antique moldings, and six in a more contemporary wing, where large windows open to the surrounding landscape.

Activities center on the lake and the village itself: kayaking, paddleboarding, and canoeing, plus a three-mile nature trail that winds through nearby woods. There’s also a farm-inspired spa with an indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy circuit, plus four restaurants across the property.

The Point

Courtesy of the Point

Once a Rockefeller-era Great Camp in the Adirondacks, the Point is now part of Relais & Châteaux and remains one of the region’s most distinctive luxury retreats. It sits on 75 private wooded acres on the shores of Saranac Lake, with seasonal outdoor activities like boating, biking, and hiking in summer and ice-skating and cross-country skiing in winter.

There are only 11 suites and cottages, each individually designed with features like wood-burning fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, and plush beds. Notably, rooms are intentionally free of televisions and Wi-Fi, reinforcing the sense of escape. In the evenings, multi-course communal dinners take place in the Great Hall, where a formal dress code—cocktail attire or black tie, depending on the night—nods to the property’s origins. The ever-changing menu might include wagyu short ribs with lobster mushrooms or celery root gratin. The setting is transporting, with soaring ceilings, 19th-century Hudson River School oil paintings, and mounted game, while drinks and well-curated wines are readily available throughout the property.