Hibernation Plan: Fireplaces
Nothing tops off a blustery winter’s day upstate quite like posting up beside a roaring fireplace, half-sunken into a leather armchair with a cup of hot cocoa in hand, or better yet, a cup of spiked hot cocoa. The inviting 360 degree fireplace at Scribner’s Catskill Lodge is just one of many waiting to be discovered in nearly every corner of the lodge - from the wood stoves located in multiple guests rooms to the fire pits on the deck and grounds of the 20 acre mountainside property. In addition to Scribner’s, these hotels and restaurants have the most appealing, coziest hearths around. Schedule a stop-in at day’s end and huddle up by the fire. The last thing you’ll want to do is leave.
THE DEBRUCE | LIVINGSTON MANOR
Grab a seat in the Conservatory at this refurbished inn from the 1880s. With comfortable reading chairs, old books on fly fishing, and an original fireplace made of hundred-year-old stones pulled from the Willowemoc Creek out back, you’ll be ready for maximum coziness. For an extra treat, enjoy a dram of whiskey from the Club Room downstairs, which is complete with its own fieldstone hearth.
EASTWIND | WINDHAM
The wood-burning fireplace at Salon, the white-walled breakfast room and cocktail bar at boutique hotel Eastwind, is charming at all times of the day. Warm up with a hearty breakfast by the fire and enjoy scenic views of Windham Mountain as your backdrop.
LIS BAR | KINGSTON
A two-top table directly in front of the pellet-stove fireplace is prime real estate at this beautifully designed restaurant and bar in Kingston’s up-and-coming Midtown Arts District. Settle in for a romantic evening while enjoying craft cocktails that compliment Polish-style tapas, such as potato dumplings topped with mushrooms, bacon and sourdough breadcrumbs.
HASBROUCK HOUSE | STONE RIDGE
The wood-burning hearth in the lobby of Hasbrook House - original to the refurbished 18th-century Dutch Colonial stone mansion - is a favorite gathering place for visitors and hotel guests alike. Surrounded by design books and whimsical Cole and Son wallpaper, it’s especially ideal for those who stumble out of Butterfield, the hotel’s lauded farm-to-table restaurant.
THE MAKER LOUNGE | HUDSON
Gather in front of the sultry fireplace at The Maker Lounge to indulge in a spirit-forward cocktail and a duck fat toasted Bartlett House english muffin. This dark, cozy, old-world-inspired lounge, is located in a former horse stable that will soon house a European dessert cafe and a gilded micro hotel.
FOXFIRE MOUNTAIN HOUSE | MT. TEMPER
The stone fireplace at this masterfully reworked century-old bohemian country estate is something out of an interior designer’s dreams. Find a sheepskin rug or a spot on the vintage velvet sofa, order a drink from the bar room, and let your mind roam as you marvel at the worldly vintage and antiques scattered throughout.
By Daniel Schwartz
